Lyr Req: Two Brothers (Irving Gordon)

Subject: Lyr Req: Two Brothers additional info
From: Laura Sandage
Date: 26 Jan 06 - 03:31 PM

Anyone have slight variations on the traditional song "Two Brothers" -- the Civil War song also called One Wore Blue and One Wore Gray? Also has anyone ever heard a choral arrangement of this piece, and if so, where can I get it/ hear it?

I am considering writing a choral arrangement of this song, and am interested in any minutiae related to the lyrics, the melody, the history of the song, other arrangements etc to enrich my process. I learned the song from Ray Frank (his version has a few minor departures from what is printed on the digitrad).

Thanks! Laura

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Two
From: stevenrailing
Date: 26 Jan 06 - 03:46 PM

try google "two brothers+chords+civil'

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Two
From: Peace
Date: 26 Jan 06 - 03:48 PM

[PDF] March 9 Concert Program

Google that, Laura. Place to start, anyway.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Two
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 26 Jan 06 - 04:14 PM

The DT file is at TWO BROTHERS, where it is credited to Irving Gordon. The same ascription occurs elsewhere, with a copyright date of 1951. Gordon only died a few years ago. Assuming there is no evidence to the contrary, it would be a bit premature to be describing the song as traditional.

It would seem to be a song about, not of, the American Civil War. Disney uses it, anachronistically, in their "Great Moments with Mr Lincoln" presentation, but so far as I know they do credit the writer appropriately.

Of course, there are probably quite a lot of older songs (some perhaps to be found in tradition) on the same theme.

---

DT Lyrics:

TWO BROTHERS (CIVIL WAR)
or ONE WORE BLUE AND ONE WORE GRAY
(Irving Gordon)

Two brothers on their way,
Two brothers on their way
Two brothers on their way,
One wore blue and one wore gray
One wore blue and one wore gray,
As they marched along their way
Fife and drum began to play,
All on a beautiful morning

One was gentle, one was kind,
One was gentle, one was kind,
One was gentle, one was kind,
One came back, one stayed behind
Cannonball don't pay no mind
If you're gentle or if you're kind
It don't think of the folks behind
Or of a beautiful morning

Two girls waiting by the railroad track,
Two girls waiting by the railroad track,
Two girls waiting by the railroad track,
One wore blue and one wore black
One wore blue and one wore black
Waiting by the railroad track
For their lovers to come back
All on a beautiful morning

Copyright Welbeck Music Corp.
@war @soldier
sung by Chad Mitchell on Hootnanny 2
filename[ TWOBROCW
TUNE FILE: TWOBROCW
CLICK TO PLAY
SOF

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Two
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 26 Jan 06 - 04:36 PM

I do seem to remember hearing in the Aussie 'charts' in the early 50's. And of course Rolf Harris did it too.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Two (2 Brothers - Civil War)
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 26 Jan 06 - 05:40 PM

That was a completely different song, for which see a vast number of old threads called "two little boys" and similar. There is a long list of them at When we were little boys. Most contain the same information and repeat postings of the same parodies.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Two (2 Brothers - Civil War)
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 27 Jan 06 - 09:32 AM

I'm going to share some lyrics I picked up in the 1960's. I don't know if they occur on the net already or who wrote them. I realize that there are plenty of verses like them.
----------
Two young brothers marched away (3x)
All on a beautiful morning.

One in blue and t'other in gray (3x)
All on a beautiful morning.

Two young brides by the railroad track (3x)
All on a beautiful morning.

One in white and t'other in black (3x)
All on a beautiful morning.
-------
However, the word t'other, which my grandmother used to use, is my own addition. My grandmother came from Pennsylvania Dutch stock, and I think it is okay to use her word to get rid of the awkwardness of trying to sing "the other" in the last verse.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Two (2 Brothers - Civil War)
From: Rapparee
Date: 27 Jan 06 - 09:36 AM

Gibson and Camp recorded it on their very classic "At The Gate Of Horn" album. It's still available on a CD.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Two (2 Brothers - Civil War)
From: Rapparee
Date: 27 Jan 06 - 09:43 AM

I just realized that the words and sheet music are in Irwin Silber's Songs of the Civil War (New York: Columbia U. Press, 1960), p. 363 & 364 (it's the last song in the book). The book should be available in libraries or via interlibrary loan.

Yes, the song is credited therein to Irving Gordon with a copyright date of 1951 by Shapiro, Bernstein & Co. You might want to look into what you have to do if you want to perform the song for profit....

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Two (2 Brothers - Civil War)
From: Duke
Date: 27 Jan 06 - 10:04 AM

This is as much as I can remember of the way I learned it.

Two brothers on their way-3X
One wore blue and one wore grey.

One wore blue and one wore grey,
as they marched along their way.
The fife and drum began to play,
all on a beautiful morning.

Two girls standing by the railroad track-3X
one wore blue and one wore black.

One wore blue and one wore black,
waiting by the railroad track,
for their lovers to come back,
all on a beautiful morning.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Two (2 Brothers - Civil War)
From: saulgoldie
Date: 27 Jan 06 - 10:16 AM

I have heard versions by both Theodore Bikel and The Limeliters.

Unfortunately, both of these are safely locked in vinyl, and only G-d knows where they are at the moment. If I find them, I will play them again and transcribe them. In the mean time here is some of what I remember:


Ba-boom baba boom baba boom
And Richmond is their tomb
There's a hundred more Gettysburg
There's a hundred more at ****
And a hundred more we never found
And a hundred more we never found
But the first battalion's home

One was gentle one was kind
One was gentle one was kind
One came home one stayed behind
All on a beautiful morning.

Two girls waiting by the railroad track
Two girls waiting by the railroad track
For their darlings to come back
One wore blue and one wore black.

One wore blue and one wore black
Waiting by the railroad track
For their darlings to come back
All on a beautiful morning.


Those are some pieces of the song I remember. I think this is from the Limeliters' version. But I will know when I find and play the records. Er, um, yes, "records." For you young'uns, that is the media we used to listen to recorded sound on before cassettes. Um, cassettes are, oh never mind!

BTW, for the Civil War motif, do not forget "Let The Band Play Dixie" by Bob Gibson. THAT I can give you words and chords to.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Two (2 Brothers - Civil War)
From: Laura Sandage
Date: 27 Jan 06 - 12:49 PM

Thanks to all responders on this thread. The various lyrics and recording references are informative.

I did try a lot of googling combinations first, didn't turn up any choral arrangements. It connected me to the Mudcat digitrad lyric and music, which is very close to the version I know. It seems to me to be a song written by a particular individual that has been somewhat passed around through the folk process (Lineia Guest's version is an interesting variant), but not traditional. I will credit the songwriter on my arrangement if I get that far. Earning money off any of it is not a consideration at this time.

I am not putting together a civil war program, and it interests more as a song about war, death, humanity, and fate than about a particular historical war. I think the emotional impact of the song can help people scratch the surfrace of any war's horror.

Laura

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Two (2 Brothers - Civil War)
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 27 Jan 06 - 03:14 PM

Interestingly, there was an old( mid-50s)Kirk Douglas film shown on UK tv last week called "Indian Fighter", and one of the minor characters in the film sings " Two Brothers" . The melody also pops up as part of the music soundtrack.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Two (2 Brothers - Civil War)
From: Rapparee
Date: 27 Jan 06 - 03:38 PM

Saul, I think that the "boombababoombababoom" part is from a song called, if I remember aright, "The First Battalion's Home." Gibson and Camp did it with another on the "Gate of Horn" album in the way you remember it.

Boombababoombababoom
Twelve riders in the gloom
The drums are low and the pace is slow
But the first battalion's home....

There is a battle
Ragin' somewhere
And it's thunder shakes the groun
Terrible silence
When it's over
Only dead make such a sound.
And a scene
Oh yes a scene
On the first day of July....

They might have worked "Two Brothers" into it as well -- I don't hve the CD handy.

Another powerful song is "In The Hills Of Shiloh" by (I think) Shel Siverstein.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Two (2 Brothers - Civil War)
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Jan 06 - 07:31 PM

To the best of my recollection, the lines from "The First Battalion" are:

There's a hundred still in Richmond,
Three hundred dead at Gettysburg,
And a hundred more we never found,
But the First Battalion's home.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Two (2 Brothers - Civil War)
From: GUEST,Melani
Date: 27 Jan 06 - 07:31 PM

Sorry, forgot to sign the above, and screwed up the line breaks as well.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Two Brothers (Irving Gordon)
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Aug 10 - 07:41 PM

Melissa Mittag...My father sang this song frequently when I was growing up...he accompanied it with a guitar..There were two little boys who had two little toys...etc [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Two Brothers (Irving Gordon)
From: GUEST
Date: 31 Dec 10 - 10:28 AM

Does anyone know what artist/group performs "Two Brothers On Their Way" in the DisneyWorld America Production at Epcot? I have been seraching and found a few artists (for example, Shelby Flint, The Weavers) but these do not seem to be the same recording as the wonderful and haunting performance used in the Disney presentation. I am in the military and this song has much meaning to me... would appreciate it if someone could provide the answer.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Two Brothers (Irving Gordon)
From: GUEST,PKellyMc
Date: 30 Jun 11 - 04:40 AM

Pretty sure the version you're seeking is by Columbian Folk Singer Alicia Almo (pure vocals and lush but simple orchestral backing). Her version was used in the "Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln" animatronic presentation on Disneyland's Main Street for many years. I downloaded a clean MP3 version from the web several years ago; email me if you'd like to have it. Use "Two Brothers" as the subject line, so I don't flush it if it ends up in my spam folder.

[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Two Brothers (Irving Gordon)
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 30 Jun 11 - 05:07 AM

Steve Benbow used to sing the "One wore blue and one wore grey" version regularly at the cellar Folk Club in Greek Street, Soho, London, mid-1950s. Not sure if it is on any of his LPs ~~ the discography on his Wiki entry only gives titles, not details of tracks.

~Michael~

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Two Brothers (Irving Gordon)
From: GUEST,Guest - Mimi
Date: 10 Feb 12 - 10:31 AM

The Weavers recorded this song, and it is on their The Weavers On Tour album. I'm also trying to get info, as I am recording a version for guitar and voice.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Two Brothers (Irving Gordon)
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Aug 12 - 08:17 PM

My friends Inman & Ira sang this back in Chicago but I don't think they ever recorded it. First time I heard them sing it was at the Gate of Horn.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Two Brothers (Irving Gordon)
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Mar 15 - 07:53 PM

Robert;

I am a classical guitarist and am looking for a solo guitar rendition of this song to ad to an appalachian folk song suite.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Two Brothers (Irving Gordon)
From: GUEST,#
Date: 29 Mar 15 - 10:21 AM

Irving Gordon is also the writer of Abbott and Costello's "Who's On First".

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Two Brothers (Irving Gordon)
From: GUEST
Date: 21 May 15 - 02:16 AM

Ron Jeffers wrote a nice choral arrangement which blends "Two Brothers" and "Tenting Tonight". The published piece is called "Workin' for the Dawn of Peace" and is published by Earthsongs.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Two Brothers (Irving Gordon)
From: SINSULL
Date: 21 May 15 - 01:33 PM

One was gentle; one was kind x3
Cannonball don't pay no mind

Cannonball don't pay no mind
Whether you are good or kind
One came back one stayed behind
All on a beautiful morning

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Two Brothers (Irving Gordon)
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 22 May 15 - 01:36 AM

I recall the penultimate line of the extract given by Sinsull above as "It don't think of the folks behind".

≈M≈

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Two Brothers (Irving Gordon)
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 22 May 15 - 10:20 AM

So it doesn't bother anybody that suddenly the narrator of the song has lost years of education and has started to say things like 'It don't" and use double negatives?

It's nice to be anti-war, but how about respect for the integrity of a poetic work?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Two Brothers (Irving Gordon)
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 22 May 15 - 10:57 AM

"Integrity" in what sense, Leeneia? That was the diction or idiom in which Mr Gordon chose to write his song; so how else should it be quoted?

see eg
http://www.metrolyrics.com/two-brothers-lyrics-tom-jones.html

≈M≈

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Two Brothers (Irving Gordon)
From: GUEST,Benjie
Date: 11 Feb 20 - 12:21 AM

Laura- "Two Brothers" is part of Ron Jeffers' choral arrangement "Workin' For the Dawn of Peace". You can find it at:
http://earthsongschoralmusic.com/index.php?main_page=product_sheet_music_info&products_id=2442