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Lyr Req: Abraham Lincoln Lives Again (Lewis Allan)

22 Dec 10 - 09:41 AM (#3059273)
Subject: Lyr Add: Abraham Lincoln Lives ( Walks )Again
From: GeoffLawes

Abraham Lincoln Lives ( Walks ) Again


Can anyone give the complete lyrics and more information about this song?

I have been trying to find out about a Spanish Civil War song celebrating the Americans who volunteered for the Abraham Lincoln Battalion in the Spanish Civil War. It is on the CD George & Ruth--Songs and Letters of the Spanish Civil War performed by Tony Saletan, Sylvia Miskoe, Dan Lynn Watt, Molly Lynn Watt where it is called Abraham Lincoln Walks Again
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/georgeandruth

I have just read Abel Meeropol (a.k.a. Lewis Allan): Political Commentator and Social Conscience by Nancy Kovaleff Baker, American Music, Vol. 20, No. 1 (Spring, 2002), pp. 25-79, Published by: University of Illinois Press. This article in endnote 25 gives the reference

" Abraham Lincoln Lives Again" words by Lewis Allen [ Abel Meeropol ] (New York: Bob Miller, 1938)

I then re-checked the CD liner notes for the CD George and Ruth and listened to the short sample (23) of the song Abraham Lincoln Walks Again and realised that what I thought were two different songs are in fact the same song.

The CD liner notes say

"Tony Saletan researched some less known songs of the time. Woody Guthrie composed Mr. Tom Mooney is Free. Don't Buy Anything Japanese sung to the tune of Bai Mir Bistu Shein, was a topical song of the day. Tony found verses in Yiddish to Viva La Quince Brigada and the United Front Song, and two songs by poet and composer Lewis Allan about the Spanish Civil War, Abraham Lincoln Walks Again and Beloved Comrade (Music by Fred Katz). These two songs, now largely forgotten, were widely sung. "

Then on The Folk Music Index I found this reference HERE

Abraham Lincoln Lives Again - Allen, Lewis Songs for America. American Ballads, Folk Songs, ..., Workers Library, Sof (1939), p18
If anyone has the CD or the Songs for America songbook will you post the complete lyrics for me, please?

Any information about Mr. Tom Mooney is Free by Woody Guthrie would also be very welcome.


28 Dec 10 - 03:09 PM (#3062736)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Abraham Lincoln Lives ( Walks )Again
From: Jim Dixon

Google Books shows that this song is mentioned in several books and periodicals. They are all classified as "snippet view" (or less)—which means you can't see the whole publication online, so it's impossible to know whether they contain lyrics, sheet music, or just a mention, but if you follow the links to WorldCat.org, you might be able to locate something useful in a library.

Click here

(If you can't figure out what to do from that, print out that page and show it to a librarian.)


28 Dec 10 - 06:28 PM (#3062894)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Abraham Lincoln Lives ( Walks )Again
From: GeoffLawes

Thank you Jim Dixon. It is interesting that one of the magazines is dated 1937 which puts the publication date for the song back one year from the date we previously had.


24 Apr 12 - 05:16 PM (#3342777)
Subject: RE: req: Abraham Lincoln Lives Again (Lewis Allan)
From: Joe Offer

Refresh. For the record, Lewis Allan, also known as Abel Meeropol, is the author of "Strange Fruit," which was recorded by Billie Holiday. Lewis Allan was also the adoptive father of the young sons of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg.

-Joe-


20 Sep 12 - 09:25 AM (#3407685)
Subject: RE: req: Abraham Lincoln Lives Again (Lewis Allan)
From: GUEST,999

"Any information about Mr. Tom Mooney is Free by Woody Guthrie would also be very welcome."

Tom Mooney was an American labour leader who was jailed in 1917(?). His incarceration continued for over 20 years when in 1939 he was unconditionally pardoned. There is a general article in Wikipedia.

It's clear from looking around the web that many people believed him innocent of the charges, further attested to in that Guthrie wrote the song about him. Mooney died in 1942.


"The Mooney Congress and the 1919 General Strike in Seattle:
How the fight to free Tom Mooney fueled the nation's first general strike." That was the lead from an excellent piece at

http://depts.washington.edu/labhist/strike/quast.shtml



Short of a transcription from 'George & Ruth--Songs and Letters of the Spanish Civil War', I suspect we won't see the lyrics until Guthrie's archives are made available, a project that is on-going. So far about 350 of his 3000 or so songs are now available, but 'Mr. Tom Mooney is Free' is not one of them.


20 Sep 12 - 03:48 PM (#3407849)
Subject: RE: req: Abraham Lincoln Lives Again (Lewis Allan)
From: GUEST,999

Geoff's (the OP) first post is titled

"Lyr Add: Abraham Lincoln Lives ( Walks )Again"

It is not yet a Lyr Add for either 'ALLA' or 'MTMiF'.

Good history in this thread. Thank for starting it, GL.


24 Oct 13 - 11:11 AM (#3569619)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Abraham Lincoln Lives Again (Lewis Allan)
From: GeoffLawes

Thanks to Joe Offer we can see here, thread.cfm?threadid=152529#3567596">thread.cfm?threadid=152529#3567596 ,
on his 17Oct 13 (12.45)AM posting that the song was reprinted in Vol3 No1&2 of the People's Songs Index.
\Geoff


26 Oct 13 - 12:04 PM (#3570266)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Abraham Lincoln Lives Again (Lewis Allan)
From: GeoffLawes

That Blue click link above doesn't connect so I have tried to make another which does

thread.cfm?threadid=152529#3567596">thread.cfm?threadid=152529#3567596">thread.cfm?threadid=152529#3567596

Geoff


10 Mar 21 - 07:20 PM (#4097089)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Abraham Lincoln Lives Again (Lewis Allan)
From: GUEST,#

I am trying to get a copy of the CD the lyrics would be in. Should know if it's available within a few days. I'll update here either way.


10 Mar 21 - 07:24 PM (#4097090)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Abraham Lincoln Lives Again (Lewis Allan)
From: GUEST,#

Incidentally, the Meeropols adopted Ethel and Julius Rosenberg's children when the Rosenbergs were electrocuted by the state.


11 Mar 21 - 09:32 PM (#4097238)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Abraham Lincoln Lives Again (Lewis Allan)
From: Mark Ross

If you ask the Guthrie Archives in Tulsa they might be able to help.


12 Mar 21 - 04:42 AM (#4097258)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Abraham Lincoln Lives Again (Lewis Allan)
From: GeoffLawes


JStor has an article about him
https://www.jstor.org/stable/3052242?seq=1


12 Mar 21 - 02:57 PM (#4097354)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Abraham Lincoln Lives Again (Lewis Allan)
From: GUEST,#

I have located a place to purchase the CD that has the song on it.


12 Mar 21 - 07:11 PM (#4097377)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Abraham Lincoln Lives Again (Lewis Allan)
From: GUEST,Felipa

perhaps if you contact the Rosenberg Fund for Children, members of the Meerpol family could help (that's the only way I know to contact the family, and I may as well give the fund a plug).

I am intrigued to see reference to Yiddish lyrics for Einheitsfrontlied (United Front Song, originally in German) and Viva La Quince Brigada. I wonder where those could be found. (ask YIVO Institute?)