The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #6315 Message #4168698
Posted By: Lighter
27-Mar-23 - 08:55 PM
Thread Name: Origins: The Marines' Hymn / Halls of Montezuma
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Marines' Hymn / Halls of Montezuma
The fact that nobody's found a text of the song before 1898 suggests the lack of public interest the Marines in the late 19th century. During the Civil War, for example, the Corps numbered roughly 2,000 men; in contrast, the Army had 1,000,000 in 1865.
The tune of the "Hymn" was inspired by the "Galop" added by Offenbach in 1867 to his 1859 operetta "Genevieve de Brabant":