How fascinating that the melody was co-opted to create songs for both the North and the South!

Like the tune for "Flop-Eared Mule," this tune gets stuck in the head quite easily. I can see how one might just start on any topic and make up verses ad lib! Try it sometime if you never have-- you get three lines of repetition to let your mind be thinking of the fourth "punch" line, and once you start there's no stopping!

~Susan