American Revolutionary Songs

Subject: American Revolutionary Songs
From: David
Date: 01 Feb 98 - 06:36 PM

Looking for some idea of where I would find some recordings of old American revolutionary songs. Say... the kind that might have been sung during the Revolution by the American rebels. CDs, artists, and lyric links would be most appreciated. Thanks.

Subject: RE: American Revolutionary Songs
From: Bruce O.
Date: 01 Feb 98 - 07:21 PM

I got a cassette tape at the minuteman museum in Lexington, Mass a few years ago. Colonial & Revolution Songs, by Keith & Rusty McNeil, WEM Records. But most are in DT anyhow.

Subject: RE: American Revolutionary Songs
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 01 Feb 98 - 11:01 PM

Can't help you with current recordings, but if what you want is words and music, try a search for @America @Revolution

Subject: RE: American Revolutionary Songs
From: Earl
Date: 02 Feb 98 - 08:08 AM

Keith & Rusty McNeil have a web site at: http://www.pe.net/%7Ewem/rev.html

Subject: RE: American Revolutionary Songs
From: Jerry Friedman
Date: 02 Feb 98 - 12:26 PM

I was told in elementary school that the real marching song of the Revolution (in New England, anyway) was not "Yankee Doodle" but "Chester". It's in the DT, naturally.

Subject: RE: American Revolutionary Songs
From: Phideaux
Date: 02 Feb 98 - 01:14 PM

Get a copy of the catalog of Dixie Gun Works. They have 50-60 tapes & CDs. Also have period instruments.

Send $5.00 to:

Dixie Gun Works Box 130 Gunpowder Lane Union City, TN 38281

Bob Schwarer

(no I don't have a financial interest. I'm just a good old helpful target shooter)

Subject: RE: American Revolutionary Songs
From: rich r
Date: 03 Feb 98 - 10:25 PM

An old (1956) recording "American Songs of Revolutionary Times" (Olympic Records 6123) has been reissued as part of CD by LaserLight (CD 12 180, 1993) called American Songs of Revolutionary times and the Civil War". The Revolutionary material is a group of stories and songs performed by Richard Chase (author & folklorist), Paul Clayton and Jean Ritchie. There are extensive liner notes on the record but absolutely nothing on the CD including performers names. I have no idea who does the Civil War material, but it is of lower quality.

rich r

Subject: RE: American Revolutionary Songs
From: rich r
Date: 03 Feb 98 - 10:30 PM

I forgot this one on the last post.

"Songs of The Working People from the American Revolution to the Civil War" (Flying Fish, FF 483, 1988). This one includes Pete Seeger, Ronnie Gilbert, Alan Lomax, Odetta, Tommy Makem and others.

rich r

Subject: RE: American Revolutionary Songs
From: hanrahan
Date: 04 Feb 98 - 08:46 AM

Didn't Oscar Brand have something in print and disc on this topic?

Subject: RE: American Revolutionary Songs
From: Bruce O.
Date: 04 Feb 98 - 01:15 PM

Most local libraries have books of American historical ballads with Revolutionary War songs. (See also a thread of 1-2 months ago on "Granuaile" for a rare one of c 1774-6.) However, if you run across one popular one that says "Yankee Doodle" came from "Fisher's Jig" forget that book of nonsense and look for another. John Anthony Scott's 'The Ballad of America' is easily found. There's a little nonsense in there, but it's not real bad.

[There were songs from the other side, too, among which are one or two on the dreaded John Paul Jones.]

Subject: RE: American Revolutionary Songs
From:
Date: 04 Feb 98 - 11:44 PM

What about The Girl I Left Behind Me? Is it truly a song of the American Revolution (or fife and drum marching tune) and if not why do they always play it during shows about that period, just like the movies always associate Custer with Garryowen, and the American Civil War with that tune that was in this century known as The Doodletown Fifers?

Subject: RE: American Revolutionary Songs
From: Bruce O.
Date: 05 Feb 98 - 11:48 AM

There is a lot in Wm. Chappell's PMOT on "The Girl I left behind me", but he doesn't give any solid references that one can pin down as to date, and no one has ever been able to verify anything that he said pertaining to an 18th century date. I found the tune direction "The Girl I left behind me" in a songbook of 1799, and that is all I've ever seen that puts the song in the 18th century. I have a copy of the song from an Irish collection of 1805-6, (this appears to be the earliest copy found) and that has no mention of a Brighton camp.

"Garryowen" is from a stage production of 1800, 'Harlequin Amulet', and the tune attributed to a Jackson of Cork (not Walker 'Piper' Jackson). The tune was given earlier as "Auld Bessy" in Aird's 'Airs'.

Subject: RE: American Revolutionary Songs
From: Mark T.
Date: 05 Feb 98 - 02:10 PM

Searching for the text to "Be Glad Then, America", attributed to William Billings, but I could not locate it in Billings' collected works. Many thanks!

Subject: RE: American Revolutionary Songs
From: Bob M............
Date: 05 Feb 98 - 04:00 PM

Another source of 18th century printed and recorded music is:

JAS. TOWNSEND & SON, INC. 106 South First Street, P.O. Box 415 Pierceton, IN 46562 http://www.jastown.com/ 1(800)338-1665

As an 18th century reenactor, Townsend has been a source of all kinds of goodies.

Subject: RE: American Revolutionary Songs
From: Jerry Friedman
Date: 05 Feb 98 - 05:58 PM

I don't know whether you're asking this, Tim, but "Garryowen" is the right song for Custer, anyway. He adopted it as his regimental song because, he said, it was the only one he knew.

Subject: RE: American Revolutionary Songs
From: Bill D
Date: 05 Feb 98 - 07:43 PM

A fine book on the subject was published in 1975, if you have access to a good library, or can do an inter-library loan..(or have any neat used book stores around)

"Music for Patriots, Politicians and Presidents"
subtitled
'Harmonies and Discords of the First 100 Years'
by Vera Brodsky Lawrence....Macmillan Publishers

Has lots of stories, history, reproductions of manuscripts, illustrations....and LOTS of songs!

Subject: RE: American Revolutionary Songs
From:
Date: 06 Feb 98 - 05:50 PM

Didn't Custer have another tune, She Wore A Yellow Ribbon, or is that just the title of the movie -- which I have never seen? (A variation of All Around My Hat??)

BTW, what IS the real name of that tune they always play during American Civil War documentaries? My parents have it on a big band collection where it is called, as I recall, Doodletown Fifers, but that doesn't sound like a 19th century name to me.

Subject: RE: American Revolutionary Songs
From: Genie
Date: 03 Jul 08 - 02:35 AM

Somewhere in the dusty recesses of my mind is the title of an American Revolution song about the "Lady" across the sea (the "Lady" being England). I think maybe the lyric refers to England as the "grey Lady" or something like that. I haven't come across it in my sheet music in years, but I do remember seeing it a while back.   Does that ring a bell for anyone?

Subject: American Revolutionary Songs - Revolutionary Tea
From: Genie
Date: 03 Jul 08 - 03:11 AM

I think this song, in the DT, is a version of the "Old Lady Over The Sea" song I was looking for:
Revolutionary Tea

Subject: RE: American Revolutionary Songs
From: Genie
Date: 03 Jul 08 - 03:27 AM

Another version of this song is The Rich Lady From Over The Sea.