Subject: Lyr Add: Assorted Campaign Songs (Lincoln &Co)
From:
chico
Date: 02 Sep 05 - 08:29 PM
(Campaign of 1860) Breckenridge & Lane.txt
AIR -- 'Yankee Doodle'
D A7 D A7 D A7 D A7
Father and I went down to see the Chicago Convention
D7 G (Em) A 7 D
And there we saw more mimicry than it would do to mention
G D
With Breckenridge to take the lead, and General Lane to help on
G Em (D°)D A7 D
Our num'rous foes we will oppose as in the days of Jackson
The friends of William, King of York, were there quite confidential
Brains were much needed by the crowd but could not claim attention
Old 'Wigwag' the great Financier had many good advisers
Who found at last without a tear he was 'mong the outsiders
Knowledge is Power, and Gold is God, so says the ancient maxim
But both here on a Rail were rode, in spite of this good axiom
The friends of 'Honest Uncle Abe' had the records been o'er hauling
And found by making one grand strike, they could give their foes a mauling
So we may talk just as we choose about qualifications
If mauling rails or towing boats makes rulers for great nations
Our friends have met in Baltimore and made their nomination
And Breckenridge, of Kentuck[y], receives our approbation
The squatter King should join with us, against the nation's foemen
Instead of kicking up a fuss 'bout niggers 'mongst our Yeomen
The Lane is long which has no turn, and though foes beset us fiercely
We'll foster principles that live and march straight on to victory
[Froma campagn broadside, publisehd Johnson's, Phila. Pa. Joseph Lane was a miliary general from the Mexican-American war. Song ridiculues William Seward of New York, and Simon Cameron, as the 'wigmag' and later secretary of war. Squatter King refers to popular soverignty. The Republican convention was held in Chicago, Ill. Both Republicans literature bragged about the common origins of Lincoln, 'the log splitter']
* * *
(Campaign of 1860) Freemen win when Lincoln Leads.txt
AIR -- 'Lutzow's Wild Hunt'
A
Oh tell me what spirit sweeps over the land,
Uniting and rousing our numbers
D G D
And why does the north in full panoply stand
like a giant aroused from long slumbers
A B7 E
Like a giant aroused from long slumbers
A E A
Twas a cry for aid that o'er us swept
They were murd'ring Kansas while we slept
But the North will not always submit to a wrong
Once roused from her sleep she ne'er falters
To Kansas, despite the whole South, shall belong
Free soil and free speech and free altars,
Free soil and free speech and free altars,
The cry of Freedom each free man heeds,
And our cause must win, for Lincoln leads
['Hutchinson's Republican Songster for the campaign of 1860']
* * *
(Campaign of 1860) People's Nominee.txt
AIR -- 'Nelly Bly'
C G7
Once we had a compromise, a check to Slavery's wrong
C7 F G7 C
Douglas crushed the golden prize, to help himself along
G7
Then the North and then the West, arose with giant power
C7 F (Am F#°) G7 C
Pierce succumbed to the South's behest, but Douglas had to cower
C F C F#° G7
Hi! Douglas! Sly Douglas! A Senator would be
C7 F G 7 C
So he tried the 'Squatter dodge', and went for 'Kansas free'!
Come, all ye friends of freedom, and rally in each State,
For Honest Old Abe Lincoln, the people's candidate!
With Lincoln as our champion, we'll battle for the Right,
And beat the foes of Freedom, in next November's fight.
The people want an honest man--they're tired of fools and knaves;
They're sick of imbecile "J. B.," that in the White House raves.
They want a man for President of firm, unyielding will,
That is both honest, brave and true, and OLD ABE fills that bill!
Old Fogies down at Baltimore in solemn conclave met,
The "Union-Saving" farce to play, with Bell and Everett.
But the people, next November, will put them all to rout,
And make them long remember that the Fillmore game's "played out."
The Democrats are in a "fix," no wonder that they shiver;
For they all feel it in their bones, that they're going up Salt River!
With their party split asunder, the truth is plain to all,
That though united once they stood, divided, now, they fall!
Oh, Douglas, you can't win this race, you'd better clear the way--
Your humbug doctrines won't go down; at home you'll have to stay.
The Wide-Awakes are on the march o'er all our hills and vales--
Our Giant-Killer's after you, with one of those old rails!
And Breckenridge will soon find out the people he can't fool:
They've had enough, these last four years, of Democratic rule.
But LINCOLN is their favorite, and he is bound to win,--
When Buck steps out, next Fourth of March, OLD ABE will then step in!
["Hutchinson's Republican Songster for the Campaign of 1860" All verses after the first are from 'Lincoln and Hamlin' from a broadside published by 'H. De Marsan' of NY City. Balitmore was the Democrats' contentious convention. ex-Vice President Millard Fillmore represented a compromise party in 1856.]
* * *
(Campaign of 1864) Fight for the Nigger.txt
AIR -- 'Wait for the Wagon' (Attrib.)
A E7 A
I calculate of darkies, we soon shall have our fill
7 D E7 A
With Abe's Proclamation, and the Nigger Army bill
Who could not be a soldier for the Union to fight?
Now, Abe's made the nigger the equal of the white
A 7 D
Fight for the nigger, the sweet-scented nigger
A 7 Bm E7 A
The woolly headed nigger, and the Abolition crew
If ordered into battle, go in without delay
Though slaughtered just like cattle, it's your duty to obey
And when you meet the rebels, be sure and drive them back
Though you do enslave the white man, you must liberate the black
[De Serenade]
Oh de Sangomingo darkeys had a standard which dey bore,
'Twas a pretty little baby's head, all dripping in its gore!
And if we understand aright de President's Proclaim
He tells de Dixie nigger dey may go and do de same
Oh de Sangomingo darkies, dare old Massas took and tied
And den dey got de handsaw and sawed 'em till dey died!
And after dey had sawed 'em till dey sawed away dare lives
You may bet dey had a good time a-kissin' ob dare wives
[Copperhead Minstreal. Last verses adapted from 'De Seranade' from ibid. Santo Domingo, or San Domingue was the scene of violent ex-slave rebellions which massacred the white population, and was a permeating fear thoughout the south]
* * *
(Campaign of 1864) Little Mac! Little Mac!.txt
C F
Little Mac, little Mac, you're the very man,
C F G7 C
Go down to Washington as soon as you can --
Lincoln's got to get away and make room for you,
We must beat Lincoln and Johnson too.
C G C
Hurrah, Hurrah! Hurrah!
C F C
|: Sound the rally tho' the whole United States
7 G7 C
Little Mac and Pendleton are our candidates. :|
Democrats, Democrats, do it up brown
Lincoln and his Niggerheads won't go down.
Greeley and Summerland all that crew,
We must beat Lincoln and Johnson too.
Abraham the Joker soon will discover
We'll send him on a gun boat up Salt River,
Scotch caps and military cloak's wont do,
We must beat Lincoln and Johnson too.
Southern men come again, Little Mac's a trump,
He'll restore the Union with a hop, skip and jump,
With nigger proclamations full in view,
We must beat Lincoln and Johnson too.
[1864 Campaign Song. Words by Henrietta Foster Thornton. Music by Stephen Collins Foster, 1826-1864]
* * *
(Campaign of 1864) McClellan is the Man.txt
A E F#m D F#m7 B7 E
The cruel war must have an end; I'll tell you what we'll do;
A E F#m D D#° A E7 A
We'll cast our votes for "Little Mac," we're bound to put him through.
D A B7 E
The widow's wails and orphan's tears prevailing o'er the land
A E F#m D A E7 A
Pray heaven to send a sure relief--McClellan is the man.
A D A B7 E
Shout! boys, shout! And rally all you can,
A E C#7 F#m F#° A E7 A
We'll have another Washington--McClellan is the man!
Corruption sits in places high, and Shoddy rules the roast;
"Fight on!" is still Corruption's cry, "More spoils!" is Shoddy's boast.
But we, the people, sov'reigns all, declare our righteous cause;
"The Constitution as it is, The Union as it was."
This cruel war will never cease until the South comes back;
The only man to do the work is glorious "Little Mac."
Then let us put him in the chair, and he will give us peace;
For "Peace in Union" is his sin, and war's alarms will cease.
Let's heal dissentions and unite, then, stronger than be-fore,
We'll bear our banner through the world, the flag our fathers bore.
In many stripes and golden stars shall give the people ease;
And all th'opressed of every clime will hail our happy peace.
The hot-heads South cried "Let's secede," but find it doesn't pay;
The hot-heads North cried "Confiscate, and then we'll have our way."
But both have failed and always will; there is a better plan:
We'll choose a righteous President--McClellan is the man!
["Shoddy," first mentioned in the second verse, refers to "a class of people who tried to pass themselves off as being superior by virtue of their (usually ill-gotten) wealth, but were in fact inferior in character and moral worth. This sense of the word was originally applied to those who made fortunes in United States contracts by supplying inferior goods" (from Civil War Wordbook, by Darryl Lyman, Combined Books, Conshohocken, Pa., 1994, p. 153). "Shoddy," which originated in England in the 1830s, was an inferior woolen material made by combining new wool and used woolen fabrics to produce a poor-quality yarn. During the War, many contractors who supplied uniforms to the Federal army cut corners and increased their profits by using shoddy. Uniforms so constructed disintegrated at an alarming rate and introduced a new slang word into the English language.]
* * *
(Campaign of 1864) Old Abe Lincoln Came out of the Wilderness.txt
AIR -- 'Down in Alabam'
G D7 G D7
Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!
G
Old Abe Lincoln came out of the wilderness,
D7 G (C)
Came out of the wilderness, came out of the wilderness,
G
Old Abe Lincoln came out of the wilderness,
D7 G
Down in Illinois.
Old Jeff Davis tore down the government,
Tore down the government, tore down the government,
Old Jeff Davis tore down the government,
Down in Alabam'.
But old Abe Lincoln built up a better one,
Built up a better one, built up a better one,
Old Abe Lincoln built up a better one,
But not in Alabam'.
Brave boys died, way out in the wilderness,
Way out in the wilderness, way out in the wilderness,
Brave boys died, way out in the wilderness,
Down in Alabam'.
* *
(Campaign of 1864) Rally 'round the cause boys.txt
AIR -- 'Battle Cry of Freedom'
E C#m A 7 F#m
Oh we'll rally 'round the cause, boys, we'll rally in the our might
E G#m F#
Singing the holy cause of Freemen
E C#m A 7 F#m
We will battle for our union, the sacred cause of right
E B7 E
Singing the holy cause of freemen
A E C#m E
For Lincoln and Johnson, huzza, boys, huzza!
A E B
Down with rebellion, on with the war
B7 E G#7 C#m A E Bb°
While we rally 'round the cause boys, rally in our might
E C#m B7sus4 B7 E
Singing the holy cause of freemen
To reunite the states we have got a General Grant
Singing the holy cause of freemen
We are sick of cries for 'peace' and other rebel cant
Singing the holy cause of freemen
We will rally 'round our banner, boys and long may it wave
Singing the holy cause of freemen
And when Secession dies, we will gather 'round the grave
Singing the holy cause of freemen
Then rally, 'Wide Awakes' we will try it once again
Singing the holy cause of freemen
Beneath the Stars and Stripes, our duty's very plain
Singing the holy cause of freemen
One hundred thousand more will finish up the strife
Singing the holy cause of freemen
We will stand by our union while hevaen gives us life
Singing the holy cause of freeme
* * *
(Campaign of 1864) Soon We'll Have the Union Back.txt
AIR -- 'Miss Bailey' (aka 'Hunters of Kentucky')
B E B 7
Good people all, both great and small, I sing a tale of pity,
E B 7
My hand I fling across the string, and waken up the ditty;
E 7 A F#m
A ruined land that once was grand is not a joking matter,
B7 E
Though Abe, we know, the more our woe, the more his jokes he'll chatter;
E B7 A E
Oh, M'Clellan, Georgie B. M'Clellan,
A C#m B7 E
Shall we have the Union back? Tell us "Mac" -- M'Clellan.
All evils sure we could endure, thrice all the ills we suffer,
Could we but glance on any chance our Union to recover;
There gleams one way a flash of day, but one bright bow of promise --
Good Lord, alack! just give us "Mac," an' take Abe Lincoln from us!
Oh, M'Clellan, Georgie B. M'Clellan,
The one to bring the Union back is only "Mac" -- M'Clellan.
Then not a rag of our old flag should ever part asunder;
"Fair terms of peace if you will cease -- if not, we'll give you thunder!"
A million swords to back our words beneath M'Clellan gleaming,
And soon, you know, Jeff D. and Co., for France they would be steaming.
Oh, M'Clellan, Georgie B. M'Clellan,
Soon we'll have our prisoners back under Mac -- M'Clellan.
The people all, both great and small, except the sons of "shoddy,"
Are on the track for Little Mac -- they're with him, soul and body;
For well they know the nation's woe can never be abated,
Till in command of all the land our chief we have instated.
Oh, M'Clellan, Georgie B. M'Clellan,
The Union will come leaping back under Mac -- M'Clellan.
* *
(Campaign of 1864) Union Coming.txt
AIR -- 'Kingdom Coming'
A 7 E7
Say, brudders, hab you seen McClellan, wid de sour look on his face
A 7 D E7 A
Go down de road toward Salt Ribber, like a man dat's run his race?
D A D E7
He heard a sound all too de country where the Union voters stay
A F#m E 7 A
He says to Pen we had better leab sudden while we both can get away
D A E7
For Maine has said, Ha! Ha! Vermont she say, Ho! Ho!
A 7 D E7 A
We'll sing de song ob Union eber, from Maine to Mexico!
Mac may be smart but lincum's smarter, and de people tink so too
And on de eight ob next November I can tell you what dey'll do
Dey'll fix de flint ob all de traitors who would hab us compromise
And hoist de flag ob glorious union, till it reaches to de skies
Do Copperheads dey feel so lonesome on de norf ob Dixie's line
Dey all should move across de ribber what Jeff Davis wants ter shine
We've Abe and Andy and de Union and de ole flag tried and true
We don't tink we'll be confed-e-ra-ted by de rebel grayback crew
De doughface tries to help Jeff Davis and dodge around de stump
We'll put him yet where he'll hab to holler wid hhe head beaneath de pump
Their day is past de word am spoken, in de union all am fre
We're good enough smart enough all to hab Union from de lakes to gulf and sea
['President Lincoln Campaign Songster'. Doughface meant (cowardly? Or White-identified) anti-war activists in the north. Pen is Pendleton, Democrat Vice-Presidential nominee]
* * *
(Campaign of 1864) White Soldiers' Song.txt
AIR -- 'John Brown's Body'
G
Tell Abe Lincoln that he'd better end the war
C G (D7)
Tell Abe Lincoln what we all came out here for
G B7 Em
Tell Abe Lincoln 'twas the Union to restore
Am G D7 G
As we go marching on
G
Glory, glory, Hallelujah!
C G
Glory, glory, Hallelujah!
B7 Em
Glory, glory, Hallelujah!
Am G D7 G
As we go marching on
Tell Abe Lincoln to let the nigger be
Tell Abe Lincoln that we don't want him free
Tell Abe Lincoln that to this he did agree
Tell Abe Lincoln the Constituion is our guide
Tell Abe Lincoln by the laws he must abide
Tell Abe Lincoln to let his his proclamation slide
Tell Abe Lincoln and his woolly-headed crew
Tell Abe Lincoln hs suspension writ won't do
Tell Abe Lincoln we are going to put him through
Tell Abe Lincoln of Antietam's bloody delll
Tell Abe Lincoln where a thousand heroes fell
Tell Abe Lincoln and his gang to go to hell
['Copperhead Mistrel' The chorus seen here is conjectural and not included in the original document]
* * *
(Campaign of 1866) Just Before Election Andy.txt
AIR -- 'Just before the Battle, Mother'
A D E7 A
Just before election Andy, we are thinking most of you
D E7 A
While we get our ballots ready But be sure they're not for you
D B7 E7
No dear Andy, you'll not get them But you'll get what you deserve
A D E7 A?
Oh yes, you'll get your leave of absence, as you 'swing around the curve'
D B7 E7
You have swung around the circle, that you ought to swing, 'tis true
A D E7 A
Oh you tried to veto congress, but I guess we'll veto you
[Andrew Johnson campaigned for the Democratic congressional nominees in 1866, travelling from Chicago around the country and back, hence the 'swing around the circle'. Johnson's rhetoric was more suited to East Tennessee and did not go over well in the northern states. The Republicans won a landslide election and 2/3 majorities in both houses, rendering the presidential veto impotent.]
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