Music of The American Civil War - Different Versions

Different Versions

Although certain songs were identified with one particular side of the war, sometimes the other would adapt the song for their use. A Southern revision of the Star Spangled Banner was used, entitled "The Southern Cross". In an example of the different lyrics, where the Banner had "O say does that Star Spangled Banner yet wave", the Cross had "'Tis the Cross of the South, which shall ever remain". Another Confederate version of the Star Spangled Banner, called The Flag of Secession, replaced the same verse with "and the flag of secession in triumph doth wave". Even a song from the American Revolutionary War was adapted, as the tune Yankee Doodle was changed to "Dixie Doodle", and started with "Dixie whipped old Yankee Doodle early in the morning". The Union's Battle Cry of Freedom was also altered, with the original lines of "The Union forever! Hurrah, boys, hurrah! Down with the traitor, up with the star" being changed to "Our Dixie forever! She's never at a loss! Down with the eagle and up with the cross!"

The Union also adapted Southern Songs. In a Union variation of Dixie, instead of the line "I wish I was in the land of cotton, old times there are not forgotten, Look away, look away, look away, Dixie Land", it was changed to "Away down South in the land of traitors, Rattlesnakes and alligators, Right away, come away, right away, come away". John Brown's Body(originally titled John Brown) was originally written for a soldier at Fort Warren in Boston in 1861. It was sung to the tune of Glory, Hallelujah and was later used by Julia Ward Howe for her famous poem, Battle Hymn of the Republic.