Popularization
According to his obituary in The New York Times of August 8, 1974, the singer who introduced the song to a popular audience was Robert Rounseville.
Based on the title of the song and the events that inspired it, American Brandywine artist Walter De Maris (1877-1947) produced a painting of a Pilgrim who has just been shot at with an arrow reaching for his musket.
In 1942, a recording by The Merry Macs reached number 8 on the Billboard chart, and a version by The Jubalaires reached #10 on the R&B chart on November 14 of the same year. The 1943 version by Kay Kyser and His Orchestra reached number 1. A portion of the tune is sung while in the Superman cartoon "Jungle Drums" Hitler bows his head from news that Allied forces cut off a major assault of German U-boats. Loesser donated his royalties for sale of the song to the Navy Relief Society.
Read more about this topic: Praise The Lord And Pass The Ammunition