The Overdone Songs of the Civil War

[PvtRJBrown]

Ok now,
What are the songs you've heard in the hobby that you're begining to think are the most over played/sung songs? I can for fact state that almost every patriotic song (i.e. Battle Cry of Freedom, Dixie, etc.) are among those songs.

[lukegilly13]

Re: The Overdone Songs of the Civil War

I would have to with "Buffalo Gals", it being outplayed only by the forementioned with "Bonnie Blue Flag" near behind.

[Pat.Lewis]

Re: The Overdone Songs of the Civil War

ANYTHING Irish. Seriously, guys, the Irish were a despised minority in 1860s America. Young soldiers on both sides growing up in the anti-Catholic and anti-immigrant craze of the 1850s would not have stood for the singing of nor would they have known Irish tunes. We might like them today because all things Irish are (for some reason) popular, but singing them as "native" Americans is just historically incorrect.

[brown]

While Patrick "the Skillet Thief" O'Lewis might be historically accurate, I believe his comments smell of an anti-Irish cultural insensitivity. Am I the only one that thinks Don Imus may be posting under another name?

These were citizen soldiers, so where are the popular songs of the era of the late 1850s? Just because, like traditional Irish songs, it may predate 1865, doesn’t make it a song the men would have known or enjoyed.

[Danny]

Re: The Overdone Songs of the Civil War

ANYTHING Irish. Seriously, guys, the Irish were a despised minority in 1860s America. Young soldiers on both sides growing up in the anti-Catholic and anti-immigrant craze of the 1850s would not have stood for the singing of nor would they have known Irish tunes...

Pat -

You get the buzzer on this one. At the time, regardless of what people thought of the Irish minority, they loved their songs and their songwriters. Keep in mind 'negroes' were also a despised minority, yet the hugely popular music of the antebellum and CW times was Minstrel stage music - which people were led to believe came mostly from negroes. Irony is that a lot of the claimed 'plantation' tunes were derived from Irish traditionals, jigs in particular. Minstrels mocked 'Paddy', 'Dutchmen', and 'negroes' but sure loved their songs.

So, quite the opposite: Young soldiers on both sides growing up in the 1850s would have stood for the singing of, and they would have known, Irish tunes.

At any rate, documented.

My vote for most oversung: Goober Peas. And, unbelievably, how many times have you heard 'Ashokan Farwell' (totally not period) violin strains drifting from the camp at night? at least from the mainstream side of camp.

Dan Wykes

[AZReenactor]

Re: The Overdone Songs of the Civil War

Specific Songs would be Good Ol' Rebel (the tune is just fine for Joe Bowers though) and Marching through Georgia. I very much like music that is appropriate for the time and place being depicted. Genre's would be Irish and Nautical songs. Fine in the appropriate places but I just don't generally see all that many sea faring Micks in the army during the war. (The worse part is the phony, poorly done Irish accents people attempt.)

I'm of the opinion that there is rarely enough music and would love to hear more of it at events, especially those non-martial civilian favorites from my (1st person) youth.

[Annette Bethke]

Re: The Overdone Songs of the Civil War

Gobber Peas. Everytime I hear that song it sticks in my head for weeks.

[Danny]

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[Danny]

Re: The Overdone Songs of the Civil War

Gobber Peas. Everytime I hear that song it sticks in my head for weeks.

Annette - the peas or the song? :)

Dan Wykes

[Annette Bethke]

Re: The Overdone Songs of the Civil War

Heehee :). Probably the peas...

[idlewild]

Re: The Overdone Songs of the Civil War

Gobber Peas. Everytime I hear that song it sticks in my head for weeks.

I hear ya on that one. I heard it last weekend and I've been humming it since... it's a catchy tune no doubt but it gets old after awhile!

[Old Cremona]

Re: The Overdone Songs of the Civil War

ANYTHING Irish. Seriously, guys, the Irish were a despised minority in 1860s America. Young soldiers on both sides growing up in the anti-Catholic and anti-immigrant craze of the 1850s would not have stood for the singing of nor would they have known Irish tunes. We might like them today because all things Irish are (for some reason) popular, but singing them as "native" Americans is just historically incorrect.

I dunno, man...African-Americans were also a "despised minority," but music ostensibly by or about them was quite popular. Of course they didn't really write the tunes and they weren't at all an accurate depiction of their culture, but minstrel music was a vital part of period culture.

"Irish" music is certainly well represented in sheet music of the time, of course not really written by Irish people or accurately representing their culture, unless you believe all Irish people and their descendants are all mere drunken brawlers. Stereotypes were "in" and people liked to sing about them.

[33rdaladrummer]

Re: The Overdone Songs of the Civil War

Hell on the Wabash

[fedcampaigner]

Re: The Overdone Songs of the Civil War

One song that is over played...or maybe just bugs me is Just Before the Battle Mother. Just my two cents. Take it for what its worth.

[Shantyman]

Re: The Overdone Songs of the Civil War

In the fife and drum world...anything Army 6/8