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  • Chords For A Song

    Hi,
    Can anyone point me in the right direction to find the chords for Southern Soldier? I have the CD, but cannot pick them off by ear like I used to. This would be for a guitar.
    Thank You,
    Bill Feuchtenberger
    1st South Carolina Volunteers
    Bill Feuchtenberger

  • #2
    Re: Chords For A Song

    It's often recorded on CW dvd's, played at many events and compiled in modern songbooks of CW songs, but I'm not convinced the song is period. The reason is that I've looked online for the original sheet music and haven't found it in the usual places. Such a catchy tune with a strong beat and strong rhymes is something which would have been wildfire and reprinted many times over. It's absence in the usual places doesn't mean that it isn't period, but does cause me to wonder if it's more of a post war, UCV song than something from the period.

    I'm looking at a copy in the Mel Bay book, Ballads & Songs of the Civil War, which has chords. Song is in the key of D. I've seen a page of the song available online in a google book preview. Try your local library or get a copy at your next reenactment because I've seen the Mel Bay book being sold by many mainstream sutlers.

    Another source for period music with chords is John and Elaine Masciale's "I Like That Good Old Song." It hit the streets about a year ago. It's a great compilation. All the songs are in G and D. All are chorded. All have period lyrics. All are period songs. Noticeably absent is The Southern Soldier.
    Silas Tackitt,
    one of the moderators.

    Click here for a link to forum rules - or don't at your own peril.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Chords For A Song



      LOC shows it as published by George Dunn and Company, Richmond VA in 1863 Lyrics by CW Alexander

      The song was written to the tune, The Boy with The Auburn hair
      Last edited by Bmanz1085; 08-13-2013, 02:39 PM. Reason: Update
      Bob Manzo
      Formerly of the 12th VA Inf Co G "Richmond Grays"

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Chords For A Song

        Different song entirely. One is very buoyant with a strong, military marching beat and can be stirring, especially when sung in the presence of alcohol. The other is one of those parlor songs which one could imagine being sung by a fair haired woman accompanied by a harp player.

        This is the Southern Soldier :

        I'll place my knapsack on my back
        My rifle on my shoulder
        I'll march away to the firing line
        And kill that Yankee soldier
        And kill that Yankee soldier
        I'll march away to the firing line
        And kill that Yankee soldier

        I'll bid farewell to my wife and child
        Farewell to my aged mother
        And go and join in the bloody strife
        Till this cruel war is over
        Till this cruel war is over
        I'll go and join in the bloody strife
        Till this cruel war is over

        If I am shot on the battlefield
        And I should not recover
        Oh, who will protect my wife and child
        And care for my aged mother
        And care for my aged mother
        Oh, who will protect my wife and child
        And care for my aged mother

        And if our Southern cause is lost
        And Southern rights denied us
        We'll be ground beneath the tyrant's heel
        For our demands of justice
        For our demands of justice
        We'll be ground beneath the tyrant's heel
        For our demands of justice

        Before the South shall bow her head
        Before the tyrants harm us
        I'll give my all to the Southern cause
        And die in the Southern army
        And die in the Southern army
        I'll give my all to the Southern cause
        And die in the Southern army

        If I must die for my home and land
        My spirit will not falter
        Oh, here's my heart and here's my hand
        Upon my country's altar
        Upon my country's altar
        Oh, here's my heart and here's my hand
        Upon my country's altar

        Then Heaven be with us in the strife
        Be with the Southern soldier
        We'll drive the mercenary horde
        Beyond our Southern border
        Beyond our Southern border
        We'll drive the mercenary horde
        Beyond our Southern border.
        Such a pro-Confederate, glass pounding song like this ought to have been popular during the war, but I haven't found a copy of sheet music for this song. Maybe someone else will. The Southern Soldier Boy is a period, schmaltzy tune :

        Bob Roebuck is my sweetheart's name,
        He's off to the wars and gone,
        He's fighting for his Nanny dear,
        His sword is buckled on,
        He's fighting for his own true love.
        His foes he does defy,
        He is the darling of my heart,
        My Southern soldier boy.

        Yo ho! Yo ho! Yo ho ho ho ho ho ho
        He is my only joy
        He is the darling of my heart,
        My Southern Soldier Boy

        When Bob comes home from war's alarms,
        We'll start anew in life,
        I'll give myself right up to him,
        A dutiful, loving wife.
        I'll try my best to please my dear,
        For he is my only joy,
        He is the darling of my heart,
        My Southern soldier boy.

        Oh, if in battle he was slain,
        I am sure that I should die,
        But I am sure he'll come again
        And cheer my weeping eye.
        But should he fall in this our glorious cause,
        He still would be my joy,
        For many a sweetheart mourns the loss
        Of a Southern soldier boy.

        I hope for the best, and so do all
        Whose hopes are in the field,
        I know that we shall win the day,
        For Southrons never yield.
        And when we think of those that are away,
        We'll look above for joy,
        And I'm mighty glad that my Bobby is
        A Southern soldier boy.
        Silas Tackitt,
        one of the moderators.

        Click here for a link to forum rules - or don't at your own peril.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Chords For A Song

          I found this thread on mudcat.org that has a song with a similar lyric:

          VERSE 1
          My pretty little pink I once't did think
          That you and I would marry
          Now, I've lost all hope of that
          I have no time to tarry

          VERSE 2
          I'll take my knapsack, on my back
          My rifle on my shoulder
          I'll march away t' the ole Rio Grande
          There I'll be a soldier

          VERSE 3
          There, coffee grows on tall oak trees
          An' th river's flowin' brandy
          Th rocks an' hills are coverd with gold
          Th girls are sweeter than candy

          VERSE 4
          Now, th war's all over an' we'll turn back
          T' th place where we first started
          So, open th ring an' choose another
          To relieve th broken hearted

          I'm trying to find out the name of the tune with these lyrics. An older lady that grew up in Southwest VA, said her father used to


          Also, another permutation of that song can be found in this thread:
          I'm spending this part of my life taking care of aging parents, as many of you are. My dad is remembering songs he heard in the 2


          It doesn't seem like these lyrics will fit perfectly with the version of "The Southern Soldier" I've heard played by the 2nd SC Regimental String Band, but, it does seem to fit with the little snippet of a song titled "The Secesh (Shiloh)" performed by John Hartford on the Songs of the Civil War companion to Ken Burns' Civil War documentary.

          Again, not sure how far that gets us so far as fixing a date to the song. But it is interesting.
          Joe Knight

          Armory Guards
          Yocona Rip Raps
          "Semper Tyrannis."

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Chords For A Song

            My mistake, I need to read a little more deeply...I have heard that version as you say on CD, actually a Bobby Horton Cassette, dating myself..

            I did find this LOC link on Southern Soldier and you can play the recording from 1937...



            Beyond undocumented claims I can't find a date for the origin
            Bob Manzo
            Formerly of the 12th VA Inf Co G "Richmond Grays"

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Chords For A Song

              Found some more info on Mudcat.org. See http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=34525

              Read the thread for yourself, but the general impression I get is this:

              The song "My Pretty Little Pink" can be dated in print as far back as 1889, and that version contains a reference to the Mexican war. However, an even earlier version also seems to exist called "Marching Down to Old Quebec" that would seem to place the date some time during the War of 1812. What is tougher to pin down is actually when the song evolved--was it during the War of 1812/Mexican War/Civil War? Or was it written later as a wistful look back at those times?

              More questions than answers, I'm afraid.

              -JSK
              Joe Knight

              Armory Guards
              Yocona Rip Raps
              "Semper Tyrannis."

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Chords For A Song

                Joseph, the origins of the song have more questions than answers. I noticed some of the threads on Mud Cat and saw the tune has really been folked out. This is what happens to tunes with a good beat and catchy rhymes. People want to make more verses.

                Bob, I saw that one, too, thinking it was the song. Then I caught an ear worm from the Bobby Horton version. Nope, not it.

                I remember purchasing a few Bobby Horton cassettes (!) back in the day and before I got into the hobby. In those days, Bobby Horton was The Man. Knowing a little about music now that I didn't know then, his style of period songs leaves much to be desired. However, it's surprising how many of the songs he recorded have solid, verifiable roots. He did some serious digging to find some of those songs. He's an undeniable scholar and a talented musician - far better than I'll ever be - but I'd rather hear those same songs played on period instruments with gut strings, not metal. Modern steel string guitars and high pitched, steel string banjos don't scream period to these ears. Don't even get me started on his synthesized version of Dixie. That song is fingernails to chalk board.

                We could use more period music on period instruments. There are many period songs out there waiting to be rediscovered and made popular again.
                Silas Tackitt,
                one of the moderators.

                Click here for a link to forum rules - or don't at your own peril.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Chords For A Song

                  The 2nd SC plays this song in D. I use a capo, or "cheater" as Doc Watson calls it, on the 2nd fret and play a C chord. If you play it without a capo each chord would go up a step so C=D, F=G, G=A, and Am=Bm.

                  C
                  I'll place my knapsack on my back,
                  F
                  My rifle on my shoulder,
                  C
                  I'll march away to the firing line,
                  G
                  And kill that Yankee soldier,
                  Am F
                  And kill that Yankee soldier,
                  C Am
                  I'll march away to the firing line,
                  C G C
                  And kill that Yankee soldier.


                  Hope this helps,
                  Doug Davis
                  26th NC
                  The Latta Tenors

                  Comment

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