When Johnny Comes Marching Home

Album: Songs of the Civil War (1862)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Also known as "When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again," this song which dates from the American Civil War was sung by both sides, as was the slightly earlier "Lorena." The lyrics were written by the Irish-born Patrick Gilmore (1829–92) who served with the Union Army. The bandmaster and composer took the melody from "Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye," another war-related song, but one that has a somewhat dissimilar message.
  • Gilmore published his song under the pseudonym Louis Lambert; it is better known than its precursor, and has in some respects become a standard; it has certainly been recorded widely and in many variants.

    Among others, Guns N' Roses included part of it in "Civil War", and a few bars were used at the end of "Out In The Fields". >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England, for above 2

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Boy Bands

Boy BandsFact or Fiction

From NKOTB to 1D, how well do you know your boy bands?

Who Did It First?

Who Did It First?Music Quiz

Do you know who recorded the original versions of these ten hit songs?

Early Days of MTV

Early Days of MTVFact or Fiction

If you can recall the days when MTV played videos, you know that there are lots of stories to tell. See if you can spot the real ones.

Barney Hoskyns Explores The Forgotten History Of Woodstock, New York

Barney Hoskyns Explores The Forgotten History Of Woodstock, New YorkSong Writing

Our chat with Barney Hoskyns, who covers the wild years of Woodstock - the town, not the festival - in his book Small Town Talk.

Timothy B. Schmit of the Eagles

Timothy B. Schmit of the EaglesSongwriter Interviews

Did this Eagle come up with the term "Parrothead"? And what is it like playing "Hotel California" for the gazillionth time?

Timothy B. Schmit

Timothy B. SchmitSongwriter Interviews

The longtime Eagle talks about soaring back to his solo career, and what he learned about songwriting in the group.