The Tune That Defined a Nation | The Evolution of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”

🎶 Support the channel: / classicalnerd
0:00 I: Canaan’s Happy Shore
2:26 II: John Brown’s Body
9:23 III: Julia Ward Howe
18:12 IV: Tune
19:51 V: The First Arkansas
22:29 VI: Reconstruction
26:12 VII: Theology
34:16 VIII: Imperialism
38:40 IX: Civil Religion
44:14 X: Protest
50:27 XI: The Promised Land
55:06 XII: A National Anthem
📚 Sources/further reading:
The primary source was “The Battle Hymn of the Republic: A Biography of the Song that Marches On” by John Stauffer and Benjamin Soskis (Oxford University Press, 2013).
Additional sources were:
• “The Social Gospel in American Religion: A History” by Christopher H. Evans (NY University Press, 2017)
• “Strange Rites” by Tara Isabella Burton (PublicAffairs, 2020)
• “Julia Ward Howe and the Coming Day of Jehovah: Eschatology and Rhetorical Flexibility in ‘The Battle Hymn of the Republic’” by Mark Decker (ESQ: A Journal of Nineteenth-Century American Literature and Culture, Vol 67/1, 2021, pp. 85-118)
• “The Battle Hymn of the Republic and American Civil Religion” by Richard M. Gamble (Modern Age, Fall 2014)
• “The Rhetorical Legacy of ‘The Battle Hymn of the Republic’” by Caroline C. Koons (Southern Communication Journal, Vol. 80/3, Jul-Aug 2015, pp. 211-229)
• “Civil Religion in America” by Robert Bellah (Daedalus: Vol. 96/1, Religion in America, Winter 1967, pp. 1-21)
• “American Civil Religion: An Idea Whose Time has Gone” by Frederick Mark Gedicks: classic.iclrs.org/content/blu...
----------
Classical Nerd is a video series covering music history, theoretical concepts, and techniques, hosted by composer, pianist, and music history aficionado Thomas Little.
----------
Music:
For copyright reasons, I tuned up my mandolin and squeaked out some verses of “John Brown’s Body,“ the First Arkansas Marching Song, and “Solidarity Forever.” The rest of the music, in order of appearance, is as follows:
- The 97th Regimental String Band: The Battle Hymm of the Republic (from Tenting on the Old Camp Ground: Civil War Era Songs, Vol. IV) [X_y5W8bK20I]
- P‍aul‍ Ro‍beso‍n: J‍ohn Bro‍wn’s Body [M_UpjvmwEVI]
- Thurl Ravenscroft: The Battle Hymn of the Republic [DGLL2-z2hnE]
- J.W. Myers: John Brown’s Body [Zxel4CfyBT4]
- Robert Shaw: The Battle Hymn of the Republic [AFbboRBPZZQ]
- Unknown: The Battle Hymn of the Republic [C8FOhdS9gYQ]
- Tenn‍ess‍ee ‍Erni‍e Fo‍rd: Mar‍ching So‍ng‍ of t‍he First Arkansas [jKss9jF2Yxw]
- Mitch Miller: The Battle Hymn of the Republic [FMbEqet-Fm8]
- Carly Miller: The Battle Hymn of the Republic (from Spirit of the Age) [y_atLbxjbTc]
- The Former Red Army Choir: The Battle Hymn of the Republic arr. Peter Wilhousky [s3Qn8F8ZqKM]
- The Cha‍d Mitch‍ell Trio: The ‍Battle Hymn of the Republic, U‍pdated/Brought‍ Down to Date [U9C6fw9q1fo]
- Pete Seeger: Solidarity Forever [pCnEAH5wCzo]
- Len Chandler: Move On Over (or We’ll Move on Over You) [6UwatKXdcXg]
Other sources of interest:
Bible Belt map adapted from meador.org/2008/03/02/bible-b...
9/11 national prayer service [rIrvgnX753Y]
MLK speech video [zgVrlx68v-0]
----------
Contact Information:
Questions and comments can be directed to:
nerdofclassical [at] gmail.com
Facebook:
/ classicalnerd
Instagram:
/ the_classical_nerd
----------
All images and audio in this video are for educational purposes only and are not intended as copyright infringement. If you have a copyright concern, please contact me using the above information.

[@ClassicalNerd]

The next episode will return to classical content with Liszt! Now, as promised, the *show notes:* 3:56 (#1): This US map shows the interior borders of the country from mid-1858 to early 1859, and shows the border states as they stood until mid-1863, when West Virginia seceded from the rebellious Virginia and joined the Union as the 35th state. The map changed several times over the course of the war as the Union admitted both Kansas and Nevada in 1861 and 1864, respectively. 27:02 (#2): The only version of the _Battle Hymn_ I could find _with_ this obscure sixth stanza is Carly Miller’s, which substitutes “wrong” for “Time.” To quote the notes to the appendix from Stauffer and Soskis’ book on the _Battle Hymn,_ “readers have deciphered Howe’s scrawled sixth stanza in various ways; … there is no official version.” The version with “wrong” is the version on genius.‍com; how it got there is not something I bothered to research. 29:09 (#3): I forgot to cite the page number! This comes from page 121. 41:03 (#4): The exact words “separation of church and state” is not “strictly constitutional” because those _exact_ words are not found in the US Constitution-although the wording dates back to Thomas Jefferson and the concept pops up throughout the Constitution, including in various clauses of Article VI and the First Amendment.

[@jimjam5570]

It only "seems like a strange move" to you that confederates referenced a part of biblical slavery because you believe the narrative that the war was about the union freeing slaves, rather than reality, in which the union was infringing state and individual rights and liberty, and ultimately enslaved everyone to federal jurisdiction, which paved the way for such things as income tax, and the present predicament, which is just convoluted slavery with extra steps... They steal a large portion of your labor to then use against you, and spend so much that all your descendants will be taxed in the same such manner, as the tax only pays the interest... currently, homes and rent are becoming unaffordable, while at the same time, we are losing jobs to automation, ai, and the fed is saying employment levels are too good... And since they already stole the real money, and debased the currency, next they aim to simply replace the currency with digital tokens (CBDCs) which can expire (delete from your account) and be used only on certain goods, further enslaving us as there will be even less opportunity to save or invest in order to liberate yourself from the tax wage cage. It's totally appropriate.

[@november2435]

"As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free" Prob my favorite line of the entire song Also, mad respect for using the 97th String Regimental's rendition of the song in the intro

[@joekennedy4093]

Same. Absolutely hate versions where it's changed to "live".

[@vitalisjakubauskas9567]

And this makes to me the mystical background, that United States shall stay to be the greatest country UNTILL they hold this God commendment and key cause why they are on this Earth. For all people on the World who seek and fight for freedom.

[@codycallaway9057]

Same ​@@joekennedy4093

[@Jane_8319]

“Does the righteousness of John Brown’s cause justify his actions?“ Yes. I used to understand why people struggled with him, but the more I learn about slavery, the answer is a stronger and stronger yes.

[@viloinvictus]

No. I don't struggle with him and never have. John Brown waged war against the United States of America, quite literally treason. He killed many in Kansas and (arguably) led to 600,000 more deaths. Just reasons don't equal just actions.

[@dliessmgg]

Meanwhile in Switzerland, this tune has become a children's song where a cop's motorbike has a puncture and we fix it with a chewing gum.

[@iks.7048]

What is it called?

[@centurion7993]

What be the name this song sounds great

[@WGGplant]

outstanding

[@reginabillotti]

Given how many separate sets of lyrics have been written for this tune, that's not too surprising.

[@lray1948]

@@centurion7993 The Battle Hymn of the Republic

[@sc6658]

John Brown did nothing wrong. 💖

[@ZachValkyrie]

May his example continue to teach us all how to be just in an unjust world.

[@sirbillius]

Amen

[@JulianPerez-it9sm]

So true. John Brown didn’t do anything wrong, he just did too much right for his time. As long as the Lord’s grand and holy code of Justice, equality, and brotherhood among all of mankind lives on in the world, John Brown will truly never molder in the grave. Instead he, along with President Lincoln, Frederick Douglas, the 1st of Arkansas, Ulysses S Grant, Teddy Roosevelt, General Dwight D Eisenhower, John F Kennedy, Dr Martin Luther King Jr, and of course the gracious and righteous Julia Ward Howe will forever remain, MARCHING ON!!! 🎶 🇺🇸🫱🏻‍🫲🏾🇺🇸

[@hrunchtayt1587]

His soul goes marching on 🗣️

[@yourfriend8052]

I mean his raid at Harpers Ferry killed innocent people, so that’s not very nice.

[@kalebrhea5822]

Just incredible! I had no idea that the battle hymn had anything more to offer than a song sung at church to celebrate patriotic holidays

[@gr-xw3sp]

Oh no. After Jesús dying to make men holy, " let us die to make men free." I'm far from being a religious guy, but I love this hymn composed by people who thought a Christian nation couldn't tolerate slavery. It can be related to Christianity having being the religion of the slaves back in the times of the Roman Empire.

[@codycallaway9057]

Rest in peace John Brown

[@johannesbowman2194]

Lest we forget also the version sung by American school children "Glory glory hallelujah, teacher hit me with a ruler"

[@codycallaway9057]

I just sang that line in my head and all i can say is that it didn't sound well at all

[@Goldjin13579]

This is an incredible video! Well researched and adds so much valuable context, especially for post-war uses of the song. You deserve so many more views for how good your content is

[@ClassicalNerd]

Thank you! Honestly, one of the best ways to support my work (non-monetarily) is to share it.

[@theWackyYoutuber]

​​​@@ClassicalNerd Hey Can you Share The Battle hymn of the republic At The Portest Chapter

[@lukejohnston4666]

There was blood upon the Risers there were brains upon the chute (U.S. Army Paratroopers song)

[@rightinthedome9973]

He ain't gonna jump no more!

[@Sea-Weathered-Seijin]

this has to be your best work so far. i'm so thoroughly impressed and thankful for the stuff you have on this channel dude

[@musicalintentions]

Wow! Thank you for sharing this wonderful video with all of us.

[@Mr_Blah]

There was also a reworking of the lyrics by WWII paratroopers that talked about a rookie failing to deploy his parachute and being brutally killed, which is pretty funny.

[@rithvikmuthyalapati9754]

Blood Upon the Risers is the name of that number

[@alexdale8705]

What a hell of a way to die!

[@eg6559]

Prime example of military dark humor

[@nickpineau4139]

Definitely the best vid I’ve seen by this channel so far, keep up the great work!

[@brendaboykin3281]

Thank you, Thomas🌹🌹🌹🌹Powerful!!! One of your best,and I love so many of your presentations. As a descendant of the enslaved in America, this segment particularly moved me. Heartfelt thanks and continued success.. Looking forward to whatever's next. Always entertaining and educational. BRAVO MAESTRO 🔥

[@classicalmusic3334]

"Glory glory hallelujah" also makes a brief appearance in Karlheinz Stockhausen's electronic piece "Hymnen". But, then again, lots of anthems make brief appearances in it.

[@rebeccalambert9491]

Super video!! Such great detail and analysis!

[@jacobvanderweide]

Phenomenal video. Gave me the motivation to finish a video I’ve had on the back-burner for a year

[@acepua2197]

My girlfriend and I watched your video and even though she’s not into history videos lol she really enjoyed this one! Great job 👏

[@EuphroseneLabon]

Very informative. Thank you!

[@WallyBDO]

One of the best video essays I've seen and I've seen a lot

[@anti_nana4463]

Wow, this is my first video watched on this channel and you’ve got me locked in.

[@henrygingercat]

Bravo - a truly virtuosic presentation.

[@cadereinberger3315]

This is the single greatest piece of content ever produced in the history of the internet.

[@williamthebonquerer9181]

Profound video, provides insight on the American civil war I've not seen before

[@petenorton883]

excellent work

[@littlescooter5873]

Amazing video ☺

[@AM-tu1rc]

This is a great video

[@NameGoesHer926]

Can you please do an episode on Väinö Raitio?? His music is so under appreciated and shows how massive an effect sibelius had on smaller Finnish composers lasting legacy!

[@iagreesbut]

This video is a gem

[@tylers9006]

I really love these videos!! Do you think you could talk about what composers past 2000 are doing? You are my number 1 resource for late 20th century music (there is not much accessible content). Maybe someone like Unsuk Chin or something- I don’t know much about 21st century music

[@Costenyo]

How doesn’t this video have WAY more views!

[@ClassicalNerd]

If you'd like to help fix that, please share!

[@pauldarrall5903]

Well done

[@anthonypierce1880]

Thank you .

[@Tokkemon]

Amazed that you got through all of that and not once mentioned Peter Wilhousky!

[@mikebarnes6705]

John brown is a great man and a hero, his operations and his battles "most famously, the battle of blackjack, which he fought henry pate, a army general at the point while underwhelmed, and won" in kansas should be remembered more.

[@viloinvictus]

John Brown was FAR from a hero, he rampaged and killed and intended to create guerilla warfare, and he is arguably a cause for the Civil War. Besides that, Henry Pate wasn't an "army general" at that point, he would have been only 23 and WAY too young for a commission in the army of that measure, and his defeat to Brown shows he wasn't even army quality.

[@PersonstuckinMichigan]

Good vid

[@jamesorth6460]

you ought to do one on When the Chariot Comes

[@stargazer-elite]

Idk what the original is called as it was originally a French song but do you have a video on the tune of “god save the king/qeen” it was a song of which the tune would be used by many countries as a anthem or patriotic song in fact in the USA there’s at least 3 versions that I can think of lol

[@alexalani10101]

I thought this video was great, I love your content!! Could you please do a great composers video on Dietrich Buxtehude? I feel there is so much more to him than the story of Bach traveling over 200 miles to see him in Lubeck or that Handel rejected his daughter. Like, is he really Danish or really German? It seems debatable in scholarship. Also, if Bach came back from Lubeck with different harmony, how much did he really gain from Buxtehude even if he was only with him for a short amount of time? And why is Buxtehude mostly a figure lost to history? Not that you have all these answers, but just ideas if you made a video on him.

[@ClassicalNerd]

Duly noted!

[@francisbassett-dilley2675]

Fantastic idea, Alex. I can’t lie when I say I too enjoy learning about Buxtehude’s life and, of course, his music.

[@theoharrah2618]

I feel their is so much more to the story of Dietrich Buxtehude that has yet to be explored in short form video essay format.

[@williamelgin6873]

I knew an Episcopalian priest who felt it was a great Advent hymn. Just listen to the first. Interesting how well it is known in the UK. Congregations there can sing it by memory and with feeling.

[@SantaFe19484]

Awesome story! Now I know why this song is so popular, despite not being the national anthem.

[@ohrn3008]

AND HIS SOULD GOES MARCHING ON

[@krios7299]

I only know of this song during my playthrough of Wasteland 3. And to be honest its probably my favorite version of the song.

[@robscott8296]

10:46 this is my favorite by far, I wish I could find it

[@jakinboaz8558]

8:24 So true.

[@gordwilkes]

Thank you for this video... I'm a self-taught violinist (although my father was violist in the VSO)... I really enjoy learning old hymns from 19th century America. John Brown's Body is a hard hitting song... And without this song, there would by no Woody Guthrie or Pete Seeger, and more great American songs that were "hard hitting for hard-hit people."

[@BoliceOccifer]

I really wish it was the national anthem except for that beauty of the lilies line. Bro, he was born in a food trough. The whole point is that Jesus humbled himself when he came to earth and that "beauty of the lilies" stuff detracts from that.

[@TheVoid_Dweller]

Somehow got here from Wasteland 3, glad it brought me here.

[@arielfelts9111]

As a Unitarian Universalist its one of my favorite hymns. "Let us die to make men free", indeed!

[@nevarraven9048]

Will you do a video on the Battle Cry of Freedom?

[@ClassicalNerd]

No. This is a one-off.

[@Polavianus]

Honestly, it isn't as popular as Battle Hymn

[@aeoe665]

What’s the version of the song in the National anthem part?

[@ClassicalNerd]

That would be Carly Miller's cover, which also introduces the Theology segment and plays it out. (Info in description.)

[@aeoe665]

@@ClassicalNerd Thanks.

[@YOSSARIAN313]

Great video. Hope you get the attention you deserve. Also john brown did nothing wrong.

[@piratejack6577]

When I first heard first of Arkansas I presumed it was a legitimate dialect of English used by the enslaved peoples as it has the same features as gullah geechee which was what is arguably a wholly new language that emerged out of the creole languages spoken by enslaved peoples in certain areas of the south, a verse having the verb “gwine” meaning “going” which is gullah geechee of origin

[@luckyjohnnyWYID]

His Truth is Marching on....

[@ryanrusch3976]

I have seen Him in the watch fires of a hundred circling camps.

[@Alte.Kameraden]

Wished this was our National Anthem personally.

[@williamthebonquerer9181]

In the uk we learn about the American civil war for some reason and we learn that John brown was Ur typical bibel belt American so I've always been confused that modern evangelists don't use his iconography and I'm even more confused why radical left wingers on twitter use his iconography.

[@ClassicalNerd]

John Brown was deeply religious, to an extent now most commonly seen among hardcore evangelical Christians, but his politics were radically further to the left than the typical conservative. He's viewed as a martyr for anti-racism independent of _why_ he fought for that cause, and modern-day conservatives' issue with Brown stems largely from the question of whether his ends justified his means.

[@markputters9005]

John Brown planned the raid on Harper’s Ferry at the Chatham Convention in Chatham Ontario Canada, which happens to be my hometown.

[@Johnny-mp2ew]

Because he killed slave owners and conservatives don't like that

[@WGGplant]

Things aren't often so black and white.

[@The_New_IKB]

​@@ClassicalNerdask the Royal Navy they would say that the West Africa Squadron proves that the ends justify the means!

[@JorJorIvanovitch]

Superb video. Except your commentary on what "is" Constitutional is a stretch. The "separation of church and state" is not written verbatim. But, the 1st Amendment statement of free expression AND anti-establisment, signals that religion was to be a social and political influence, but not legally institutionalized to be synonymous with official, positive law governance. The same could be said about your statement of Wilson. Although I'm more inclined to agree with you in your Wilson statements, it still depends on the legal philosophy one adopts as the foundation of constitutional interpretation. Aside, from those comments, I found this video exceptional and informative.

[@ClassicalNerd]

I think it's hard to say something is truly "constitutional" unless it's actually in the constitution-we can certainly extract the principles of separation by adding up Article VI and the First Amendment. (In my experience, most American's _haven't_ read the Constitution, so it behooves me to include trivia on common misconceptions-this one included.) I'm not aware of any (mainstream) legal philosophy that would permit Wilson's perverse crackdowns on free speech. It's one thing to limit the yelling of "fire" in a crowded theater-it's quite another to push laws that jailed people who spoke out against the government.

[@JorJorIvanovitch]

​@ClassicalNerd I agree with you regarding Wilson. Except that Marbury v. Madison carved out the practice of Constitutional Judical Review as an observed power of SCOTUS even though it is not explicitly stated in Article 3. The legal philosophy I'm referring to is a mixture of common law and civil law/statutory law that both rest on philosophical beliefs in both legal positivism and legal realism. In this sense, SCOTUS adjudication what is Constitutional as much as the Founders and the document itself. I think viewing the Wilson policy as a violation is correct, though as a matter of legal practice if SCOTUS said otherwise, that would make it so by definition, in a sense. As for separation of church and state: The verbatim language shouldn't be ignored, it bears mentioning that the Founders debated the inclusion of the Bill of Rights because some thought by enumerating them it would be assumed that the only rights the people had were those that were explicitly written. While others thought that failure to do so would lead to expansive, rather than explicitly limited, interpretations of the powers of government. By your own statement, that it is difficult to call something constitutional that is not explicitly written, this would mean the state has NO power to enforce state sponsored religion, as it is not a power expressly granted the government. Thus, it doesn't exist. Pair that with the expressly written 1st Amendment prohibition against it, and it is conclusive that the state lacks the power to endorse religion from both the lack of an enumerated state power to so do, and the enumerated prohibition that it cannot so do. If this is not the definition of a "separation," I don't know what is. It seems psychological gymnastics to reach any other conclusion.

[@albertosantamaria917]

👏👏👏👏👏

[@tuckerfarmer6274]

Whoch os were the lines "he captured harpers ferry woth his 19 men so true. he frighted ol virginia till she trembeled through and through. They hanged him for a traitor the themselves the trador crew" those three lines explain everything and and the bible verse john 15:13 is on the memorial of one luetenient freidrick lengfeild

[@wildweasel8564]

The opening salvo of the War on Terror was the singing of the Battle Hymn of the Republic at the National Cathedral on 9-14-2001.

[@lukejohnston4666]

British association football "Glory glory Man(chester) United"

[@tentwoXII]

22:00 Hahahah

[@caseyb1346]

3:05 In a society that tolerated slavers and slavery, he was the only sane man. And while the Battle Hymn of the Republic is nice, I hate that it doesn't mention the Hero its tune is based on once. Though I suppose that is part and parcel for how our nation has always worked. That being papering over the radical revolutionaries and their message with a sanitized caricature, and then "honoring" them every year with it and teaching our kids those half truths in our schools.

[@intothekey]

I'm a big fan of the battle hymn and it was nice to learn about it. It was sad to learn it was born out of a rejection of Calvinism and a step towards Unitarianism though

[@brianhowe1982]

We're rather proud of Julia.

[@LeoiCaangWan]

Norman Finkelstein brought me here.

[@24mlc]

How there was no mention of the Mormon Tabernacle choir singing this at Reagan’s inauguration is a mystery to everyone. Rare miss here.

[@Yorkington]

>Unless you're Justin Trudeau HA!

[@shanebrown2009]

John Brown, like all revolutionaries, was a nut job.

[@Taurian_]

Boost

[@anaibarangan4908]

Who can see how much God's truth is marching on on Earth? I can see through the dark side..

[@crocve]

It´s not just America - there are probably hundreds of versions to the tune of this song around the world. From regular songs, church songs, sports club songs, military songs, children´s songs, etc. My favourite ones are The Belfast Brigade" and ofc, the best of them all: YODOBASHI CAMERAAA!!!

[@agentcooper6179]

My favorite version is the original. Eat my 🍆 you smoothbrain.

[@kaiserslavaniaashur1623]

33:34 "Chris was born across the sea" who dafug is chris???

[@joshuastavos4376]

This wonderful and powerful song will be sung by the world in Hebrew one day.

[@judyfrancis4515]

I've always been moved by this tune (tho the themes of god and war are awful). Interesting that so many others seem to have felt the same way, throughout time, in the service of disparate causes.

[@jamesguschke9338]

Swedenborg dig it?

[@nathangerber1547]

15:43 Latter Day Saints believe the civil war was punishment on the United States for rejecting God’s Restored Kingdom among other sins.

[@nathangerber1547]

Also I’m learning a lot of interesting takes on the Millennium when he gets to that. I fee Latter Day Saints sit partway between those schools of thought. We believe in an Apocalyptic coming of Christ, but that we must build a kingdom to welcome Him when He comes. It has the building like to social gospel, but the theology of the Evangelism.

[@nathangerber1547]

Kinda

[@kaakrepwhatever]

Now that Ron DeSantis has come out in support of slavery, it's time to rework it back into a social movement song.

[@peytonk5062]

Hell yeah

[@carlose4314]

During the theology section, you forgot amillenialism.

[@ClassicalNerd]

I don't mention that which is not relevant enough to mention.

[@agentcooper6179]

I am now aware of amillenialism and I have to thank you for wasting five minutes of my time.

[@HanstheTraffer]

Thanks for the research. However without understanding what it was and is like to be a follower of Christ, you don't have a good understanding of what was going on in peoples minds and hearts. The lyrics of the song speak for themselves.

[@ClassicalNerd]

I don't know what makes you think that you know even the slightest thing about my beliefs.

[@agentcooper6179]

It’s sounds to me like you prefer the forties broken cross.

[@scarylion1roar]

my other favourite lyrics to this tune are "Blood on the Risers" 🪂

[@ClassicalNerd]

My dad was in the 82nd Airborne, so I really wanted to find a spot in this video to talk about that one-but it just didn't fit anywhere.