When Johnny Comes Marching Home - Fiddle Tune a Day - Day 159

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When I hear (or play) When Johnny Comes Marching Home, it totally transports me mentally to civil war times. I can hear the drummer and the marching, and I can Imagine a soldier coming home to his family who had been missing him, and wondering if he would ever return alive.
It's a sad melody to me, and I think it brings up the sadness of war time even when someone is returning home. How does it make you feel? (Please leave me a comment and let me know.)
When Johnny Comes Marching Home According to Fiddler's Companion
HEN JOHNNY COMES MARCHING HOME. AKA and see "Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye." American, Scottish; Country Dance Tune (6/8 time). A Minor (Kerr): B Minor (Sweet). Standard tuning. One part (Sweet): AB (Kerr). The tune uses much melodic material from the Scottish air "John Anderson my Jo." See note for "Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ye." Kerr (Merry Melodies), vol. 1; No. 6, pg. 28. Sweet (Fifer's Delight), 1965/1981; pg. 11.
Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye according to Fiddler's Companion
JOHNNY I HARDLY KNEW YE. AKA and see "When Johnny Comes Marching Home." Irish, American; March (6/8 time). C Major. Standard tuning. One part. O'Neill (1922) notes: "Classed as a street ballad in Halliday Sparling's Irish Minstrelsy,London 1887, the editor adds, in a note on page 366,
***
Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye ! This favorite old song is here
for the first time given complete. It dates from the beginning
of the present century (19th), when Irish regiments were so
extensively raised for the East India service.
***
This spirited air almost forgotten in Ireland blossomed into new popularity during the American Civil War, and, after its arrangement by a master hand - Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore - it became a great favorite with military and volunteer bands. Parodies on the original song such as 'When Johnny comes marching home again', 'Johnny fill up the bowl' etc., were sung to it by the Union soldiers. After the manner of the "Loobeens" and occupational songs of olden days in Ireland, additional verses were improvised, some possibly crude, yet always mirth-provoking, and well-calculated to keep up their spirits on the march, or relieve the monotony of camp life. The circumstance of its arrangement as above stated no doubt led Adair FitzGerald to refer to it in his Stories of Famous Songs in qualified words:
***
When Johnny comes marching home again, said to have been
composed by the celebrated Patrick S. Gilmore.
***
The latter, a native of Dublin quite probably had memorized the tune in his youth. The original, it may be observed, included a refrain of four lines not found in the parodies."
***
When Johnny Comes Marching Home Lyrics
When Johnny comes marching home again,
Hurrah! Hurrah!
We'll give him a hearty welcome then
Hurrah! Hurrah!
The men will cheer and the boys will shout
The ladies they will all turn out
And we'll all feel gay when Johnny comes marching home.
The old church bell will peal with joy
Hurrah! Hurrah!
To welcome home our darling boy,
Hurrah! Hurrah!
The village lads and lassies say
With roses they will strew the way,
And we'll all feel gay when Johnny comes marching home.
Get ready for the Jubilee,
Hurrah! Hurrah!
We'll give the hero three times three,
Hurrah! Hurrah!
The laurel wreath is ready now
To place upon his loyal brow
And we'll all feel gay when Johnny comes marching home.
Let love and friendship on that day,
Hurrah, hurrah!
Their choicest pleasures then display,
Hurrah, hurrah!
And let each one perform some part,
To fill with joy the warrior's heart,
And we'll all feel gay when Johnny comes marching home

[@sagarchaturvedivlogs3904]

That's great

[@jaguarmemez]

Hurrah hurrah

[@WOLFGANG634]

I love this song it's one of my fave civil war songs

[@vithefiddler]

Thanks, Jake!

[@wes5457]

hermosa canción.

[@vithefiddler]

Muchas gracias!

[@TheDuckjay101]

am not sure how i felt when i listened to this song,so before i posted,I rented Cold Mountain.Its a civl war movie and it has a fiddle player in it.In the movie he says the war changed him and his music. so yes this song has meaning for me now. TheDuck

[@vithefiddler]

It was hand made.

[@joshmoran2008]

This is in the key of G? Very well done

[@stephenshaw85]

This tune eventually became one of Irelands most famous anti war song about a mutilated soliders return. It's interesting to see it used as a celebratory song as opposed to a lamentary one as the melody itself is better suited to the latter Here are the lyrics for the Irish version for contrast While goin' the road to sweet Athy, hurroo, hurroo While goin' the road to sweet Athy, hurroo, hurroo While goin' the road to sweet Athy A stick in me hand and a drop in me eye A doleful damsel I heard cry, Johnny I hardly knew ye. Chorus: With your drums and guns and guns and drums, hurroo, hurroo With your drums and guns and guns and drums, hurroo, hurroo With your drums and guns and guns and drums The enemy nearly slew ye Oh my darling dear, Ye look so queer Johnny I hardly knew ye. Where are the eyes that looked so mild, hurroo, hurroo Where are the eyes that looked so mild, hurroo, hurroo Where are the eyes that looked so mild When my poor heart you first beguiled Why did ye scadaddle from me and the child Oh Johnny, I hardly knew ye. (Chorus) Where are your legs that used to run, hurroo, hurroo Where are your legs that used to run, hurroo, hurroo Where are your legs that used to run When you went to carry a gun Indeed your dancing days are done Oh Johnny, I hardly knew ye. (Chorus) Ye haven't an arm, ye haven't a leg, hurroo, hurroo Ye haven't an arm, ye haven't a leg, hurroo, hurroo Ye haven't an arm, ye haven't a leg Ye're an armless, boneless, chickenless egg Ye'll have to be put with a bowl out to beg Oh Johnny I hardly knew ye. (Chorus) I'm happy for to see ye home, hurroo, hurroo I'm happy for to see ye home, hurroo, hurroo I'm happy for to see ye home All from the island of Ceylon So low in the flesh, so high in the bone Oh Johnny I hardly knew ye. (Chorus) They're rolling out the guns again, hurroo, hurroo They're rolling out the guns again, hurroo, hurroo They're rolling out the guns again But they never will take my sons again No they'll never take my sons again Johnny I'm swearing to ye.

[@vithefiddler]

That's an interesting contrast for sure. Thanks for sharing, Stephen.

[@wizardofnovascotia2207]

johnny i hardl knew ya is actually older, its the original tune

[@aqvally678]

do you have the notes for violin. i would appreciated it thank you!