CHAPTER 6 | SONGS OF SOCIAL REFORM AND WAR 157
“vandals,” “Northern scum”—that undercut the two sides’ common ground. Its
tone, found in both Northern and Southern songs, surely helped to create an
emotional climate in which all-out war could be waged.
In a parallel vein, the pro-Union “Battle-Hymn of the Republic,” with words
by Julia Ward Howe, preaches how glorious it is to fall in step beside an omnipo-
tent God marching into battle at the head of a virtuous (Northern) army. Howe’s
poem, which celebrates the birth and sacrifi ce of Jesus while also conveying the
unforgiving tone of Old Testament prophecy, was published in January 1862.
A few months later, these words, with the “Glory, Hallelujah” refrain added,
were published in sheet music form, sung to a Methodist hymn tune of the
1850s. The music’s character and the added refrain take the edge off the harsh
message of Howe’s words, and the cry of joy at the end of each stanza empha-
sizes camaraderie and high spirits over revenge. Like many enduring American
songs, this one was made by several hands—poet, composer, arranger—some of
them unknown.
“The Battle Cry of Freedom” (1862; LG 6.5) was written by George F. Root as
a recruiting song for the Union army. Root’s song offers a mix of soul-stirring
ingredients: the fl ag, a collective cheer, the notion of fi ghting for a high ideal,
a blunt statement of the Union’s goal (“Down with the traitor, / Up with the Star”),
and a refrain that, like “Glory, Hallelujah,” could easily be learned on the spot.
Written in march time, “The Battle Cry of Freedom” presents three memorable
melodic ideas, associated with the words “Yes, we’ll rally round the fl ag,” “Shout-
ing the battle cry of Freedom,” and “The Union forever, / Hurrah boys, hurrah!”
Every musical phrase is a statement or variant of one of these three, keeping the
melodic energ y at a high level. Dotted rhythms—the regular alternation of long
and short notes, here subdividing the beat—tie the melodic phrases together, and
the syncopation in the chorus on the song’s highest pitch casts the word “for-
ever” into relief with a climactic jolt. W hen these musical details, supported by
purposeful harmony, are linked to the resonant phrases in the text, there is little
mystery why “The Battle Cry of Freedom” became popular.
The signature song of the Confederacy also originated in the North. “Dixie,”
attributed to Ohio-born minstrel Dan Emmett and introduced on a New York
stage in 1859, found its way the following year to New Orleans, where it caused
a sensation. Thus, even before the Civil War broke out, “Dixie” was a favorite
Southern song. Here are the fi rst verse and chorus as they appeared in the origi-
nal sheet music:I wish I was in de land ob cotton,
Old times dar am not forgotten,
Look away! Look away! Look away! Dixie Land.
In Dixie Land whar I was born in,
Early on one frosty mornin,
Look away! Look away! Look away! Dixie Land.Dan I wish I was in Dixie,
Hooray! Hooray!
In Dixie Land, I’ll take my stand,
To lib and die in Dixie.
Away, Away, Away down south in Dixie.
Away, Away, Away down south in Dixie.“Battle-Hymn of the
Republic”“Dixie”LG 6.5172028_06_132-161_r3_ko.indd 157 23/01/13 8:19 PM