The Good Old Songs We Used to Sing ’61-’65

This is one of a series of posts about books used as source material for Art Song Central.

Book Title: The Good Old Songs We Used to Sing ’61-’65
Publisher: Osbourne H. Oldroyd
Copyright: 1902

Project Gutenberg features a transcribed version of the songs featured in The Good Old Songs We Used to Sing. Each individual song can be downloaded as a PDF file.

Contents:

  • Sherman’s March to the Sea
  • Marching through Georgia
  • A Thousand Years
  • Hail Columbia
  • Just Before the Battle, Mother
  • We’ve Drunk From the Same Canteen
  • The Star Spangled Banner*
  • Old Shady
  • Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean
  • The Army Bean
  • Brave Boys Are They
  • Battle Hymn of the Republic
  • Home, Sweet Home
  • Who Will Care For Mother Now?
  • When This Cruel War is Over
  • We Are Coming, Father Abraham
  • Tenting on the Old Camp Ground
  • John Brown’s Song
  • Battle Cry of Freedom
  • Bonnie Blue Flag
  • America
  • Kingdom Coming
  • The Vacant Chair
  • Nearer, My God, To Thee
  • Tramp, Tramp, Tramp
  • When Johnny Comes Marching Home
  • I’se Gwine Back to Dixie
  • Fraternity
  • Charity
  • Loyalty
  • Ode on Presentation of Badge
  • Greeting Ode
  • Closing Ode

Notes:
These are all songs from the civil war, and the collection is “dedicated to the veterans of the War of the Rebellion.” The cover features a portrait of General Ulysses S. Grant. A few of these songs retain currency as patriotic favorites.

It appears that the book featured texts only, and that Project Gutenberg volunteers located PD sources for the music of each of the songs. (Kudos to Linda Cantoni, who has so ably taken the reins of the Music Team at PGDP!)

*It should be noted that the version of The Star Spangled Banner presented here differs in a few notable ways from the “standard version” as now sung in the US. (Perhaps most notably, we now begin the melody with a descending triad.)

I will probably not create individual song posts for most of the songs featured here, though I am likely to eventually feature those that find continued popularity. If you would like me to give priority to one of these songs, please let me know via the contact page.