CIVIL WAR SONGS

We are a band of brothers, And native to the soil,
Fighting for our liberty, With treasure, blood, and toil;
And when our rights were threatened, The cry rose near and far,
Hurrah for the Bonnie Blue Flag that bears a single star!

Hurrah! Hurrah! for Southern rights hurrah!
Hurrah for the Bonnie Blue Flag that bears a single star!

As long as the Union was faithful to her trust,
Like friends and brethren kind were we, and just;
But now, when Northern treachery attempts our rights to mar,
We host on high the Bonnie Blue Flag that bears a single star!

First gallant South Carolina nobly made the stand,
Then came Alabama and took her by the hand;
Next, quickly, Mississippi, Georgia, and Florida,
All raised on high the Bonnie Blue Flag that bears a single star!

Click here for tune, an additional stanza, and notes about the song.

1. The years creep slowly by, Lorena,
The snow is on the grass again;
The sun's low down the sky, Lorena,
The frost gleams where the flowers have been.
But the heart throbs on as warmly now
As when the summer days were nigh;
Oh, the sun can never dip so low
A-down affection's cloudless sky.

2. A hundred months have passed, Lorena,
Since last I held that hand in mine,
And felt the pulse beat fast, Lorena,
Though mine beat faster far than thine.
A hundred months---'twas flowery May,
When up the hilly slope we climbed,
To watch the dying of the day
And hear the distant church bells chime.

3. We loved each other then, Lorena,
More than we ever dared to tell;
And what we might have been, Lorena,
Had but our loving prospered well!
But then, 'tis past; the years have gone,
I'll not call up their shadowy forms;
I'll say to them, "Lost years, sleep on,
Sleep on, nor heed life's pelting storms'"

4. The story of the past, Lorena,
Alas! I care not to repeat;
The hopes that could not last, Lorena,
They lived, but only lived to cheat.
I would not cause e'en one regret
To rankle in your bosom now
"For if we try we may forget,"
Were words of thine long years ago.

5. Yes, these were words of thine, Lorena
They are within my memory yet.
They touched some tender chords, Lorena,
Which thrill and tremble with regret.
'Twas not the woman's heart which spoke
Thy heart was always true to me;
A duty stern and piercing broke
The tie which linked my soul with thee.

6. It matters little now, Lorena,
The past is in the eternal past;
Our hearts will soon lie low, Lorena,
Life's tide is ebbing out so fast.
There is a future, oh, thank God!
Of life this is so small a part
'Tis dust to dust beneath the sod.
But there, up there, 'tis heart to heart.

Dixie

I wish I was in the land of cotton,
Old times there are not forgotten,
Look away, Look away, Look away, Dixie Land.
Then I wish I was in Dixie, Hooray, Hooray!

In Dixie Land I'll take my stand to live and die in Dixie,
Away, away, away down south in Dixie. (x)

In Dixie Land where I was born in,
Early on one frosty mornin',
Look away, &c.

NORTH

The Battle Cry of Freedom

Yes, we'll rally round the flag, boys, we'll rally once again,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom;
We will rally from the hillside, we'll rally from the plain,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom.

The union forever, hurrah, boys, hurrah!
Down with the traitor, Up with the star.
While we rally round the flag, boys, rally once again,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom.

We are springing to the call of our brothers gone before,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom;
And we'll fill the vacant ranks with a million free men more,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom.

We will welcome to our numbers the loyal, true, and brave,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom;
An although they may be poor, not a man shall be a slave,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom.

Tenting on the Old Camp Ground

We're tenting tonight on the old camp ground,
Give us a song to cheer
Our weary hearts, a song of home,
And friends we love so dear.

Many are the hearts that are weary tonight,
Wishing for the war to cease,
Many are the hearts looking for the right
To see the dawn of peace.

Tenting tonight, tenting tonight,
Tenting on the old camp ground.

We've been tenting tonight on the old camp ground,
Thinking of days gone by,
Of the loved ones at home that gave us the hand,
And the tear that said Good bye!

Many are the hearts, &c.

We are tired of war on the old camp ground,
Many are the dead and gone,
Of the brave and true who've left their homes,
Others have been wounded long.

Many are the hearts, &c.

We've been fighting today on the old camp ground,
Many are lying near;
Some are dead, and some are dying,
Many are in tears.

Many are the hearts that are weary tonight,
Wishing for the war to cease,
Many are the hearts looking for the right
To see the dawn of peace.

Get ready for the jubilee, hurrah! hurrah!
We'll give our hero three times three, hurrah! hurrah!
The laurel wreath is ready now,
To place upon his loyal brow,
And we'll give three cheers when Johnny comes marching home.

When Johnny comes marching home again, hurrah! hurrah!
A girlie will met her man of men, hurrah! hurrah!
That sweet young lady will head the crowd,
The first to kiss you and say she's proud
of the man she loves, when Johnny comes marching home.

Civil War Songs