Today in Music (1863): “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” published

When Johnny Comes Marching Home Patrick Gilmore (lyrics), unknown (music)

Writer(s): Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore as Louis Lambert (lyrics), unknown (music) (see lyrics here) First Published: September 26, 1863 First Charted: June 30, 1960 (Adam Faith with John Barry & His Orchestra) Peak: 5 UK (Faith) (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 40.34 video, 14.44 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: This is “one of the best remembered songs from the Civil War.” AMP Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore was the Union Army bandmaster CP when he wrote this song in 1963 under the pseudonym of Louis Lambert. The sheet music was first published in Boston on September 26, 1863, by Henry Tolman & Co. AMP The song was sung by “soldiers and civilians on both sides of the conflict” BA during the Civil War and has maintained success through the years because of its universal celebration of the joy in welcoming home troops from fighting. Gilmore was born in Ireland in 1829 and came to Boston in 1949 to flee the Irish famine. He died in St. Louis in 1892.. He “became known as the most famous band director of his time.” AMP His reputation as a promotor and character has been compared to circus giant P.T. Barnum, an early employer. AMP Frank J. Cipollo described him as “an extremely energetic and enthusiastic man” AMP and also “a visionary, dreamer, astute businessman, and slick operator.” AMP The composer of the music is unknown although their have been unsubstantiated claims of the melody having Irish, Negro (Afro-American), Scottish, and English roots. AMP The song bears similarities to “Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ye,” an Irish song about a maimed soldier who is returning from war. It is debated which version came first. CP James J. Fuld claimed the melody was published in July 1863 under the title “Johnny Fill Up the Bowl” but there is no conclusive evidence that Gilmore borrowed from the tune or that credit should be given to anyone other than Gilmore. AMP Gilmore himself, however, said he learned the tune “from an unidentified African-American singer and that it was a traditional African-American melody.” BA It’s also possible he adapted the melody from a traditional Irish folk song. BA Richard Jackson called the song “one of the strongest and most unusual of the period” AMP noting that it didn’t follow the conventional form of the day with a verse followed by a refrain. He said it is “one of relatively few songs in a minor key to achieve and maintain wide popularity.” AMP The song has been featured in movies, most notably Gone with the Wind (1939) and How the West Was Won (1963). Resources: AMP AmericanMusicPreservation.com BA BalladofAmerica.org CP Contemplator.com Related Links: First posted 11/23/2025.

Today in Music (1852): “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” published

Row, Row, Row Your Boat Elphalet Oram Lyte

Writer(s): Eliphalet Oram Lyte (?) (see lyrics here) First Published: October 4, 1852 First Charted: -- Peak: -- (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 712.4 video, 150.47 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: “Row, Row, Row Your Boat,” often sung as a round, dates back to at least 1852 when lyrics similar to today’s version were published but with a different tune. WK It appears to have originated as an American minstrel tune. JF It was copyrighted again in 1854 under the title “Gently Down the Stream.” JF The modern tune was published in 1881 in The Franklin Square Song Collection and credited to Eliphalet Oram Lyte, but it wasn’t clear if he was the composer or adapter. WS An AI overview of the song describes it as “a metaphor for life, encouraging perseverance, a positive attitude, and enjoying the journey. The lyrics suggest a persistent, yet gentle, approach to life's challenges, framing life's journey as a stream that one must navigate with both determination (‘row’) and joy (‘merrily’). The phrase ‘life is but a dream’ can be interpreted as a reminder of life's impermanence, or as an encouragement to live a life that feels as good as a dream.” AI The song is often sung as a round but has also become popular as a children’s nursery rhyme. It is sometimes done with actions as well. YouTube features multiple videos of the song as recorded by artists (CoCo Melon, Gracie’s Corner, Nursery Rhymes TV, Super Simple Songs, the Wiggles) specifically focused on creating content for children. The song has been featured in multiple movies, including Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and television shows such as Sesame Street and Blackadder. WK SecondHandSongs.com indicate the song has been recorded at least thirty times, including versions by the Chipmunks, Bing Crosby, Arthur Godfrey, Lisa Loeb, and Tina Turner. SH Resources: AI Google.com AI overview JF James J. Fuld (2000). The Book of World-Famous Music: Classical, Popular, and Folk. Dover Publications: Mineola, NY. Pages 475-6. SH SecondHandSongs.com WS William Studwell (1997). The American Song Reader. The Haworth Press, Inc.: Binghampton, NY. Page 82. WK Wikipedia First posted 12/6/2025.

Today in Music (1941): “Clementine” charted for first time

Clementine Bing Crosby with the Music Maids, Hal Hopper, & John Scott Trotter’s Orchestra

Writer(s): Percy Montrose (lyrics), unknown (music) (see lyrics here) Firs Published: 1884 First Charted: November 29, 1941 Peak: 20 BB (Crosby); 21 BB, 13 CB, 11 GR, 11 HR, 8 UK (Bobby Darin, 1960); 65 BB (Jan & Dean) (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 33.08 video, 6.22 streaming (multiple versions)

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Wikipedia describes “Clementine” as “a traditional American, tragic but sometimes comic, Western folk ballad.” WK The song tells the story of Clementine, the daughter of a miner during the California Gold Rush in the mid-1800s. She falls into the water and drowns because her lover can’t swim. It has been called “a tongue-in cheek parody of a sad ballad.” SH The song was based on “Down by the River Liv’d a Maiden,” which was written by H.S. Thompson CT and printed in 1863. Lyrics for “Clementine” were written by the Iowa-born Percy Montrose and published in 1884 by Oliver Ditson & Co. of Boston. WK However, a version of the song was published in 1884 that was credited to Barker Bradford. AS The melody’s origin is unknown, although Gerald Brenan claims in his book South from Granada that it came from an old Spanish ballad “Romance del Conde Olinos o Niño,” AS which was popularized during the Gold Rush by Mexican miners. Bing Crosby had the first charted version of the song in 1941. Bobby Darin charted with the song in 1960, as did Jan & Dean that same year. The song is featured in the 1946 John Ford movie My Darling Clementine starring Henry Fonda. The song has become heavily associated with the Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Huckleberry Hound’s yodeling version. AS The Western Writers of America chose it as one of the top 100 Western songs of all time. Resources: AS AmericanSongwriter.com CT Contemplator.com SH Singingthesonginmyheart.com WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 11/27/2025.

Today in Music (1919): “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean” charted for first time

My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean Orpheus Quartet

Writer(s): Charles E. Pratt (see lyrics here) Published: 1881 First Charted: March 15, 1919 (Orpheus Quartet) Peak: 9 PM (1919, Orpheus Quartet); 10 PM (Alma Gluck/Orpheus Quartet); 8 PM (1938, Ella Logan); 26 BB, 31 HR, 48 UK, 29 AU (1961, Beatles/Tony Sheridan) (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 41.79 video, 8.26 streaming (multiple versions)

Awards (overall): Click on award for more details. Awards (Orpheus Quartet): Click on award for more details.

About the Song: “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean,” also known as “My Bonnie” and “Bring Back My Bonnie to Me,” is a traditional Scottish folk song that became a children’s favorite, an oft-parodied song, and frequent campfire sing-a-long accompanied by interactive movements. It has also been recorded as “My Barney Lies Over the Ocean.” Its origins are uncertain, but it has been theorized that the song was written about Charles “Bonnie Prince Charlie” Edward Stuart, his defeat at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, and his subsequent exile. WK In the book American Song Treasury: 100 Favorites, Theodore Raph said people were requesting sheet music for the song in 1870. WK In 1881, Charles E. Pratt published sheet music for “Bring Back My Bonnie to Me” under the pseudonyms H.J. Fuller and J.T. Wood. It became a popular hit with singing groups, especially at colleges. WK The song was recorded as early as 1901 by the Haydn Quartet. The Taylor Trio recorded an instrumental version in 1916. WK The Orpheus Quartet was the first to chart with the song – twice in 1919 – once on their own and a second time with Alma Gluck. It was also recorded by the Leake County Revelers (1927), Glen Gray & the Casa Loma Orchestra (1938), Ella Fitzgerald (1952), ay Charles (1958), and Duane Eddy (as “Bonnie Come Back,” 1960). Billy Murray recorded “My Barney Lies Over the Ocean” in 1919. “My Bonnie” was of the earliest songs recorded by the Beatles, dating back to their 1961 sessions in Hamburg, West Germany, with Tony Sheridan. He sang lead while Paul McCartney provided vocal harmony and shouting with all four Beatles serving as the backing band. The song was reportedly chosen because it was familiar to German audiences. WK After a customer requested the song at Brian Epstein’s music store NEMS in Liverpool, he went to see them at the Cavern Club and became their manager. WK Resources: WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 11/30/2025.

Today in Music (1917): “Shenandoah” charted for first time

Shenandoah unknown

Writer(s): unknown (see lyrics here) Origins: 1837 (?) First Charted: October 20, 1917 (Henry Burr & Albert Campbell) Peak: 9 PM (Burr/Campbell), 36 AC (1967, The Brothers Four) (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 1.0 (sheet music) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 37.96 video, 6.52 streaming (multiple versions)

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: The Library of Congress calls “Shenandoah” (also known as “Oh Shenandoah” or “Across the Wide Missouri”) “one of America’s most recognizable folk tunes,” LC achieving widespread popularity by the end of the 19th century. Like many folk songs, its origins are unclear but it likely dates back to at least the Civil War. The Library of Congress says its first appearance was in 1882 in Harper’s New Monthly Magazine in an article by William L. Alden called “Sailor Songs.” LC However, BalladOfAmerica.org places the song back to at least April 1876 when a song called “Shenandore” appeared in The New Dominion Monthly. Captain Robert Chamblet indicated he heard the song around 1850. BA The meaning of the lyrics is also indefinite. It has been said they refere to the river of the same name, but others say it comes from an African-American story about Sally, the daughter LC of the Oneida Iroquois chief John Skenandoa, BA who was courted by a white Missouri river trader for seven years. LC Alan Lomax, a folklorist who gathered field recordings, has suggested that the song was a sea shanty LC that originated with French Canadian fur traders who traded with Native Americans around the Great Lakes starting in the 16th century. BA Sea shanties were characterized by solo leads that alternated with boisterous choruses. LC Sailors used sea shanties “to coordinate the efforts of completing chores such as raising the ship’s anchor or hauling ropes.” LC The traders sang while paddling their canoes along the Mississippi River. BA In their book Best Loved American Folk Songs, Lomax and his father John said, “The melody has the roll and surge and freedom of a tall ship sweeping along before a trade wind. The sonorous succession of long vowels and soft and liquid consonants blend perfectly with the romantic air. The lines are a call from the homeland to the sailor wandering far out across the seas, a call not from a sweetheart, a house, or even a town, but from the land itself, its rivers and its familiar and loved hills.” BA Henry Burr and Albert Campbell were the first to chart with the song, reaching the top ten in the United States in 1917. Others who recorded the song include Harry Belafonte, Bob Dylan, Paul Robeson, Pee Seeger, Bruce Springsteen, Jo Stafford, and Tom Waits with Keith Richards. WK Resources: BA Ballad of America LC Library of Congress WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 12/1/2025.