"John Brown's Body" (originally known as "John Brown's Song") is a famous
Union marching song of the
American Civil War. The tune arose out of the folk hymn tradition of the American
camp meeting movement of the 1800s. During the
American Civil War the lyrics referenced Sergeant John Brown of the Second Battalion, Boston Light Infantry Volunteer Militia, a Boston based unit. Later, people mistakenly believed it referenced the
abolitionist John Brown and later verses were added referencing him.
The "flavor of coarseness, possibly of irreverence"[1] led many of the era to feel uncomfortable with the earliest "John Brown" lyrics. This in turn led to the creation of many variant versions of the text that aspired to a higher literary quality. The most famous of these is Julia Ward Howe's "Battle Hymn of the Republic," which was written when a friend suggested, "Why do you not write some good words for that stirring tune?"[2]
"Say, Brothers, Will You Meet Us", the tune that eventually became associated with John Brown's Body and the Battle Hymn of the Republic, was formed in the American camp meeting circuit of the early to mid 1800s. In that atmosphere, where hymns were taught and learned by rote and a spontaneous and improvisatory element was prized, both tunes and words changed and adapted in true folk music fashion[3]
The written record of the tune can be traced as far back than 1858 to a book called The Union Harp and Revival Chorister, selected and arranged by Charles Dunbar, and published in Cincinnati. The book contains the words and music of a song "My Brother Will You Meet Me", with the music but not the words of the "Glory Hallelujah" chorus; and the opening line "Say my brother will you meet me". In December 1858 a Brooklyn Sunday school published a version called "Brothers, Will You Meet Us" with the words and music of the "Glory Hallelujah" chorus, and the opening line "Say, brothers will you meet us", under which title the song then became known.[5] The hymn is often attributed to William Steffe, though the category of "composer" fits poorly into the camp meeting and oral folk tradition of the time. Steffe's role likely fell as transcriber and/or modifier of a commonly sung tune or text that had arisen through a folk tradition--or originator of a text and tune that was honed and modified by many others before reaching the forms best known today--as composer per se.[6]
