Soldiers viewed the lyrics as too formal and polished to be easily remembered. “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”, for example, wasn't well-loved during the war. McWhirter argues in his book that this is why some songs were more popular than others. There were no recordings, so listeners felt free to interpret what they heard, and then alter the lyrics to suit their situation. But on both sides the production of new music outstripped all other forms of literary output. Fewer than 700 songs were published in the Confederacy. The demand for new music was smaller in the south because of its smaller population, and possibly because of their cultural focus on the antebellum. McWhirter estimates that close to 10,000 songs were published as sheet music in the north during the war years. It provided the impetus for more new music to meet the rising demand. A craze for musical evenings had taken hold, driven by a focus on family life. Well-researched and written, Battle Hymns is the definitive work on the popular culture of the Civil War. This is what Christian McWhirter’s book, Battle Hymns does in spades. Although scholars note it, few have considered how music functioned during the war or explored the role of music in daily life. Comments about music appear constantly in their diaries and letters. Soldiers’ lives were structured by music it not only provided solace in camp but also announced military events from reveille to meals to battles. They held musical soirees to raise money for the troops or entertained friends and family with private concerts. People engaged in group singing at most outdoor events. Today it's rare to hear a large group in song except in church, but things were different in 1860. Music During the War Music was particularly important in mid-nineteenth-century America. The depth of emotion expressed in these two songs appealed to a wide audience they could empathize with the characters because they too were living in an era of great change and uncertainty. He was sold and taken to another plantation, but it's the emotion in the song, expressing the yearning to "go home again", that connects it to songs that followed. One of his early successes, "Old Folks at Home," is sung as an aging African-American, pining for his home on the old plantation. It's hard to find it now, in the politically corrected version you hear today, but the original song relates the heartbreak of marriages torn apart by slavery. In "Oh! Suzzana", he expressed an emotional depth that was new to American music. Stephen Foster was proficient in both the sentimental styles of the mid-19th century and the lively minstrel styles. In this same time frame, America's first professional songwriter came into his own. The song's origins are uncertain, but it was popularized and published by the white minstrel performer Daniel Emmett, who later composed "(I Wish I Was in) Dixie's Land". Audiences of the time had found both a genuine American character and a truly American musical style. The chorus, “You’re too late to get your supper” is a kindhearted taunt to a man who, because of his work in ministry, ferryboat operation and on his farm, often arrived home well after dark. In this interpretation, Tucker was a man well-liked by his slaves. The other is that it's the legend of a minister and slave owner from Elbert County, Georgia. One is that it celebrated the antics of an irrepressible and crass black man whose mischief and good cheer were legendary. There are two distinct interpretations of the song. In 1843, "Old Dan Tucker" was the first minstrel song to be a hit. Minstrel shows started gaining popularity in the first half of the 19th century, and although they propagated many of the worst stereotypes of African-American slaves, they were an important step forward in developing truly American music they presented our unique notion of absurd humor in the telling of a sad tale. "Lakes of Pontchartrain") (borrowed from "Roddy McClorey")."Billy Boy", (borrowed from "Charming William")."The Star Spangled Banner", (borrowed from "To Anacreon in Heaven").Many popular songs of that early period were re-purposed British songs with American lyrics, like: From the time of the first American colonies until well into the 19th Century, the popular music of the United States was largely that of Great Britain. In and around the battlefields of the great conflict between the North and South, the roots of our country commingled with the roots of what we today call Country Music. And, as with other turning points in our history, like the Great Depression and the Civil Rights Movement, our Civil War transformed us culturally as well as politically. Whether you agree with that or not, it certainly galvanized us into a single country. Civil War was the single biggest turning point in our history.
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