When Johnny Comes Marching Home facts for kids

Quick facts for kids "When Johnny Comes Marching Home"
Sheet music cover, 1863
Song
Published	1863
Songwriter(s)	Louis Lambert a.k.a. Patrick Gilmore

"When Johnny Comes Marching Home" is a very famous song from the American Civil War. People sang it to show how much they missed their friends and family fighting in the war. They hoped these loved ones would come home safely. Sometimes, it's also called "When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again".

The Song's Beginning

The words to "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" were written by an Irish-American bandleader named Patrick Gilmore. He wrote them during the American Civil War. The song was first printed as sheet music on September 26, 1863. It said the words and music were by "Louis Lambert."

Patrick Gilmore used a different name, "Louis Lambert," when the song was published. It's thought he did this to add a bit of mystery to his music. People say Gilmore wrote the song for his sister, Annie. She was praying for her fiancé, Captain John O'Rourke, to return safely from the war.

Gilmore later explained that he didn't create the music himself. He said he heard someone humming the tune early in the war. He liked it, wrote it down, and added his own words to make it useful for the times.

The tune was actually published before, around July 1863. It was used for an older song called "Johnny Fill Up the Bowl." The original sheet music for that song said the music was arranged by J. Durnal. The tune also sounds a bit like other old songs, like "John Anderson, My Jo."

"When Johnny Comes Marching Home" is often thought to be a new version of "Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye." However, "Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye" was published later, in 1867, and it first had a different tune.

This song became incredibly popular. Both sides fighting in the American Civil War sang it. It even became a hit in England!

Other Versions of the Song

Many different versions of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" have appeared over time. Some songs use the same tune but have completely different words.

For example, a British version came out in 1914. It had a similar title: "When Tommy Comes Marching Home." "Tommy" was a common nickname for British soldiers.

During the 1880 U.S. Presidential election, a campaign song used the tune. It was called "If the Johnnies Get Into Power." This shows how well-known the melody was.

Song Words

Illustration of a Zouave company on a Civil War-era poster for "When Johnny Comes Marching Home".

Here are the original words Patrick Gilmore wrote for the song:

When Johnny comes marching home again
Hurrah! Hurrah!
We'll give him a hearty welcome then
Hurrah! Hurrah!
The men will cheer and the boys will shout
The ladies they will all turn out
And we'll all feel gay
When Johnny comes marching home.

The old church bell will peal with joy
Hurrah! Hurrah!
To welcome home our darling boy,
Hurrah! Hurrah!
The village lads and lassies say
With roses they will strew the way,
And we'll all feel gay
When Johnny comes marching home.

Get ready for the Jubilee,
Hurrah! Hurrah!
We'll give the hero three times three,
Hurrah! Hurrah!
The laurel wreath is ready now
To place upon his loyal brow
And we'll all feel gay
When Johnny comes marching home.

Let love and friendship on that day,
Hurrah, hurrah!
Their choicest pleasures then display,
Hurrah, hurrah!
And let each one perform some part,
To fill with joy the warrior's heart,
And we'll all feel gay
When Johnny comes marching home.

In some newer recordings, the last line of each verse is "And we'll all feel glad when Johnny comes marching home."

Famous Recordings

Many artists have recorded or used "When Johnny Comes Marching Home."

• Morton Gould created a classical version called "American Salute" in 1943.
• The Andrews Sisters, a popular singing group from the 1940s, sang a lively "swing" version.
• British pop singer Adam Faith sang a version for the movie Never Let Go (1960). This version became a hit song in the UK.
• Bing Crosby included the song in a mix on his album 101 Gang Songs (1961).
• A French version without singing, "Johnny Revient d'la Guerre," was recorded by Bérurier Noir in 1983.
• American singer Angel Snow's version is on the album Divided & United: Songs of the Civil War.
• The Seattle Symphony Orchestra and Chorale recorded it in 1993.
• The band Dropkick Murphys recorded their own version, "Johnny I Hardly Knew Ya." They used old Irish words with the song's beat.
• Jacob Miller used the tune for his song "Peace Treaty." He wrote it for a concert in Jamaica in 1978 to celebrate a peace agreement.
• The folk band Ye Banished Privateers recorded a version called 'When Ye Dead Come Sailing Home.' It has lyrics about undead sailors.

Images for kids

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  Sheet music cover, 1863

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  Illustration of a Zouave company on a Civil War-era poster for "When Johnny Comes Marching Home".

See also

In Spanish: When Johnny Comes Marching Home para niños