Digital History>eXplorations>John Brown: Hero or Terrorist?>Teacher Resources>John Brown: In His Own Words

Texts Sung to the Tune of "Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "John Brown's Body"

This page was written and is copyrighted by Brent Hugh and used with his permission.

• Some texts are already listed on history of John Brown's Body/Battle Hymn page and aren't repeated here.
• I haven't included the text of "Battle Hymn of the Republic" because it is widely available.
• Since the wild popularity of "Battle Hymn" there have been hundreds of knock-offs, parodies, and school-yard versions ("Glory, glory hallelujah/Hit my teacher with a ruler", etc.). I am interested in civil war-era versions, and so haven't listed any of these later parodies.

The earliest lyrics I came across of "Say, Brothers" are from the 1889 Hymn and Tune Book of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, Round Note Edition, Nashville, TN (reprinted 1903):

Click image to enlarge.

(1st verse)
Say, brothers, will you meet us (3x)
On Canaan's happy shore.

(Refrain)
Glory, glory, hallelujah (3x)
For ever, evermore!

(2nd verse)
By the grace of God we'll meet you (3x)
Where parting is no more.

(3rd verse)
Jesus lives and reigns forever (3x)
On Canaan's happy shore.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if this song had more verses (perhaps *many* more), but I don't recall coming across any more than these three in my research.

This hymn book lists the author as "unknown", so it is obvious quite far removed from the original (so far as this type of folk hymn can be said to even *have* an original).

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Further verses for John Brown's Body:

The stars above in heaven are a-lookin' kindly down, (3x)
On the grave of old John Brown.
John Brown's knapsack is strapped upon his back, (3x)
His soul goes marching on.
(This again is a reference to the live, runty John Brown who apparently had a lot of trouble with his knapsack.)

John Brown died that the slaves might be free,
But his soul goes marching on.

Marching song of the 4th Battalion of Rifles, 13th Reg., Massachusetts Volunteers:

Cheer for the banner as we rally 'neath the stars,
As we join the Northern legion and are off for the wars,
Ready for the onset, for bullet, blood and scars!
Cheer for the dear old flag!
Chorus:
Glory! Glory! Glory for the North!
Glory to the soldiers she is sending forth!
Glory! Glory! Glory for the North!
They'll conquer as they go.

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"Complete" verses from several versions of the song:
(For what it's worth, these are all from secondary sources far removed from the originals.)

The John Brown Song
Words: anonymous
Music: "John Brown's Body"

1. Old John Brown's body lies a-mouldering in the grave,
While weep the sons of bondage whom he ventured all to save;
But though he lost his life in struggling for the slave,
His truth is marching on.

Chorus:
Glory, glory hallelujah!
Glory, glory hallelujah!
Glory, glory hallelujah!
His truth is marching on!

2. John Brown was a hero, undaunted, true, and brave;
Kansas knew his valor when he fought her rights to save;
And now though the grass grows green above his grave,
His truth is marching on. (Chorus)

3. He captured Harper's Ferry with his nineteen men so few,
And he frightened "Old Virginny" till she trembled through and through,
They hung him for a traitor, themselves a traitor crew,
But his truth is marching on. (Chorus)

4. John Brown was John the Baptist for the Christ we are to see,
Christ who of the bondsman shall the Liberator be;
And soon throughout the sunny South the slaves shall all be free,
For his truth is marching on. (Chorus)

5. The conflict that he heralded, he looks from heaven to view,
On the army of the Union with its flag, red, white, and blue,
And heaven shall ring with anthems o'er the deeds they mean to do,
For his truth is marching on. (Chorus)

6. Oh, soldiers of freedom, then strike while strike you may
The deathblow of oppression in a better time and way;
For the dawn of old John Brown has brightened into day,
And his truth is marching on. (Chorus)

The President's Proclamation
Words by Edna Dean Proctor
Music: "John Brown's Body"

1. John Brown died on a scaffold for the slave;
Dark was the hour when we dug his hallowed grave;
Now God avenges the life he gladly gave,
Freedom reigns today!

Chorus:
Glory, glory hallelujah!
Glory, glory hallelujah!
Glory, glory hallelujah!
Freedom reigns today!

2. John Brown sowed and his harvesters are we;
Honor to him who has made the bondmen free!
Loved evermore shall our noble Ruler be--
Freedom reigns today! (Chorus)

3. John Brown's body lies a-mouldering in the grave!
Bright, o'er the sod, let the starry banner wave;
Lo! for the millions he periled all to save--
Freedom reigns today! (Chorus)

4. John Brown lives--we are gaining on our foes;
Right shall be victor whatever may oppose;
Fresh, through the darkness, the wind of morning blows-
Freedom reigns today! (Chorus)

5. John Brown's soul through the world is marching on;
Hail to the hour when oppression shall be gone!
All men will sing in the better age's dawn,
Freedom reigns today! (Chorus)

6. John Brown dwells where the battle strife is o'er;
Hate cannot harm him nor sorrow stir him more;
Earth will remember the crown of thorns he wore-
Freedom reigns today! (Chorus)

7. John Brown's body lies a-mouldering in the grave;
John Brown lives in the triumphs of the brave;
John Brown's soul not a higher joy can crave
Freedom reigns today! (Chorus)

Marching Song of the First Arkansas (Negro) Regiment
Words ascribed to Capt. Lindley Miller
Music: "John Brown's Body"

1. Oh, we're the bully soldiers of the "First of Arkansas,"
We are fighting for the Union, we are fighting for the law,
We can hit a Rebel further than a white man ever saw,
As we go marching on.

Chorus:
Glory, glory hallelujah,
Glory, glory hallelujah,
Glory, glory hallelujah,
As we go marching on.

2. See, there above the center, where the flag is waving bright,
We are going out of slavery; we're bound for freedom's light;
We mean to show Jeff Davis how the Africans can fight,
As we go marching on! (Chorus)

3. We have done with hoeing cotton, we have done with hoeing corn,
We are colored Yankee soldiers, now, as sure as you are born;
When the masters hear us yelling, they'll think it's Gabriel's horn,
As we go marching on. (Chorus)

4. They will have to pay us wages, the wages of their sin,
They will have to bow their foreheads to their colored kith and kin,
They will have to give us house-room, or the roof shall tumble in!
As we go marching on. (Chorus)

5. We heard the Proclamation, master hush it as he will,
The bird he sing it to us, hoppin' on the cotton hill,
And the possum up the gum tree, he couldn't keep it still,
As he went climbing on. (Chorus)

6. They said, "Now colored brethren, you shall be forever free,
From the first of January, Eighteen hundred sixty-three."
We heard it in the river going rushing to the sea,
As it went sounding on. (Chorus)

7. Father Abraham has spoken and the message has been sent,
The prison doors he opened, and out the pris'ners went,
To join the sable army of the "African descent,"
As we go marching on. (Chorus)

8. Then fall in, colored brethren, you'd better do it soon,
Don't you hear the drum a-beating the Yankee Doodle tune?
We are with you now this morning, we'll be far away at noon,
As we go marching on. (Chorus)