Comments on: Friday Five: Songs About the Civil War

By: Matt Merta

Matt Merta — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 22:34:45 +0000

Being a CW reenactor and a continual student of the war, I could probably write an entire book on the music. I will refrain from mentioning any re-makes of the period songs, and want to mention the two modern songs that have truly moved me:

Dave Alvin “Andersonville” – I played this one for a lot of my reenactor buddies and it got them into his music. Dave and I have been friends for years, and this is one of his best early narratives.

The SteelDrivers “Sticks That Made Thunder” – What a great perspective, from a tree standing on the battlefield.

By: Jack Williams

Jack Williams — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 02:35:41 +0000

Also:

Dixieland – Steve Earle

Last Letter Home – I know it from Sam Bush’s Late As Usual Album

Two Soldiers – Covered by many. I first heard it on Norman Blake and Tony Rice 2.

By: Jack Williams

Jack Williams — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 23:46:27 +0000

Dave Alvin’s Andersonville.

By: luckyoldsun

luckyoldsun — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 23:00:13 +0000

For a great one, how about Steve Earle’s “Ben McCulloch.”

And for a loopy one, there’s Hank Jr.’s “If the South Woulda Won.”

By: Barry Mazor

Barry Mazor — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 21:55:20 +0000

Some may recall my raising The 1861 Project here:
http://www.engine145.com/roots-watch-refresh-revive-repeat-rethink/

By: Jon

Jon — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 21:46:37 +0000

It’s the new music business model.

That “Soldier’s Joy 1864″ is one scary song.

By: Jeremy Dylan

Jeremy Dylan — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 21:28:36 +0000

The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down is hard to go past for me.

By: bob

bob — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:38:56 +0000

some more civil war songs:

“I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” – Suzy Bogguss, based on a Longfellow poem written toward the end of the Civil War.

“Sparrow” – solely written and recorded by Hal Ketchum, from his Father Time album.

“Soldiers Joy 1864″ written by Guy Clark and Shawn Camp

I saw my first Civil War re-enactment this past Oct. 15th. It was for the Battle of Franklin.

By: Chickette

Chickette — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:45:22 +0000

Way to self-promote, Jon.

By: Jon

Jon — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:37:30 +0000

Well, now, a lot of folks like this one that I wrote with Mark Simos a few years ago:

studio recording here: http://music.thestringdusters.com/track/three-days-in-july

live performance video here: http://youtu.be/GuyJDymc600

Here’s what Juli had to say about it in her review of the album for Pop Matters:

“The Infamous Stringdusters doesn’t have one bad song on it. However, one stands out from the rest. “Three Days in July” is a story about the Battle of Gettysburg as seen through the eyes of an adolescent boy who encounters a Rebel soldier. The song’s refrain, “I learned things I never knew”, juxtaposed with the strangely tender meeting between boy and soldier, displays both the horrors as well as the moments of compassion that occurred in the Civil War.”

There’s also an entire album of new Civil War songs called The 1861 Project that I co-wrote some songs for (http://www.1861project.com); you can listen to the various tracks here: http://1861project.com/tracks-and-credits .