Two things stand out in the chorus from 1916 I just sang. First, the tune is familiar. It’s “Marching through Georgia,” a triumphal battle anthem from late in the Civil War. Political balladeers liked to use melodies from the Civil War, because they were familiar, conducive to group singing.
Two things stand out in the chorus from 1916 I just sang. First, the tune is familiar. It’s “Marching through Georgia,” a triumphal battle anthem from late in the Civil War. Political balladeers liked to use melodies from the Civil War, because they were familiar, conducive to group singing.