"Songs of The Civil War" songbook compiled and edited by Irwin Silber

Legendary folk music historian Irwin Silber has compiled an excellent songbook of music from the Civil War in 1960 called "Songs From The Civil War" which is self-explanatory and although the sheet music in it is basic (which is a plus so that any musician can learn the music more easily), the text is exactly in the wording that the music was originally written and the book is filled with historical facts and info about when the music was written, the stories behind the songs, etc. making this an excellent history book in its own right. Jerry Silverman did the piano and guitar arrangements in the book. Dover Publications has reissued the songbook in 2005 and it does remain in print.

http://www.amazon.com/Songs-Civil-War-Irwin-Silber/dp/0486284387
http://store.doverpublications.com/0486284387.html

The songs in the book are:
The Battle Cry of Freedom (Rallying Song)
"The Battle Cry of Freedom, II (Battle Song)"
"Southern "Battle Cry of Freedom"
The Battle Hymn of the Republic
John Brown's Body
The John Brown Song
The President's Proclamation
Marching Song of the First Arkansas (Negro) Regiment
For the Dear Old Flag I Die
Marching Along
The Army of the Free
Tramp! Tramp! Tramp!
Tramp! Tramp! Tramp! (Southern Version)
Nine Miles to the Junction
The Why and the Wherefore
Marching Through Georgia
Dixie's Land (Dixie)
The Officers of Dixie
Union Dixie
The Bonnie Blue Flag
The Homespun Dress
The Bonnie White Flag
"Maryland, My Maryland"
"Answer to "My Maryland"
Kentucky! O Kentucky!
We Conquer or Die
The Yellow Rose of Texas
Stonewall Jackson's Way
Riding a Raid
The Young Volunteer
Old Abe Lincoln Came Out of the Wilderness
Lincoln and Liberty
The Liberty Ball
Abraham's Daughter
"Abraham's Daughter, II"
"We Are Coming, Father Abr'am"
We'll Fight for Uncle Abe
Booth Killed Lincoln
Weeping Sad and Lonely (When This Cruel War Is Over)
Down in Charleston Jail
All Quiet Along the Potomac
Do They Miss Me at Home?
Do They Miss Me in the Trenches?
Lorena
The Vacant Chair
The Drummer Boy of Shiloh
"Home, Sweet Home"
Somebody's Darling
The Southern Soldier Boy
"Just Before the Battle, Mother"
"Farewell, Mother"
Just After the Battle
Who Will Care for Mother Now?
Who Will Care for Micky Now?
The Faded Coat of Blue
Tenting on the Old Camp Ground
"Tenting on the Old Camp Ground, II"
Goober Peas
The New York Volunteer
Drink It Down
Farewell to
Wait for the Wagon
The Old Union Wagon
The Southern Wagon
The Brass-Mounted Army
The Valiant Conscript
Confederate Yankee Doodle
I'll Be a Sergeant
There Was an Old Soldier
Johnny is My Darling
When Johnny Comes Marching Home
Abe Lincoln Went to Washington
For Bales
The Rebel Soldier
The Southern Soldier
Pat Murphy of the Irish Brigade
Here's Your Mule
"How Are You, John Morgan?"
I Can Whip the Scoundrel
Cumberland Gap
It's All About That Terrible Fight
Flight of Doodles
Root Hog or Die (Southern Version)
The Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh Hill
Cairo
Brother Green
"Roll, Alabama, Roll"
Virginia's Bloody Soil
The Cumberland and the Merrimac
The Cumberland Crew
When Sherman Marched Down to the Sea
The Fall of Charleston
Let My People Go!
"Go Down, Moses"
Follow the Drinking Gourd
Steal Away to Jesus
Clear the Track
We Wait Beneath the Furnace Blast
"My Father, How Long?"
The Gold Band
Oh Freedom
Give Us a Flag
Many Thousand Gone
Free at Last
Slavery Chain Done Broke at Last
Grafted into the Army
Billy Barlow
Billy Barlow?On the Times
Kingdom Coming (Year of Jubilo)
Babylon Is Fallen
De Day ob Liberty's Comin'
I Goes to Fight mit Sigel
The Girl I Left Behind Me
Sambo's Right to Be Kilt
Richmond Is a Hard Road to Travel
Overtures from Richmond
High-Toned Southern Gentleman
Hard Times in Dixie
Jeff in Petticoats
The Blue and the Gray
"Oh, I'm a Good Old Rebel"
Hold the Fort
Dance Me a Jig
Two Brothers


Original 1960 hardcover photo:
Current paperback cover photo:

 

This songbook is highly recommended for any musician, history buff, popular music student and historian alike. Pretty much the only songbook most will ever want for music of this era and it is a keepsake as well.

 

Here's a bump so that more people can see this

 

This looks pretty cool. Thanks, Brad. I also see there are many Amazon sellers offering the hard back version.

 

Indeed there are. Are you planning on buying the in print paperback or the original hardcover if you want it?

 

A bump for this weekend for this thread of a songbook I highly recommend for all of us here on SH.tv

 

thanks for the heads up...looks quite interesting.

 

Get it and you'll be amazed.

 

Here's a related thread: http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=261684

 

(Paperback cover)

 

Not to thread hijack or anything, but if you like American Civil War music, Dave Kincaid of the Brandos has a couple solo albums out covering American civil war songs with an Irishman's slant (there were folks of Irish descent that served in the US civil war that had their own regiments, fighting songs, etc).

He has a great singing voice, perfect for this era of music, although it isn't really my thing (I'm more of a rocker) - I dig his work with the Brandos the best, which is kind of roots rock stuff. His song "Gettysburg", from the Brandos first album (Honor Among Thieves), which is written about the battle of Gettysburg (duh!), is one of my favorite songs ever.


Hope anyone that sees this thread that digs American Civil War music is curious to check him out:

http://www.hauntedfieldmusic.com/checks.html

DAVID KINCAID
THE IRISH VOLUNTEER
Songs of the Irish Union Soldier, 1861-1865.
(1998) Includes 36 page booklet
Catalog No. RCD 10395

DAVID KINCAID
THE IRISH-AMERICAN'S SONG
Songs of the Union and Confederate Irish Soldiers, 1861-1865.
(2003) Includes 36 page booklet
Catalogue No. HFCD 061503 (CD)

DAVID KINCAID and THE BRANDOS
Songs of the IrishVolunteers!
Live in Europe!
(2010)s-CD Set with 12 page booklet
Catalogue No. HFCD 120110 (CD)