Most people think they know the John Brown song lyrics. You’ve probably heard the refrain "his soul goes marching on" a thousand times in history documentaries or school assemblies. But here’s the kicker: the song wasn't originally about the famous, beard-tossing abolitionist who tried to start a slave revolt at Harpers Ferry.
Honestly, it started as a joke. A literal prank.
In 1861, at Fort Warren in Boston Harbor, there was a Scotsman in the 2nd Infantry Battalion named John Brown. He was a short guy, well-liked, but he had the unfortunate luck of sharing a name with the most notorious man in America at the time. His fellow soldiers teased him mercilessly. If he showed up late to work, they’d say, "You can't be John Brown, he's dead!" If he carried a heavy pack, they’d joke that "John Brown’s knapsack is strapped upon his back."
They started singing these lines to an old Methodist camp-meeting tune called "Say, Brothers, Will You Meet Us?" It was catchy. It was irreverent. And it spread like wildfire.
Why the Original John Brown Song Lyrics Were So Gritty
The early versions of the John Brown song lyrics weren't the polished, poetic verses we associate with the Civil War today. They were soldier songs—rough, repetitive, and a little bit gross. The most famous line, "John Brown’s body lies a-mouldering in the grave," was actually a reference to the "real" John Brown being dead, contrasted with their buddy John Brown who was very much alive and marching next to them.
The Evolution of the Verse
As the 12th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry marched out of Boston, they took the song with them. By the time they reached New York and Washington D.C., the "joke" about the Scottish sergeant had morphed into a genuine tribute to the abolitionist martyr. The lyrics became a way for Union soldiers to signal exactly what they were fighting for, even before the Emancipation Proclamation made it official.
Check out how the lyrics shifted from camp humor to war cries:
- The Joke Version: "John Brown's knapsack is strapped upon his back!"
- The Martyr Version: "He captured Harpers Ferry with his nineteen men so few."
- The Threat Version: "They will hang Jeff Davis to a sour apple tree!"
It’s wild to think that one of the most influential songs in American history started because some guys in a barracks were bored.
From the Barracks to the Parlor: Enter Julia Ward Howe
By late 1861, the song was everywhere. But "polite society" wasn't exactly thrilled with it. The words were considered a bit "coarse." Enter Julia Ward Howe. She was a poet and an activist who heard the soldiers singing the John Brown song lyrics during a review of troops near Washington D.C.
Her friend, Reverend James Freeman Clarke, leaned over and suggested she write some "better" words for such a stirring tune. She went back to her room at the Willard Hotel, woke up in the middle of the night, and scribbled down what we now know as "The Battle Hymn of the Republic."
She kept the "Glory, Glory, Hallelujah" chorus but swapped out the "mouldering bodies" for "the beauty of the lilies" and "the grapes of wrath." It turned a gritty soldier's anthem into a high-minded religious crusade.
Did the Soldiers Actually Like the New Version?
Short answer: Not really.
Historians like Richard Wright and musicologists have noted that while the "Battle Hymn" became the official version for the history books, the guys in the mud and the trenches kept singing about John Brown. The original John Brown song lyrics were easier to remember. They were punchy. They had that specific "us against them" energy that Julia Ward Howe’s lofty metaphors lacked.
Plus, there’s something visceral about singing about a guy who actually picked up a gun to end slavery.
The "Other" John Brown Lyrics You Never Hear
There isn't just one "correct" set of lyrics. Because it was a folk song, it changed depending on who was singing.
One of the most powerful versions came from the 1st Arkansas Volunteer Infantry, a regiment of Black soldiers. Their version, often called "The Marching Song of the First Arkansas," took the melody and turned it into a direct declaration of freedom. Instead of singing about John Brown's soul, they sang:
"We are fighting for the Union, we are fighting for the law,
We can hit a Rebel further than a white man ever saw!"
This version explicitly linked the act of fighting to the end of the "hoeing of cotton" and the start of a new life as "colored Yankee soldiers." It’s a reminder that the John Brown song lyrics weren't just background noise—they were a political tool.
Why We Still Care in 2026
You might wonder why we're still talking about 160-year-old lyrics. Basically, it's because the song is a Rorschach test for American identity.
To some, it’s a radical anthem of revolution. To others, it’s a religious hymn about divine justice. To the guys who wrote it, it was just a way to make fun of a friend named John.
Even today, you’ll hear variations of the tune in labor union rallies ("Solidarity Forever") and even soccer chants. The melody is "sticky" in a way few songs ever manage to be. It’s simple, it’s repetitive, and it demands to be shouted rather than sung.
The Mystery of the Composer
While the lyrics are a collaborative mess of soldier humor and poetic intervention, the tune itself is usually credited to William Steffe, a Southerner. Imagine the irony: the most famous Northern war song was set to a melody written by a guy from South Carolina.
History is weird like that.
How to Explore This History Yourself
If you want to really get into the weeds of the John Brown song lyrics, don't just look at the sheet music.
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- Listen to field recordings: Find versions by folk artists like Pete Seeger, who kept the rougher, older verses alive.
- Visit Fort Warren: If you're ever in Boston, go to the Harbor Islands. You can stand in the spot where the 2nd Infantry first started making these jokes.
- Compare the versions: Print out the lyrics to "John Brown's Body," "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," and "The Marching Song of the First Arkansas." Seeing them side-by-side shows you exactly how the Union’s goals shifted from "save the Union" to "end slavery."
The story of these lyrics is the story of the war itself—starting with a bit of confusion and ending with a total transformation of the country.