"Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier" is an Irish folk song. The lyrics lament the sacrifices that men and women make in going off to war. Men would help by going off to war and women would help by sacrificing men and selling goods to buy military supplies. This folk song was popular throughout the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. Although its meaning is known, its history is not.

Peter, Paul, and Mary Peter, Paul and Mary was an American Contemporary folk music, folk group formed in New York City in 1961 during the American folk music revival phenomenon. The trio consisted of tenor Peter Yarrow, baritone Paul Stookey, and contralto Mary Traver ...

used the first and third verses of the song in the arranged song "Gone the Rainbow" from their second album '' Moving'' (1963).

Origins

The tune and lyrics are very similar to the 17th century Irish tune " Siúil A Rún" on which the song is based.

Other versions

* American folk singer-songwriter

Pete Seeger Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American folk singer and social activist. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, Seeger also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of the Weavers, notably ...

did a cover version available on his album ''American Favorite Ballads, Vol. 4''. * The gothic rock band Mors Syphilitica did a version for their album ''Primrose'' (1998) performed by

Lisa Hammer Lisa Hammer (née Houle; born April 4, 1967 in Salem, Massachusetts, U.S.) is an American filmmaker, actress, composer and singer and is the sister of director James Merendino (''SLC Punk!'').By Mike White, Cashiers Du Cinemart, (archived versio ...

. * American singer-songwriter and guitarist

James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, havi ...

and American violinist

Mark O'Connor Mark O'Connor (born August 5, 1961) is an American fiddle player and composer whose music combines bluegrass, country, jazz and classical. A three-time Grammy Award winner, he has won six Country Music Association Musician Of The Year awards ...

collaborated on a version together on the album "Heartland: An Appalachian Anthology" and was played at the end of each episode of the PBS series "Liberty! The American Revolution". * Canadian singer-songwriter

Old Man Luedecke Old Man Luedecke is the recording name of two-time Juno Award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter and banjo player Chris Luedecke of Chester, Nova Scotia. He is most noted as a two-time Juno Award winner for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year ...

recorded a version of the song for his album ''Proof of Love''

In popular culture

The song is heard several times in

Ken Burns Kenneth Lauren Burns (born July 29, 1953) is an American filmmaker known for his documentary film, documentary films and television series, many of which chronicle United States, American History of the United States, history and Culture of the ...

's 1989 documentary film '' The Civil War''. It is performed by pianist Jacqueline Schwab and recorder player Jesse Carr. The tune is also sung by actor John Tams' character Hagman in the 1995 TV movie Sharpe's Battle.

Notes

External links

MIDI file of the tune.

Link to a recording at the Smithsonian

Link to an MP3 file for sale at Amazon.com
{{authority control Songs about soldiers Songs about the military American folk songs American Revolution Year of song unknown Songwriter unknown