"Soldier's Joy" is a fiddle tune, classified as a reel or country dance. It is popular in the

American fiddle American fiddle-playing began with the early settlers who found that the small ''viol'' family instruments were portable and rugged. According to Ron Yule, "John Utie, a 1620 immigrant, settled in the North and is credited as being the first known ...

canon, in which it is touted as "an American classic" but traces its origin to Scottish fiddling traditions. It has been played in Scotland for over 200 years, and Robert Burns used it for the first song of his cantata 'The Jolly Beggars'. According to documentation at the United States Library of Congress, it is "one of the oldest and most widely distributed tunes" and is rated in the top ten most-played old time fiddle tunes. The tune dates as early as the 1760s. In spite of its upbeat tempo and catchy melody, the term "soldier's joy" has a much darker meaning than is portrayed by the tune. This term eventually came to refer to the combination of whiskey, beer, and morphine used by

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

soldiers to alleviate pain.

Score

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Melody as basis for song

Like many pure tunes with ancient pedigree, the melody of Soldier's Joy has been used as a basis for construction of songs, which, unlike pure tunes, have lyrics.

Robert Burns Robert Burns (25 January 175921 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who hav ...

wrote lyrics for the tune in which a dismembered, homeless veteran sarcastically recounts his delight with battle.

Civil War era and post-bellum cultural references

The tune came to represent substance use to alleviate pain during the Civil War. This is corroborated in concurring secondary sources. The IHIC version is as follows:

Country

References

External links

* Jeff Todd Titon's ''Old-Time Kentucky Fiddle Tunes'' (University of Kentucky Press)
Digital Library of Appalachia
provides online access to archival and historical materials related to the culture of the southern and central Appalachian region. The contents of the DLA are drawn from special collections of Appalachian College Association member libraries.
1929 Skillet Lickers film clip
with commentary
Henry Reed
Library of Congress mp3 * {{Authority control Bluegrass songs American folk songs Songs about the military Songs about alcohol Songs about soldiers Performing arts pages with videographic documentation Old-time music Songs with lyrics by Robert Burns

Score

Melody as basis for song

Civil War era and post-bellum cultural references

Country

See also

References

External links