he has no arms or legs!

[lauralh]

woah.

There's a scene in Stalag 17 where the men in the prison camp play a record of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home." I asked Reg why such a cheery song had such a depressing tune behind it. He said it was from the Civil War. But really, it's from long before that. The lyrics were totally spin-doctored.

Comments

[sanpaku.livejournal.com]

The part about "you haven't an arm, you haven't a leg" shows up in Eightball, at the end of Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron. I always wondered where that came from.

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

The Battle Hymn Republic is a fine example of that as well. Originally "John Brown's Body" and then turned into something else and became associated with Lincoln and the jingoistic politics of the post civil war attitude.

[sanpaku.livejournal.com]

Lincoln asked Julia Ward Howe to write some "better" lyrics for JBB, or so the story goes.

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

And now people trot it out for weepy moments.

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

I love that scene in Stalag 17 where the men are dancing together. It is very funny and sweet.