Season 3: Episode 4 - Ants Go Marching / When Johnny Goes Marching Home

In this episode of A Tisket-Tasket Podcast, host Gina dives into the fascinating story behind the children's nursery rhyme 'The Ants Go Marching.' Discover how this playful tune traces its roots back to the American Civil War with the song 'When Johnny Comes Marching Home,' written by Patrick Gilmore. Explore the evolution of the melody and its transformation into a beloved children's song that teaches counting and rhyming. Tune in to hear snippets of both songs, learn about their historical context, and uncover the enduring power of folk music to connect us across generations.

00:00 Introduction and Overview
01:23 The Roots of the Tune
05:10 Transforming into 'The Ants Go Marching'
08:07 The Evolution of the Lyrics
08:48 Why These Songs Endure
09:24 Closing Segment: Marching On

Transcript

Microphone (G733 Gaming Headset)-2: 1:15

Welcome back to a ticket. Task it podcast. I'm your host, Gina. And today we are diving into the story behind a nursery rhyme. That's equal parts, catchy and curious, the ants go marching. Well, this children's tune is beloved for its playful lyrics and singable melody. It's origins are steeped in a much older, in very different kind of song. That's right. We're marching all the way back to the American civil war. In the story of when Johnny comes marching home. So grab a cup of tea, settle in and let's get started. Before it became a nursery rhyme staple. The ants go, marching began its life as a melody to a civil war era song called. When Johnny comes marching home. The song was written in 1863. Bye Irish American bandleader Patrick Gilmore. Under the pseudonym, Louis Lambert. The lyrics captured the hopes of families and communities waiting for their loved ones to return for more.

Microphone (G733 Gaming Headset)-3: 2:22

Here's a real treat for you guys. I talk about my love of the library of Congress. And they're exceptional collection. And here is an audio recording of when Johnny comes marching home again. That was recorded in 1898 on. Ebro Linares gramophone. Sung by John Tarell and, obviously written by Patrick Gilmore. Citation, is available on my blog, but I just absolutely love that the library of Congress has such an extensive collection. Let's go ahead and listen to it now.

2:59

When Johnny comes marching home, and sung by Mr. John Farrell. When Johnny comes marching home again, ho rah, ho rah. With him in my heart, he welcomes and ho rah, ho rah. The men will cheer, and the boys will jolt. The ladies, they will all turn out. And we'll all feel gay when Johnny comes marchin home. The old church bell will feel with joy. Hurrah, hurrah. So welcome home, my darling boy. Hurrah, hurrah. The village lads and lasses, they would roast. As they will true the way. And we'll all feel gay when Johnny comes marchin home. Get ready for the jubilee, hurrah, hurrah. Which is the hero three times three, hurrah, hurrah. The laurel wreath is ready now to place upon his loyal brow. And we'll all feel gay when Johnny comes marchin home. Let love and friendship on that day, hurrah, hurrah. His choice of treasures in display, hurrah, hurrah. Hurrah! And let's go on to perform some songs of Taylor Mignogna, Warrior Todd, and we'll all feel gay when Johnny comes marchin home.

Microphone (G733 Gaming Headset)-2: 4:31

It is a powerful song full of emotion and patriotism. Gilmore's inspiration. Reportedly came from his sister, Annie. Who prayed for the safe return of her fiance, captain John O'Rourke. A union officer. Interestingly. Annie and John didn't marry until 1875 over a decade after the song was published. Hmm. Why Gilmore chose a pseudonym for this piece remains a mystery, though. It was common for songwriters of the time to do so for a touch of intrigue and romanticism. By the way. He says he overheard the melody. And if I had to take a guess, it's actually from an Irish ballad called Johnny. I hardly knew ye. Some digging into this as the song was first published in 1867, but I'm going to guess it was sung well before that. A lot, like other Irish ballads. The Irish rovers have an excellent rendition of the song found anywhere you listen to music. So how did a heartfelt civil war song become a playful children's tune about ants? Like many folk tunes. The melody of when Johnny comes marching home was adapted over time for different purposes. One notable offshoot was the ants go marching, which uses the same melody, but trades the wartime lyrics for one whimiscal ones let's go ahead and listen to a version of this.

6:07

The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah. The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah. The ants go marching one by one, the little ones stop to suck your thumb. And they all go marching down to the ground to get up off the ground. The ants go marching two by two. Hurrah! Hurrah! The ants go marching two by two. Hurrah! Hurrah! The ants go marching two by two. The little ones stop to tie her shoe. And they all go marching two by two. Hurrah! The ants go marching, four by four. Hurrah! Hurrah! The ants go marching, four by four. The little ones stop to shut the door. The little go marching down to the ground to get out of the rain. Boom, boom, boom! The ants go marching, five by five. Hurrah! Hurrah! The ants go marching five by five, Hurrah! Hurrah! The ants go marching five by five, The little ones shout to shout on the lawn with their echo, Marching down to the ground to get out of the rain, Boom, boom, boom.

Microphone (G733 Gaming Headset)-2: 7:58

This version first appeared on Barney's campfire sing along in 1990. Credited to Robert D. Singleton. However variations of the song existed way earlier, including a 1970s record. Was slightly different lyrics in even a boy scout camp version called the ants, which appeared in a 1975 Barnett's scout book. These are available to view on my website. If you're interested. Campfire songs and scouting traditions have long been a fertile ground for folklore and oral traditions alike. So it's absolutely no surprise to anyone that nursery rhymes like the ants go marching have roots in these communal settings. What makes the ants go marching? So engaging is this playful, repetition and progression? Each version introduces a new number and action, making it a great tool for teaching, counting, and rhyming to children. But the lyrics haven't always been consistent. For example, some variations end with something like, and they all start marching down the ground to get out of the rain. Or others have completely different cadences. These variations reflect the fluid nature of folk songs. Each retailing adds a new twist or new lyrics, ensuring that the song remains alive and relevant to its audience. Both when Johnny comes marching home and the ants go marching showcase the enduring power of music to connect us across generations. The former captures a moment in history. Well, the ladder brings joy and learning to children. It's a reminder of how Melies can evolve taking on new meanings in lives of their own. You're sure your arms and folk songs are more than just entertainment. There are a window into our cultural past by exploring their origins. We gain insight into how communities express. Their hopes, their fears, their joys. Through music. And that's the story of the ants go marching and its connections to when Johnny comes marching home. Neither of these versions appear in the ops dictionary. However when Johnny comes marching home does have a routes folk song in next number. Of 6,637. From civil war ballads to campfire sing alongs. This melody has certainly marched through history. If you have memories of singing, the ants go marching. Or any other nursery rhymes that you'd like me to cover? I'd love to hear about them. Drop me a message or email me@ataskattaskatpodcast.com. And share your story. As always thank you for tuning into it. Just get tested podcast. Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review and share this episode with your fellow nursery rhyme enthusiasts in focal or aficionados. Until next time, keep singing, keep learning and keep exploring the wonderful world. Of folklore. This is Gina signing off. See you next week.

11:24

Host: Welcome back to A Tisket Tasket Podcast! I’m your host, Gina, and today we’re diving into the story behind a nursery rhyme that’s equal parts catchy and curious:"The Ants Go Marching." While this children’s tune is beloved for its playful lyrics and singable melody, its origins are steeped in a much older and very different kind of song. That’s right—we’re marching all the way back to the American Civil War and the story of"When Johnny Comes Marching Home." So, grab a cup of tea, settle in, and let’s get started! Segment 1: The Roots of the Tune Host: Before it became a nursery rhyme staple,"The Ants Go Marching" began its life as the melody to a Civil War-era song called"When Johnny Comes Marching Home." This song was written in 1863 by Irish-American bandleader Patrick Gilmore under the pseudonym Louis Lambert. The lyrics captured the hopes of families and communities waiting for their loved ones to return from war. Here’s a snippet from the original:[Host reads excerpt from"When Johnny Comes Marching Home"] When Johnny comes marching home again,Hurrah, hurrah!We’ll give him a hearty welcome then,Hurrah, hurrah! Host: It’s a powerful song, full of emotion and patriotism. Gilmore’s inspiration reportedly came from his sister Annie, who prayed for the safe return of her fiancé, Captain John O’Rourke, a Union officer. Interestingly, Annie and John didn’t marry until 1875, over a decade after the song was published. Why Gilmore chose a pseudonym for this piece remains a mystery, though it was common for songwriters of the time to do so for a touch of intrigue. By the way, says he overheard the melody and if I had to guess it’s from the Irish ballad“Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye’.” Some digging says that this song was first published in 1867, but I’m going to guess it was sung well before that. The Irish Rovers have an excellent rendition of this song found anywhere you listen to music. Segment 2: Transforming into"Ants Go Marching" Host: So, how did a heartfelt Civil War song become a playful children’s tune about ants? Like many folk tunes, the melody of"When Johnny Comes Marching Home" was adapted over time for different purposes. One notable offshoot was"The Ants Go Marching," which uses the same melody but trades the wartime lyrics for whimsical ones:[Host sings or reads lines from"The Ants Go Marching"] The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah!The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah! Host: This version first appeared on"Barney’s Campfire Sing Along" in 1990, credited to Robert D. Singleton. However, variations of the song existed earlier, including a 1970s record with slightly different lyrics and even a Boy Scout camp version called"The Ants," which appeared in a 1975 Barnet Scout Book. Campfire songs and scouting traditions have long been a fertile ground for folklore and oral traditions, so it’s no surprise that nursery rhymes like"The Ants Go Marching" have roots in these communal settings. Segment 3: The Evolution of the Lyrics Host: What makes"The Ants Go Marching" so engaging is its playful repetition and progression. Each verse introduces a new number and action, making it a great tool for teaching counting and rhyming to kids. But the lyrics haven’t always been consistent. For example, some versions end with:[Host recites alternate lyrics] And they all start marching down to the groundTo get out of the rain, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM! Host: Others end with a different cadence:[Host recites alternate lyrics] To the end Of the Earth To get out Of the rain. Host: These variations reflect the fluid nature of folk songs. Each retelling adds a new twist, ensuring that the song remains alive and relevant to its audience. Segment 4: Why These Songs Endure Host: Both"When Johnny Comes Marching Home" and"The Ants Go Marching" showcase the enduring power of music to connect us across generations. The former captures a moment in history, while the latter brings joy and learning to children. It’s a reminder of how melodies can evolve, taking on new meanings and lives of their own. Nursery rhymes and folk songs are more than just entertainment; they’re a window into our cultural past. By exploring their origins, we gain insight into how communities express their hopes, fears, and joys through music. Closing Segment: Marching On Host: And that’s the story of"The Ants Go Marching" and its connection to"When Johnny Comes Marching Home." From Civil War ballads to campfire sing-alongs, this melody has certainly marched through history. If you have memories of singing"The Ants Go Marching" or other nursery rhymes, I’d love to hear about them! Drop me a message or share your story on social media. As always, thank you for tuning in to A Tisket Tasket Podcast. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with your fellow nursery rhyme enthusiasts. Until next time, keep singing, keep learning, and keep exploring the wonderful world of folklore.[Outro Music Plays] Host: This is[Name], signing off. See you next week!