The Battle of New Orleans
Encyclopedia
"The Battle of New Orleans" is the title of a song written by Jimmy Driftwood
. The song describes the 1815 Battle of New Orleans
from the perspective of an American soldier; the lyrics are evidently intended to be comical. It has been recorded by many artists, but the singer most often associated with this song is Johnny Horton
. His version scored number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100
in 1959 (see 1959 in music
).
In Billboard magazine's rankings of the top songs in the first fifty years of the Billboard Hot 100
chart, "The Battle of New Orleans" was ranked as the twenty-eighth song overall and the number-one country music song to appear on the chart.
, a school principal in Arkansas
with a passion for history
, set an account of the battle to this music in an attempt to get students interested in learning history. It seemed to work, and Driftwood became well known in the region for his historical songs. He was "discovered" in the late 1950s by Don Warden, and eventually was given a recording contract by RCA, for whom he recorded 12 songs in 1958, including "The Battle of New Orleans".
"The Battle of New Orleans" is often played during North America
n sporting events, and is commonly heard during home games of the NHL's Calgary Flames
.
Original Horton 45 r.p.m. discs of the song are now worth many times the original cost.
Many other artists have recorded this song. Notable versions include the following:
had a hit when they parodied "The Battle of New Orleans" with their song "The Battle of Kookamonga." The single was released in 1959 and featured production work by Chet Atkins
. In this version, the scene shifts from a battleground to a campground, with the combat being changed to the Boy Scouts chasing after the Girl Scouts.
Jimmy Driftwood
James Corbitt Morris , known professionally as Jimmy Driftwood or Jimmie Driftwood, was a prolific American folk music songwriter and musician, most famous for his songs "The Battle of New Orleans" and "Tennessee Stud"...
. The song describes the 1815 Battle of New Orleans
Battle of New Orleans
The Battle of New Orleans took place on January 8, 1815 and was the final major battle of the War of 1812. American forces, commanded by Major General Andrew Jackson, defeated an invading British Army intent on seizing New Orleans and the vast territory the United States had acquired with the...
from the perspective of an American soldier; the lyrics are evidently intended to be comical. It has been recorded by many artists, but the singer most often associated with this song is Johnny Horton
Johnny Horton
John Gale "Johnny" Horton was an American country music and rockabilly singer most famous for his semi-folk, so-called "saga songs" which began the "historical ballad" craze of the late 1950s and early 1960s...
. His version scored number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in 1959 (see 1959 in music
1959 in music
-Events:*January 5 – The first sessions for Ella Fitzgerald's George and Ira Gershwin Songbook are held.*January 12 – Tamla Records is founded by Berry Gordy Jr. in Detroit, Michigan....
).
In Billboard magazine's rankings of the top songs in the first fifty years of the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart, "The Battle of New Orleans" was ranked as the twenty-eighth song overall and the number-one country music song to appear on the chart.
History
The melody is based on a well-known American fiddle tune "The 8th of January", which was the date of the Battle of New Orleans. Jimmy DriftwoodJimmy Driftwood
James Corbitt Morris , known professionally as Jimmy Driftwood or Jimmie Driftwood, was a prolific American folk music songwriter and musician, most famous for his songs "The Battle of New Orleans" and "Tennessee Stud"...
, a school principal in Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
with a passion for history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, set an account of the battle to this music in an attempt to get students interested in learning history. It seemed to work, and Driftwood became well known in the region for his historical songs. He was "discovered" in the late 1950s by Don Warden, and eventually was given a recording contract by RCA, for whom he recorded 12 songs in 1958, including "The Battle of New Orleans".
"The Battle of New Orleans" is often played during North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n sporting events, and is commonly heard during home games of the NHL's Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
.
Original Horton 45 r.p.m. discs of the song are now worth many times the original cost.
Chart performance
| Chart (1960) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 1 |
| Australian Singles Chart | 1 |
| U.K. Singles Chart | 16 |
Covers and remakes
As noted, Johnny Horton's 1959 version is the best-known recording of the song, which omits the mild expletives and many of the historical references of the original. Horton also recorded an alternative version for release in British Commonwealth countries which did not have unfavorable lyrics concerning the British: the word "British" was replaced with "Rebels", along with a few other differences.Many other artists have recorded this song. Notable versions include the following:
- In the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Vaughn MonroeVaughn MonroeVaughn Wilton Monroe was an American baritone singer, trumpeter and big band leader and actor, most popular in the 1940s and 1950s. He has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for recording and radio.-Biography:...
's 1959 single competed with Horton's but did not achieve the same degree of success and became only a minor Hot 100 hit. - In the United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Lonnie Donegan and His Skiffle GroupLonnie DoneganAnthony James "Lonnie" Donegan MBE was a skiffle musician, with more than 20 UK Top 30 hits to his name. He is known as the "King of Skiffle" and is often cited as a large influence on the generation of British musicians who became famous in the 1960s...
's 1959 version competed with Horton's and achieved greater success, peaking at number two. In Donegan's spoken introduction, he made it obvious that the British were on the losing side. - Harpers BizarreHarpers BizarreHarpers Bizarre was an American pop-rock band of the 1960s, best known for their Broadway/Sunshine Pop sound and their remake of Simon & Garfunkel's "The 59th Street Bridge Song ."- Career :...
had a minor Hot 100 hit with their somewhat psychedelic version from their 1968 album Secret Life of Harpers BizarreSecret Life of Harpers BizarreSecret Life of Harpers Bizarre is an album by Harpers Bizarre, released in 1968.Two bonus tracks were added to the 2001 Sundazed CD reissue of this title. They had previously been the two sides of a single: "Both Sides Now" by Joni Mitchell and "Small Talk" by Garry Bonner and Alan Gordon.-Track...
. - Johnny CashJohnny CashJohn R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
's version of the song is on the 1972 album America: A 200-Year Salute in Story and Song. - The Germany-based Les Humphries SingersLes Humphries SingersThe Les Humphries Singers was a 1970s musical group formed in Hamburg, Germany in 1969 by the English born Les Humphries , who had been inspired to do his own version of the Edwin Hawkins Singers.The Les Humphries Singers dissolved at the end of the...
1972 hit, "Mexico", used the melody and parts of the lyrics, violating copyright by crediting the song to British bandleader Les Humphries. - Leon RussellLeon RussellClaude Russell Bridges , known professionally as Leon Russell, is an American musician and songwriter, who has recorded as a session musician, sideman, and maintained a solo career in music....
's cover of the song is on his 1973 album "Hank Wilson's Back!" - Nitty Gritty Dirt BandNitty Gritty Dirt BandThe Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is an American country-folk-rock band that has existed in various forms since its founding in Long Beach, California in 1966. The group's membership has had at least a dozen changes over the years, including a period from 1976 to 1981 when the band performed and recorded...
had a minor Hot 100 hit with their version in 1974. - Commander Cody and his Lost Planet AirmenCommander Cody and His Lost Planet AirmenCommander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen is an American country rock band founded in 1967. Core members included founder George Frayne, John Tichy, Billy C. Farlow, Bill Kirchen, Andy Stein, Paul "Buffalo" Bruce Barlow, Lance Dickerson, and Bobby Black....
played a cover version of the song at their performance in New York, NY, on September 14, 1976. - Dolly PartonDolly PartonDolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
sang the song for her 1976/1977 variety show, Dolly. - Bill HaleyBill Haley & His CometsBill Haley & His Comets was an American rock and roll band that was founded in 1952 and continued until Haley's death in 1981. The band, also known by the names Bill Haley and The Comets and Bill Haley's Comets , was the earliest group of white musicians to bring rock and roll to the attention of...
recorded a version in 1979 at his final recording sessions and it was released on his final album, Everyone Can Rock and Roll. - Perhaps the most unexpected recording is The Mormon Tabernacle Choir's 1991 cover version on their album Songs from America's Heartland. If you listen closely, you can hear people in the audience vomitingVomitingVomiting is the forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose...
at this version. - CornershopCornershopCornershop are a British indie rock band formed in 1991 by Wolverhampton-born Tjinder Singh , his brother Avtar Singh , David Chambers and Ben Ayres , the first three having previously been members of Preston-based band General Havoc, who released one single in 1991...
covered the song as a bonus track for their 2009 album "Judy Sucks a Lemon For Breakfast".
"The Battle of Kookamonga"
Country music parodists Homer and JethroHomer and Jethro
Homer and Jethro were the stage names of American country music duo Henry D. Haynes and Kenneth C. Burns , popular from the 1940s through the 1960s on radio and television for their satirical versions of popular songs...
had a hit when they parodied "The Battle of New Orleans" with their song "The Battle of Kookamonga." The single was released in 1959 and featured production work by Chet Atkins
Chet Atkins
Chester Burton Atkins , known as Chet Atkins, was an American guitarist and record producer who, along with Owen Bradley, created the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country's appeal to adult pop music fans as well.Atkins's picking style, inspired by Merle...
. In this version, the scene shifts from a battleground to a campground, with the combat being changed to the Boy Scouts chasing after the Girl Scouts.
Other parodies
- "The Battle of All Saints Road" by Big Audio DynamiteBig Audio DynamiteBig Audio Dynamite are a British musical group formed in 1984 by the ex-guitarist and singer of the Clash, Mick Jones. The group are noted for their effective mixture of varied musical styles, incorporating elements of punk rock, dance music, hip hop, reggae, and funk...
, 1988. - "The Battle of the Waikato" by Howard Morrison QuartetHoward Morrison QuartetThe Howard Morrison Quartet was a New Zealand band during the 1950s and early 1960s. The band was formed by Sir Howard Morrison and included Gerry Merito, Wi Wharekura and Noel Kingi....
, 1960. - "The Ballad of Hank Williams" by Hank Williams Jr..
- "The Cattle of New Orleans" (Hurricane Katrina) by John ArcherJohn Archer-People:*John Archer *John Archer *John Archer , British politician, first person of African descent elected to public office*John Archer , former U.S...
, 2005. - "The White House Burned (The War of 1812)" by Three Dead Trolls in a BaggieThree Dead Trolls in a BaggieThree Dead Trolls in a Baggie are a Canadian comedy group from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Childhood friends Wes Borg and Joe Bird met actress Cathleen Rootsaert at a weekly Theatre Sports comedy jam to form the initial group. Later, Neil Grahn was recruited...
. - "The Battle of Bannockburn" by The CorriesThe CorriesThe Corries were a Scottish folk group that emerged from the Scottish folk revival of the early 1960s. Although the group was a trio in the early days, it was as the partnership of Roy Williamson and Ronnie Browne that it is best known.-Early years:...
.
External links
- Tom Simon's Battle of New Orleans page
- The Bluegrass Messengers history and recordings
- MIDI file of music (from Louisiana History, which includes Johnny Horton's lyrics)
- Library of Congress page, includes recording of The Eighth of January