I grew up listening to Johnny Horton as he was one of my dad's favorite singers. At a very young age I learned a lot about the war of 1812 as well as WWII and the sinking of the Bismark without realizing I was learning actual history! Imagine my surprise as a young girl in school hearing about these wars and being able to sing and recite the accounts because of Johnny Horton! I can't imagine any Brit feeling bad about this song. History is past, gone and what better way to remember the hard times than to poke some good honest fun at it.
Jimmy Driftwood, an Arkansas school principal, wrote this song as a history lesson for his students. Years later. he was "discovered" by Don Warden, who managed Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton. He recorded an album of similar historical lesson songs in 1958. A year later, Johnny Horton recorded his cover and the song shot to #1 on the U.S. Billboard charts. Harri, it reached #16 on the UK charts. Apparently, the War of 1812 has been long fogotten by our British friends. Thanks Louis and Harri!
Well, the British (and I'm American, but 87?% British Isles, note my last name!) call us Yanks, so all's fair in love and war, I guess!! I love the song! So much bombast, but I love it! Please, British cousins, don't hold it against me--I may want to come back to the motherland very shortly, if ya get me...
@@111078buckMt View is glorious, but looking at land sale prices last year or two, I'm afraid in the next decade it's going to change to something unrecognizable to the original. 😢
"Made it up"? There is no reason to have to make up for anything. This was a story of a battle fought with a large force attacking against prepared defenses and getting routed. Even with the weapons of the time, attacking prepared defenses is expensive. Plus, the Brits had a bit of a superiority complex. As it turns out, they were wrong about being able to win the battle. And once routed, their retreat was less than orderly. But, the song relays the basic facts fairly well. Neither side knew that the war was over. And that the battle was unnecessary. So, that was not part of the song.
@@bobmazzi7435’Made it up to’ is a colloquialism for an apology or act of contrition. The poster just means Horton’s Bismarck song was flattering to the British after the New Orleans song was a little insulting. My apologies if you were being humorous.
I have to say that I am 68, American, and was raised on this song...I married a British man and lived in England 22 years...our neighbors would fight alot, so I would make sure and put this song on and play it loud...silly I know, but they quieted down then...lol...I loved all of Johnny Horton's songs...
This occurred during the War of 1812. The British had already burned the White House in Washington DC. They were stopping American ships and taking our sailors. The only problem with the victory was because of distance, the peace treaty was already signed but Jackson didn't know. Mr Horton released this version in 1959.
baskervillebee6097 - It makes no difference when the Treaty of Ghent (ending the War of 1812) was singed. It was not ratified by the United States (and therefore did not take effect) until February 16, 1815. The Battle of New Orleans took place on January 8th, 1815. The United States was still at war with Great Britain.
ThePeaceableKingdom - It makes no difference when the Treaty of Ghent (ending the War of 1812) was singed. It was not ratified by the United States (and therefore did not take effect) until February 16, 1815. The Battle of New Orleans took place on January 8th, 1815. The United States was still at war with Great Britain.
I was born in 1962, Idaho, USA. This song was still playing on the radio when I was a teenager! So much fun to sing along and helped us understand how we became the nation so many of us love! This same Andrew Jackson went on to serve as a US President. He was considered a hero, looking back on him with today's eyes, he has lost much of his shine because of actions taken against Native Americans including The Trail of Tears. I try not to judge too much though as we were not there. God will sort things out in the end. I do feel our government since then has never truly lifted up our Native Americans as they should,.They should be an honored people with great opportunity. Instead most live in serious poverty conditions. It is shameful. Thank you though for bringing up this wonderful song! People want to see others as all good or all bad, when in fact we are all somewhere in between!
I've actually used them to teach. When given a history class on short notice and no lesson plan, a substitute improvises a bit. Play the song and then discuss the battle. Or, Sink the Bismark to discuss the early stages of WW2. Johnny Reb for the Civil war.
@@censorshipsucks9493 The war began in Sept 1939. Bismark had 15 inch guns, same size as most British battleships except Nelson and Rodney which had 16 inch. I've always liked the song, it's just a shame they got so many facts wrong. I guess they had to make it rhyme.
This song was written by Jimmy Driftwood. He was a high school history teacher who wrote songs to teach his students. The melody of this song is an old (maybe Irish) fiddle tune called the Eight of January, which happens to be the date of the Battle.
Jimmy Driftwood wrote this song in 1936. He and his wife lived in Timbo, Arkansas. I got to know him when he was performing at the Mountain View courthouse in the 1960's and 70's. He and Mrs. Driftwood were very nice to me - I was just a teenager. I also sang on the stage - they gave me the nickname of The Yodeling Ridge Runner". I have one of his albums.
I just turned 65 the other other day. And I was 5 or 6 when I heard this song. It's amazing how I remember these old songs. I love all types of music, but the 60s and 70s were the best.
This is a fun song but also has historical truth too. This is about the War of 1812. Ole Hickory was a nickname for Colonel Jackson. The gator part was so funny when I was a child listening to this but this song is a great educational song because it helps you remember the date, the people involved in the war and it’s sang in an easy sing song and rhyming way and it’s great fun to boot! Johnny Horton did great story songs that were also historical. “Comanche,” “Sink The Bismarck,” “Johnny Reb” and then “North To Alaska” is a great song and “I’m A One Woman Man,” there’s so many good ones. If I remember correctly he was killed in a car accident early in life.
Horton had visions of dying in a car accident. He would actually practice driving his car off the road to avoid hitting oncoming cars. Unfortunately he was trapped in his car on a bridge when an oncoming car hit him. His Honky-tonk Man album is a precursor to rockabilly.
One interesting factoid is the the pirate Jean Lafitte teamed up with Andrew Jackson in New Orleans because his men were familiar with the swampy terrain and had access to munitions. Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop/Bar is still in operation in New Orleans French Quarter.
This song was made for fun not to make fun of those who lost their lives.I respect the British immensely!We went through WWI and WWII together and garnered FREEDOM for both of us also for the world.
When my brother and sisters went to Ireland about 20 years ago they were in a pub and the folks were singing lots of different songs. So my family decided to sing this song because the Irish aren't too crazy about the Brits. They absolutely loved it and made them sing it again while they cheered them on. The sad thing about that song is that the battle took place after an armistice had been agreed to a day or two earlier. Back in those days word didn't travel too fast. Shame for the loss of life when the war had already ended.
Johnny Horton is my all-time favorite singer. If you're worried about being "pitted against your American friends", check out his song Sink the Bismark. Horton sang about history. This song was released in 1959.
Back when this was released I was a young kid. We loved it cause it was fun to sing. We didn't know the history or anything. It was just an upbeat fun song. People weren't thin skinned back then. I can't imagine the British caring or being offended. No one was a cry baby.
I was living in England then... and this was only 15 years after the end of WWII. That might explain the lack of thin skin .. they were still recovering.
Number one hit in Chicago and played nonstop on the radio in 1959. Many country singers crossed over in pop radio in the late 50's-early 60's (Marty Robbins, Faron Young, Ferlin Husky to name a few). As probably commented, Johnny Horton had "North to Alaska" and "Sink the Bismarck" likewise big hits. Pop radio was more integrated in musical styles played one after each other on radio stations. Lawrence Welk's " Calcutta" followed by "Waterloo" Stonewall Jackson followed by "Stay" Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs, followed by the Twist, Chubby Checker followed by rockabilly "Shortin Bread" Paul Chaplin. Parents and kids listened to it. something for everybody, no problem. Different world in 59-60. Welk was popular even in the black community although nobody would ever admit it. British Invasion changed everything a few years later.
It was released in 1959. I remember a classmate in the dorm had the record and played it a lot in 1961. I have visited the battlefield during a trip to Louisiana in 1963. Some of the battlefield has been lost over the years as the Mississippi River changed it course (which it does frequently). This was ironically after the war of 1812 (our second war with Great Britain) was settled. The war also gave us the poem that gave us the song The star Spangled Banner. In fact that specific flag still exists at the Smithsonian Institute. That fort, Fort McHenry, is today a historical site. We love our old forts.
@@runningdeer2111 so you've never heard his underground tapes? lol look up "Ni**er hating me" and who wrote and sang it... im old enough to remember the radio chatter about them.
It was written for the John Wayne movie of the same name. It’s basically sets up the beginning of the movie. An incredible comedy with a great cast‼️👀😎👀😎
Hi Harri it's Mick in the UK.. This battle took place on 8th January, 1815 and lasted two hours at the most. In he UK, Johnny Horton's version got to No.16 in the UK charts in 1959, but another cover by Lonnie Donegan hit No.2. We all loved the song back then. Take care Harri, kind regards, Mick.
That makes sense since that was was relatively brief and such a long time ago. I think it is the crazies and nutters that hold such long time grudges. My Dad fought Germans in WWII but he was friends with German-Americans in the USA after the war... I suppose he was like- "It was nothing personal."
It was pretty personal at the time, the pricks even torched the Capitol. This is why James Madison is the only President to directly lead troops in battle while in office. His Wife, Dolly Madison is credited with saving some of our foundational documents such as the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Both before and after this war American and British warships (and occasionally civilian ships) would troll each other when they made contact at sea, usually with insulting messages and slogans. Think of it like a internet flame flame war with much better spelling. By the time this song came out a nearly 150 years had passed. It was the early 1960's and everyone was pretty much over it by then. We still owe them for one capitol sacking but I don't see us collecting on that one anytime soon.
No they made no attempt to retake the COlonies.. This was about the Brits taking US citizen off Merchent ssips to use as crew for their own warships.. Remember they were fighting France and her allies also
@@scotthartman8993 That was one of the causes, but once the war started the British tried to reclaim some territory. And the US tried to seize parts of Canada.
Complete bs. The US declared war on Britain despite Britain making concessions in hopes of avoiding a war. But as the speaker of the American congress said, the Americans wanted to grab Canada and what better time when massively outnumbered Britain was fighting for its life against the dictator, Napoleon. Despite this, the Americans got their backsides thoroughly kicked. They lost battles where the outnumbered the British, Canadians or indigenous peoples 8 to 1. There economy was so bad at the end of the war they defaulted on their debts and despite massive advantages in manpower they were driven out of Canada three times. New Orleans was one of the few battles they won and the song is garabage. The British did not run, and American hid in their entrencments so long they were not even aware when the British left.
I'm an old man who talked with old men as a boy who also talked to old men as boys. Americans of those days thought of the British as a villainous government bound and determined not to honor the peace treaty they had signed. Listen to the story of the Star Spangled Banner to get a better feeling for what happened. Thank God time and alliances got us to a point where the light hearted ballad is the worst we feel about our British cousins
My son married a girl from Ohio and moved to the United States. When the visited fort McKinley. I reminded him that our ansestors were the ones firing the bombs and rockets.
I love that you did a reaction to this song, or ANY Johnny Horton song for that matter. The song is based on a poem written by a school teacher, Jimmy Driftwood in the hopes of giving his students the ability to memorize facts about the pivotal battle that delivered the last stranglehold Great Britain held on this nation. It was the final battle fought between the US and GB, securing the standing of a nation, now free in its own rights. Johnny Horton wrote the music and recorded this song and won a Grammy for it in 1959. He also wrote my 2nd favorite song, "Sink The Bismark" about the German boat of WWII. Sadly, he died in a car accident a year later in 1960. He was one of Johnny Cash's closet friends.
No better way to learn history than with music and humor. I would never know about this battle otherwise and I have this song memorized because my father loved it.
💯%!! Check out Sid Selvidge's "Tell Me Why You Like Roosevelt " from his album "Twice Told Tales". Not sure when it was written, but his is the only recording I've heard. Covers a lot of history in a catchy tune.
My Great, Great, Great grandfather was a Captain of Militia at the Battle of New Orleans. His name is specifically mentioned in a book about Jean LaFitte, Baratarian Pirates, and the Battle itself..
Johnny was Mr. Dynamite! He sang a variety of songs about history and he often featured unforgettable twangy guitar work. My favorite Horton song is "Sink the Bismarck", about the German battleship that terrorized the seas in World War II. The song is perfect -- from the marching drums, the guitars and Johnny's tremendously exciting vocal. Other great songs by Johnny are "Got the Bull by the Horns", "North to Alaska", "Out in New Mexico", "Honky Tonk Man", "I'm Ready if You're Willing", "The Golden Rocket", "Counterfeit Love".
@@bradmaj It was a traffic collision. From Wikipedia: "On the night of Nov. 4-5, 1960, Horton and two other band members, Tommy Tomlinson and Tillman Franks, were traveling from the Skyline Club in Austin, Texas to Shreveport when they collided with an oncoming truck on a bridge near Milano in Milam County, Texas. Horton died en route to the hospital, and Tomlinson (1930-1982) was seriously injured; his leg was later amputated. Franks (1920-2006) suffered head injuries and James Davis, the driver of the truck, sustained a broken ankle and other minor injuries."
I grew up listening to Johnny Horton. My parents has his greatest hits record. I loved his songs even though he was dead long before I was born. My favorite of his is Johnny Reb. You should check it out!
Harri, you might be interested to know that a) this battle occurred AFTER the war of 1812 had been concluded by a peace treaty, but that word hadn't been received yet, b) the US forces were regular a army, militia, and pirates (yes, pirates). Famous pirate Jean Lafitte assembled his crew and they fought with the US forces.
The cannons (and a lot of gunpowder) were supplied by Jean LaFitte, a local pirate. A post-action report by the British surgeon-general showed that a large proportion of fatalities were from rifle balls to the head.
When my brothers and myself were very young, we didn’t much care for history, only music. Our mother bought this album and would play it constantly. We loved it and it improved our love for history to this day. Our mom is a quiet genius.
It came out in the 1950's. I was a little girl. It was a little History lesson and one of the silly songs we listened to from the radio. There were a lot of silly songs back then. Most people loved to sing along to the song from our radios.
Dude I'm 63 and been singing along with Johnny Horton since I was 4-5 years old. Still do. You need to hear "Sink the Bismarck"! And oh so many more! Just absolutely love his music.
I used to sing that around the house when I was like five years old lol I'm 63 now, and I have sang this song to my grandkids, not for the loss of life, but the humor in the song (using an alligator as a cannon) By the way, history lesson, "Ole Hick'ry" or "Old Hickory" was Colonel Andrew Jackson's nickname. He was born just a few miles from where I live.
Haha! I was smiling when he figured out it was a "cheeky" account of what happened. Yeah I remember us laughing at this one growing up, and singing along. Now he needs to listen to "North to Alaska", which is probably my favorite Jonny Horton song.
The song originally had about 30 verses, but they were cut down for the sake of recording. The songwriter was a professor and school teacher from Arkansas. For the record, the Battle was actually fought about two weeks after the peace treaty was signed, but getting the word out was a bit slower back then.
I remember well when this song came out. It was very popular and I don’t remember it being controversial. It was released in 1959 and it got a lot of airplay. I was a teenager at the time. Thanks for the walk down memory lane. 👏👏🥰
Johnny Horton did a song that you'll appreciate, Harri. "Sink the Bismarck" was another song about a war, WWII and the effort to sink a huge battleship that threatened Britain.
The British at this time still tended to fight in the traditional organized method that worked well in Europe. It had made the British army the most powerful and successful in the world. But it did not work against the Americans who had adopted the guerrilla style whenever possible. The British also still wore their bright red uniforms which were easily seen, while the Americans, many of them volunteers and frontiersmen, wore their dull colored clothes which blended into the background. It has been said that it was like shooting fish in a barrel. The Americans ambushed and harassed the British. The death toll for the British was over 2000, for the Americans 71.
And it’s to the tune of the old-time fiddle tune “the 8th of January” which is itself a reference to the battle. A brilliant piece of work by Mr. Driftwood.
Sink the Bismark! and North to Alaska are two other great ones. I think the Brits likely forgave him because of Sink the Bismark! This song included a lot of old Southern humor. 😁😁
While Johnny Horton was mostly known for his historic ballads, he was way underappreciated as a romantic ballad singer with songs like "All for the Love of a Girl" (the flip side of "The Ballad of New Orleans"), "The Mansion You Stole", and "Whispering Pines".
The ironic thing is that the battle was fought after the peace treaty which ended the war was signed, but the news had not reached America. I'm a brit and heard it when I was working in a bar in Seattle in 1972 and laughed and loved it.
petenorton883 - It makes no difference when the Treaty of Ghent (ending the War of 1812) was singed. It was not ratified by the United States (and therefore did not take effect) until February 16, 1815. The Battle of New Orleans took place on January 8th, 1815. The United States was still at war with Great Britain.
This was the final battle of 'The War of 1912. Although the war was over, England wanted to control the mouth of the Mississippi River. This battle was really a true representation of America at the time. There was Andrew Jackson and his men, Backwoods men from the South, a group of Choctaws lead by Chief Pushmataha, from Alabama, and a group of Black men showed up. I also O have a family connection with my 4 Great Grand Father Elijah Pugh. On his way to join up with Andrew Jackson, the chief spent the night in his friend Elijah Pugh's house. Rezin Pugh, [Elijah's son] was a gunsmith and gave Chief Pushmataha a new rifle which he used in the battle. In 25 minutes, England's hope of any control of the United States was over.
The War of 1812 had ended several weeks earlier, with the treaty of Ghent on Christmas Day (1814) - word hadn’t reached them yet. Earlier in 1814, the English sacked Washington DC, attempted to burn it down, but the heavens intervened in the form of either an extremely strong storm front, or possibly a hurricane, which put out the fires, but offered up several tornadoes that killed more English soldiers than the Americans had managed to do. The English marched on to the port of Baltimore, and met up with their entire fleet, which proceeded to bombard the fort guarding the port and city, Ft. McHenry. Despite a full night of bombardment with every canon and rocket they had, when dawn broke, the American Flag still flew over the fort. An American lawyer, Francis Scott Key, who had rowed out to one of the British ships the night before to seek the release of a friend, wrote a poem about the battle, and the flag that still flew called “The Star Spangled Banner”, which of course became the American national anthem. The English, now out of ammunition, sailed away without taking the fort or city. They then decided to try their luck in New Orleans. As for how this was received by the British, for context, this song came out a few years after Disney’s Davy Crockett, which was also popular in England, and even featured Andrew Jackson (Colonel Jackson, “Ol’ Hickory”), though not in the most flattering light. It was from the same time period, and the song has the tone of and perspective as what might be sung by a frontiersman, so it might have gone down better with English kids than you might otherwise have thought.
I grew up just north of New Orleans and in Junior High School we made a class trip the the preserved battle site. It was appalling to see how many markers there were on British side as the park had a map of where each sodier had fallen and placed a white stake in the ground. More than 2,000 dead because their style of fighting meant rows of soldiers in three line: kneeling, standing, and reloading; fire and the next line moves forward. The Americans were behind well-prepared barricades so had few casualties. The British had taken both sides of the Mississippi River and an American fort with cannon directly across from the American position but they were not supported. They had arrived on boats and had had to portage part of the way. The British soldiers were tired when they got to Chalmette and more tired when they got back to their ships. The war had ended a couple of months before but none of the combatants knew that. Earlier in the year, the British had burned down the US Capitol, White House, and other government buildings. No one I know thinks anything negative about the British people and all that history is 'water under the bridge'. I was a kid when this came out along with Sink the Bismark.
It was a song that wasnt intended to be taken seriously. Like a cartoon. The saddest part, a peace treaty had been signed and ratified before the battle happened but the news of peace being declared didnt get to New Orleans until long after the battle was won.
The other strange fact was the Lord Perceval assassination. The new Prime Minister who replaced him, wanted peace, but it was too late for him to stop the war, things were already set in motion...
sweisbrod6109 - It makes no difference when the Treaty of Ghent (ending the War of 1812) was singed. It was not ratified by the United States (and therefore did not take effect) until February 16, 1815. The Battle of New Orleans took place on January 8th, 1815. The United States was still at war with Great Britain.
Stan Jones did the original in 1948. The Ramrods had their instrumental hit in 1961. If you listen to the very end of it you can hear them go into "Apache".
Dude, I'm 51 and had this album on vinyl when I was 5 years old. I guess it was my parents', but I had claimed it and must have played this song a thousand times. I just loved it.
My history teacher in New Orleans back in the late 1960s played this song during class. He said that the “alligator “ part might not have been accurate 😂
It was released in 1959. I remember we used to sing it on the school bus in grade school. The whole bus of kids would join in singing! We used to laugh so hard when we were singing that song! LOL Hey, you guys were the enemy in that war! Remember, we kicked the ass of the biggest military in the world, not once...but TWICE! Americans are deeply proud people. But, keep in mind, we are friends and allies now. We've solved the problems and petty squabbles between each other since then. Today, we will put our lives on the line to protect our mother country.
this song is old enough to draw social security, back in those days we(america) didn't care who we pissed off. most of the rest of the world was still grateful that america had saved their arses from Hitler.
I'm 66 years old, and this song helped me remember our lessons. I recall it to this day, even showing my grandson when it came up in his history class. He loved it, and took it to class go play for everyone. It was a huge hit!
Johnny was taken from us in the prime of his life and career. Now you have to listen to is most beautiful ballad voice, such as The Mansion Ou Stole, SO BEAUTIFUL. Also, When It’s Springtime In Alaska
It was a once sided battle, the Brits did not bring any artillery and just charged the walls. I have ancestors who fought in that battle on the American side.
I am 65 years old. I loved to sing along with this song as a kid. Never heard any controversy between us and the Brits. However, back then, we didn’t receive news or events as quickly as we do these days.
This was actually performed on British telly around 1960. It was regarded as a bit of silliness. That's the way we digest history. Sometimes it's patriotic, sometimes it's sentimental, sometimes it's a joke.
In 1972 I was stationed in Scotland and I played this song. When my landlord heard it he told me to turn it off. He told me that the song was illegal to play it.
I’m 71, and first heard the tune with way different words, Louisiana Man, on an album by Harpers Bizarre in the ‘67. They covered The Battle Of New Orleans on another album a year later.
First time I heard this song was back in the mid 60s, I must have been around 7 or 8 years old. I had the 45 record. I played it over and over again. Til this day I still remember the lyrics. I'm from Texas.
When i was in the Navy during the Vietnam war we stopped at Hong Kong on our way over there...and at the time Hong Kong was under British rule ..in the clubs jukebox the song never said bloody British they said bloody rebels..but when that part came along the American sailor would yell out Bloody British and the British sailor weren't to happy about it...we just buy them another round and all would be cool...we both were fighting the same war...
Mom had this Reader's DIgest Collection of multiple LP Records of greatest hits back in the 1970s, and this song was in the inventory. My brother and I as children played it over and over again on the record player, picking up the needle and setting it back to the beginning groove to play it again, and memorized the lyrics and would sing it while riding in the car, and would try to sing it as fast as we could. Nothing but good memories and the song taught us to take pride in the South where we lived and in our Country, the USA.
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Watch Aretha Franklin make Tony Bennett cry in this amazing duet!
That war was long ago when this song came out in early 60's
Hillbilly. I ain't agonna say a blame thang cept they should'a looked up if they didn't wanna any holes in those coats.
No alligators were harmed during the making of this song.
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Thats the part that everybody remembers
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Here's your answer my friend.. it was the # 1 song in America for all of 1959 😄
No one was offended back then.
Getting offended is a modern thing. Makes you weaker.
@@roseforget881 Really, let me see what offends me this week . . . yes, that will do nicely. . . .
I'm 70, been singing this song since forever. Thanks for the memories. 😎😎😎😎
Yeah, I'm 74 & I've known it for what seems like forever too.
Me too.
me three...
Yeah, me too. We had the 45, so like every day whenever we wanted along with the original version of "I Hear You Knockin'."
I'm also 70. Old Far..., ehr, Dudes [keep it family friendly on this public forum] still rock. -- ✌👤
I grew up listening to Johnny Horton as he was one of my dad's favorite singers. At a very young age I learned a lot about the war of 1812 as well as WWII and the sinking of the Bismark without realizing I was learning actual history! Imagine my surprise as a young girl in school hearing about these wars and being able to sing and recite the accounts because of Johnny Horton! I can't imagine any Brit feeling bad about this song. History is past, gone and what better way to remember the hard times than to poke some good honest fun at it.
My dad too had the record loved it when my dad played it
I agree with you 100% and I'm British. :)
Horton did a version of the song with lyrics to ease the Limey's pain. I have posted it here.
Jimmy Driftwood, an Arkansas school principal, wrote this song as a history lesson for his students. Years later. he was "discovered" by Don Warden, who managed Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton. He recorded an album of similar historical lesson songs in 1958. A year later, Johnny Horton recorded his cover and the song shot to #1 on the U.S. Billboard charts. Harri, it reached #16 on the UK charts. Apparently, the War of 1812 has been long fogotten by our British friends. Thanks Louis and Harri!
Was lucky enough to be around jimmy as a kid and even up on his stage in mtn view in early 80’s
Cool, very interesting. Thanks for the info. 🖖❤
Well, the British (and I'm American, but 87?% British Isles, note my last name!) call us Yanks, so all's fair in love and war, I guess!! I love the song! So much bombast, but I love it!
Please, British cousins, don't hold it against me--I may want to come back to the motherland very shortly, if ya get me...
@@111078buckMt View is glorious, but looking at land sale prices last year or two, I'm afraid in the next decade it's going to change to something unrecognizable to the original. 😢
The war had been over for 2 weeks already when this happened.
I am 68. As a child, whenever we had a family reunion, the fiddles and guitars would come out. This song was invariably played.
I'm 30, from the foothills of Tennessee. Any time there's a get together, instruments come out, shoes are put on, and the dancing begins 😂😂
He made it up to the British with his song "Sink the Bismarck". Another good one.
Johnny Reb is another great Song by Johnny Horton
Sabaton should cover a couple of Johnny Horton songs .
"Made it up"? There is no reason to have to make up for anything. This was a story of a battle fought with a large force attacking against prepared defenses and getting routed. Even with the weapons of the time, attacking prepared defenses is expensive. Plus, the Brits had a bit of a superiority complex. As it turns out, they were wrong about being able to win the battle. And once routed, their retreat was less than orderly. But, the song relays the basic facts fairly well. Neither side knew that the war was over. And that the battle was unnecessary. So, that was not part of the song.
@@bobmazzi7435’Made it up to’ is a colloquialism for an apology or act of contrition. The poster just means Horton’s Bismarck song was flattering to the British after the New Orleans song was a little insulting.
My apologies if you were being humorous.
Great song too
I have to say that I am 68, American, and was raised on this song...I married a British man and lived in England 22 years...our neighbors would fight alot, so I would make sure and put this song on and play it loud...silly I know, but they quieted down then...lol...I loved all of Johnny Horton's songs...
I'm the same age and Canadian and we heard this song in grade school. I still remember most of the lyrics and the chorus.
This occurred during the War of 1812. The British had already burned the White House in Washington DC. They were stopping American ships and taking our sailors. The only problem with the victory was because of distance, the peace treaty was already signed but Jackson didn't know.
Mr Horton released this version in 1959.
Aye3. That's it. The war was already over, but they didn't know.
Britain was fighting France at the same time .
@@victorwaddell6530
Much to our advantage. They were busy elswhere.
baskervillebee6097 -
It makes no difference when the Treaty of Ghent (ending the War of 1812) was singed. It was not ratified by the United States (and therefore did not take effect) until February 16, 1815. The Battle of New Orleans took place on January 8th, 1815. The United States was still at war with Great Britain.
ThePeaceableKingdom -
It makes no difference when the Treaty of Ghent (ending the War of 1812) was singed. It was not ratified by the United States (and therefore did not take effect) until February 16, 1815. The Battle of New Orleans took place on January 8th, 1815. The United States was still at war with Great Britain.
This song was released April 6, 1959.
Johnny Horton was a master of ballads.
On my birthday when I turned 12. Johnny was great.
"Whispering Pines" and "North, to Alaska" are two more classics from Johnny Horton.❤😊
Good choices!
Thanks 😊
Used to love North, to Alaska, thanks for the reminder Julie. ❤️❤️🇨🇦🇨🇦
@@marybaillie8907 💖💖💖
@marybaillie8907 As a child I thought it was Elvis Presley singing "North to Alaska " 😅
I was born in 1962, Idaho, USA. This song was still playing on the radio when I was a teenager! So much fun to sing along and helped us understand how we became the nation so many of us love! This same Andrew Jackson went on to serve as a US President. He was considered a hero, looking back on him with today's eyes, he has lost much of his shine because of actions taken against Native Americans including The Trail of Tears. I try not to judge too much though as we were not there. God will sort things out in the end. I do feel our government since then has never truly lifted up our Native Americans as they should,.They should be an honored people with great opportunity. Instead most live in serious poverty conditions. It is shameful. Thank you though for bringing up this wonderful song! People want to see others as all good or all bad, when in fact we are all somewhere in between!
Johnny Horton's songs are a like a musical history class.
I've actually used them to teach. When given a history class on short notice and no lesson plan, a substitute improvises a bit. Play the song and then discuss the battle. Or, Sink the Bismark to discuss the early stages of WW2. Johnny Reb for the Civil war.
A few of them . Now there's a Swedish Band called Sabaton They are the modern History teacher in their songs.
Loved North to Alaska
Johnny Horton was also called the Singing American. His Love for America was shown through his words.
Sink the Bismarck
The British fared better in that song.
Yes, please listen to this one. It’s great
Absolutely
In May of 1941 the war had just begun.
The Germans had the biggest ship that had the biggest guns.....
@@censorshipsucks9493 The war began in Sept 1939. Bismark had 15 inch guns, same size as most British battleships except Nelson and Rodney which had 16 inch. I've always liked the song, it's just a shame they got so many facts wrong. I guess they had to make it rhyme.
This song was written by Jimmy Driftwood. He was a high school history teacher who wrote songs to teach his students. The melody of this song is an old (maybe Irish) fiddle tune called the Eight of January, which happens to be the date of the Battle.
I understood that the original music, with a much faster tempo, was written as a tribute to the battle.
Jimmy Driftwood wrote this song in 1936. He and his wife lived in Timbo, Arkansas. I got to know him when he was performing at the Mountain View courthouse in the 1960's and 70's.
He and Mrs. Driftwood were very nice to me - I was just a teenager. I also sang on the stage - they gave me the nickname of The Yodeling Ridge Runner". I have one of his albums.
I am 66 years old and I loved this song when I was very little!
Me too! We listened and tried to memorize it. This isn't the version we had but still good.
Class of 76!
I just turned 65 the other other day. And I was 5 or 6 when I heard this song. It's amazing how I remember these old songs. I love all types of music, but the 60s and 70s were the best.
This is a fun song but also has historical truth too. This is about the War of 1812. Ole Hickory was a nickname for Colonel Jackson. The gator part was so funny when I was a child listening to this but this song is a great educational song because it helps you remember the date, the people involved in the war and it’s sang in an easy sing song and rhyming way and it’s great fun to boot! Johnny Horton did great story songs that were also historical. “Comanche,” “Sink The Bismarck,” “Johnny Reb” and then “North To Alaska” is a great song and “I’m A One Woman Man,” there’s so many good ones. If I remember correctly he was killed in a car accident early in life.
Horton had visions of dying in a car accident. He would actually practice driving his car off the road to avoid hitting oncoming cars. Unfortunately he was trapped in his car on a bridge when an oncoming car hit him. His Honky-tonk Man album is a precursor to rockabilly.
One interesting factoid is the the pirate Jean Lafitte teamed up with Andrew Jackson in New Orleans because his men were familiar with the swampy terrain and had access to munitions. Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop/Bar is still in operation in New Orleans French Quarter.
Jean LaFitte is the real hero of the battle of New Orleans
Yeah the story is told how one or more of Lafitte's men acted as spotters for the artillery pieces to place devastating fire on the British lines
This song was made for fun not to make fun of those who lost their lives.I respect the British immensely!We went through WWI and WWII together and garnered FREEDOM for both of us also for the world.
Well said ❤😊
When my brother and sisters went to Ireland about 20 years ago they were in a pub and the folks were singing lots of different songs. So my family decided to sing this song because the Irish aren't too crazy about the Brits. They absolutely loved it and made them sing it again while they cheered them on. The sad thing about that song is that the battle took place after an armistice had been agreed to a day or two earlier. Back in those days word didn't travel too fast. Shame for the loss of life when the war had already ended.
🥲😇🙏
That pub wasn't called the "Prancing Pony " was it-sounds like a scene from the "Lord Of The Rings"
to be fair, if the brits won, they would have probably went back on the treaty...
don’t think too much of the yanks either , we call them plastic irish being there’s no irish blood line left in america
Johnny Horton is my all-time favorite singer. If you're worried about being "pitted against your American friends", check out his song Sink the Bismark. Horton sang about history. This song was released in 1959.
Back when this was released I was a young kid. We loved it cause it was fun to sing. We didn't know the history or anything. It was just an upbeat fun song. People weren't thin skinned back then. I can't imagine the British caring or being offended. No one was a cry baby.
I was living in England then... and this was only 15 years after the end of WWII. That might explain the lack of thin skin .. they were still recovering.
Yup, me too. Do you remember "Swamp Fox" ?
Lonnie Donnegan covered it in the UK.
Number one hit in Chicago and played nonstop on the radio in 1959. Many country singers crossed over in pop radio in the late 50's-early 60's (Marty Robbins, Faron Young, Ferlin Husky to name a few). As probably commented, Johnny Horton had "North to Alaska" and "Sink the Bismarck" likewise big hits. Pop radio was more integrated in musical styles played one after each other on radio stations. Lawrence Welk's " Calcutta" followed by "Waterloo" Stonewall Jackson followed by "Stay" Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs, followed by the Twist, Chubby Checker followed by rockabilly "Shortin Bread" Paul Chaplin. Parents and kids listened to it. something for everybody, no problem. Different world in 59-60. Welk was popular even in the black community although nobody would ever admit it. British Invasion changed everything a few years later.
Growing up in Louisiana we learned this song early. 60 years later I still know the lyrics 😊
Me too!
Same here
Ditto!
I used to know all Johnny Horton's songs.
Sink the Bismarck, Hole in my piroughe...
North to Alaska...
Late 60's, early 70's..
Same!
It was released in 1959. I remember a classmate in the dorm had the record and played it a lot in 1961. I have visited the battlefield during a trip to Louisiana in 1963. Some of the battlefield has been lost over the years as the Mississippi River changed it course (which it does frequently).
This was ironically after the war of 1812 (our second war with Great Britain) was settled. The war also gave us the poem that gave us the song The star Spangled Banner. In fact that specific flag still exists at the Smithsonian Institute. That fort, Fort McHenry, is today a historical site. We love our old forts.
Johnny Horton should be in the Country Music Hall of Fame! Great reaction Harri
he never was because of his racist music, it was a different time but not acceptable.
@@southernfury01 what songs are racist?
Yes he should be, I’m surprised he’s not. None of his music was racist. What a bunch of BS! He was a great singer & song writer!
@@runningdeer2111 so you've never heard his underground tapes? lol look up "Ni**er hating me" and who wrote and sang it... im old enough to remember the radio chatter about them.
@@dsusan17 go look up "Ni***r hating me" and see who the singer and writer of it was
As a kid from Louisiana, I know every lyric to this song by heart
my favorite of his is "North To Alaska"
I love that song! Not least because I grew up in Seattle.
And whispering pines. Beautiful
It was written for the John Wayne movie of the same name. It’s basically sets up the beginning of the movie. An incredible comedy with a great cast‼️👀😎👀😎
Saw Johnny Horton in person in late 1960s, working as an usher at a rodeo, Aksarben arena in Omaha NE. he sang North to Alaska. Loved his songs.
@@robertwall1419GREAT MOVIE, John Wayne and Farley Grainger, good clean comedy!
Willy Horton did a lot of 'story' epics and historical ones as well. "North to Alaska" comes to mind.
Hi Harri it's Mick in the UK.. This battle took place on 8th January, 1815 and lasted two hours at the most. In he UK, Johnny Horton's version got to No.16 in the UK charts in 1959, but another cover by Lonnie Donegan hit No.2. We all loved the song back then. Take care Harri, kind regards, Mick.
Appreciate that info from the other side of the pond!
That makes sense since that was was relatively brief and such a long time ago. I think it is the crazies and nutters that hold such long time grudges. My Dad fought Germans in WWII but he was friends with German-Americans in the USA after the war... I suppose he was like- "It was nothing personal."
It was pretty personal at the time, the pricks even torched the Capitol. This is why James Madison is the only President to directly lead troops in battle while in office. His Wife, Dolly Madison is credited with saving some of our foundational documents such as the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Both before and after this war American and British warships (and occasionally civilian ships) would troll each other when they made contact at sea, usually with insulting messages and slogans. Think of it like a internet flame flame war with much better spelling.
By the time this song came out a nearly 150 years had passed. It was the early 1960's and everyone was pretty much over it by then. We still owe them for one capitol sacking but I don't see us collecting on that one anytime soon.
I believe the war had ended before this battle. But communication was not as fast back then.
@@emptyhand777 True.
You're a good sport for listening to this one. TY
It's about the War of 1812 when the Brits invaded the newly formed USA and tried to take back the colonies.
No they made no attempt to retake the COlonies.. This was about the Brits taking US citizen off Merchent ssips to use as crew for their own warships.. Remember they were fighting France and her allies also
@@scotthartman8993 No they invaded the US and burned down Washington DC and payed Native tribes to fight on their side, and also invaded from Canada
@@scotthartman8993yep!! They were stopping American ships and taking men for their navy,claiming they were British deserters.
@@scotthartman8993 That was one of the causes, but once the war started the British tried to reclaim some territory. And the US tried to seize parts of Canada.
Complete bs. The US declared war on Britain despite Britain making concessions in hopes of avoiding a war. But as the speaker of the American congress said, the Americans wanted to grab Canada and what better time when massively outnumbered Britain was fighting for its life against the dictator, Napoleon. Despite this, the Americans got their backsides thoroughly kicked. They lost battles where the outnumbered the British, Canadians or indigenous peoples 8 to 1. There economy was so bad at the end of the war they defaulted on their debts and despite massive advantages in manpower they were driven out of Canada three times. New Orleans was one of the few battles they won and the song is garabage. The British did not run, and American hid in their entrencments so long they were not even aware when the British left.
I'm an old man who talked with old men as a boy who also talked to old men as boys. Americans of those days thought of the British as a villainous government bound and determined not to honor the peace treaty they had signed. Listen to the story of the Star Spangled Banner to get a better feeling for what happened. Thank God time and alliances got us to a point where the light hearted ballad is the worst we feel about our British cousins
My son married a girl from Ohio and moved to the United States. When the visited fort McKinley. I reminded him that our ansestors were the ones firing the bombs and rockets.
This is one of my favorite songs as a young girl. Still know all the words. ❤
Same here ❤😊
ditto
I love that you did a reaction to this song, or ANY Johnny Horton song for that matter. The song is based on a poem written by a school teacher, Jimmy Driftwood in the hopes of giving his students the ability to memorize facts about the pivotal battle that delivered the last stranglehold Great Britain held on this nation. It was the final battle fought between the US and GB, securing the standing of a nation, now free in its own rights.
Johnny Horton wrote the music and recorded this song and won a Grammy for it in 1959. He also wrote my 2nd favorite song, "Sink The Bismark" about the German boat of WWII. Sadly, he died in a car accident a year later in 1960. He was one of Johnny Cash's closet friends.
No better way to learn history than with music and humor. I would never know about this battle otherwise and I have this song memorized because my father loved it.
💯%!!
Check out Sid Selvidge's "Tell Me Why You Like Roosevelt " from his album "Twice Told Tales". Not sure when it was written, but his is the only recording I've heard. Covers a lot of history in a catchy tune.
So many doesn't realize that "The Battle of New Orleans" while it's a bit historical, is also satirical at the same time.
My Great, Great, Great grandfather was a Captain of Militia at the Battle of New Orleans. His name is specifically mentioned in a book about Jean LaFitte, Baratarian Pirates, and the Battle itself..
Johnny was Mr. Dynamite! He sang a variety of songs about history and he often featured unforgettable twangy guitar work. My favorite Horton song is "Sink the Bismarck", about the German battleship that terrorized the seas in World War II. The song is perfect -- from the marching drums, the guitars and Johnny's tremendously exciting vocal. Other great songs by Johnny are "Got the Bull by the Horns", "North to Alaska", "Out in New Mexico", "Honky Tonk Man", "I'm Ready if You're Willing", "The Golden Rocket", "Counterfeit Love".
Then died crossing the street after a concert.
@@bradmaj It was a traffic collision. From Wikipedia: "On the night of Nov. 4-5, 1960, Horton and two other band members, Tommy Tomlinson and Tillman Franks, were traveling from the Skyline Club in Austin, Texas to Shreveport when they collided with an oncoming truck on a bridge near Milano in Milam County, Texas. Horton died en route to the hospital, and Tomlinson (1930-1982) was seriously injured; his leg was later amputated. Franks (1920-2006) suffered head injuries and James Davis, the driver of the truck, sustained a broken ankle and other minor injuries."
I'm 67 and that song helped me to remember dates, names and places in my history classes.
I grew up hearing his Greatest Hits. Loved this song as a kid. He died young, as I recall.
Johnny Horton was killed in 1960 in an automobile accident, at the age of 35.
I grew up listening to Johnny Horton. My parents has his greatest hits record. I loved his songs even though he was dead long before I was born. My favorite of his is Johnny Reb. You should check it out!
Harri, you might be interested to know that a) this battle occurred AFTER the war of 1812 had been concluded by a peace treaty, but that word hadn't been received yet, b) the US forces were regular a army, militia, and pirates (yes, pirates). Famous pirate Jean Lafitte assembled his crew and they fought with the US forces.
Hello Harry. We sang this song in music class in 7th grade.
Jonny Horton had a song that honored your countrymen, "Sink the Bismarck". It is a great song.
The cannons (and a lot of gunpowder) were supplied by Jean LaFitte, a local pirate. A post-action report by the British surgeon-general showed that a large proportion of fatalities were from rifle balls to the head.
This was before School House Rock, when songs taught us history lessons, lol
Now there's Sabaton,Power Wolf,Serenity, Civil War.
I heard this song first at my grandpa's house in the late 70's. Good memories.
When my brothers and myself were very young, we didn’t much care for history, only music. Our mother bought this album and would play it constantly. We loved it and it improved our love for history to this day. Our mom is a quiet genius.
It came out in the 1950's. I was a little girl. It was a little History lesson and one of the silly songs we listened to from the radio. There were a lot of silly songs back then. Most people loved to sing along to the song from our radios.
I LOVE Johnny Horton! He has a couple really good ones! Try Sink the Bismarck next! 🙌💕
Dude I'm 63 and been singing along with Johnny Horton since I was 4-5 years old. Still do. You need to hear "Sink the Bismarck"!
And oh so many more! Just absolutely love his music.
I used to sing that around the house when I was like five years old lol I'm 63 now, and I have sang this song to my grandkids, not for the loss of life, but the humor in the song (using an alligator as a cannon) By the way, history lesson, "Ole Hick'ry" or "Old Hickory" was Colonel Andrew Jackson's nickname. He was born just a few miles from where I live.
Haha! I was smiling when he figured out it was a "cheeky" account of what happened. Yeah I remember us laughing at this one growing up, and singing along. Now he needs to listen to "North to Alaska", which is probably my favorite Jonny Horton song.
The song originally had about 30 verses, but they were cut down for the sake of recording. The songwriter was a professor and school teacher from Arkansas. For the record, the Battle was actually fought about two weeks after the peace treaty was signed, but getting the word out was a bit slower back then.
I remember well when this song came out. It was very popular and I don’t remember it being controversial. It was released in 1959 and it got a lot of airplay. I was a teenager at the time. Thanks for the walk down memory lane. 👏👏🥰
Johnny Horton did a song that you'll appreciate, Harri. "Sink the Bismarck" was another song about a war, WWII and the effort to sink a huge battleship that threatened Britain.
Love this song and still know it word for word. Thanks Louis and Harri.
Same, word for word. A glimpse into our childhood, such a joyous time. ❤❤
I do too
Ive heard this since i was a child! So glad you played it!
wow, brings me back to being a little kid in the very early 60's, I love the gator losing his mind...lol
This song was no. 1 on the billboard charts the week I was born July 9, 1959 in America.
The British at this time still tended to fight in the traditional organized method that worked well in Europe. It had made the British army the most powerful and successful in the world. But it did not work against the Americans who had adopted the guerrilla style whenever possible. The British also still wore their bright red uniforms which were easily seen, while the Americans, many of them volunteers and frontiersmen, wore their dull colored clothes which blended into the background. It has been said that it was like shooting fish in a barrel. The Americans ambushed and harassed the British. The death toll for the British was over 2000, for the Americans 71.
Oh, wow. I always heard this as a folk song and never thought more about it. Nice to put some perspective to it.
And it’s to the tune of the old-time fiddle tune “the 8th of January” which is itself a reference to the battle. A brilliant piece of work by Mr. Driftwood.
Sink the Bismark! and North to Alaska are two other great ones. I think the Brits likely forgave him because of Sink the Bismark! This song included a lot of old Southern humor. 😁😁
Also P.T. 109--It's hard to get the best of a man named John...
as a kid in the 60's my dad was a Johnny Horton fan and the lyrics to this song are still in my head
Very catchy song! Always liked it!
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ all Johnny Horton songs!!!
While Johnny Horton was mostly known for his historic ballads, he was way underappreciated as a romantic ballad singer with songs like "All for the Love of a Girl" (the flip side of "The Ballad of New Orleans"), "The Mansion You Stole", and "Whispering Pines".
The ironic thing is that the battle was fought after the peace treaty which ended the war was signed, but the news had not reached America.
I'm a brit and heard it when I was working in a bar in Seattle in 1972 and laughed and loved it.
petenorton883 -
It makes no difference when the Treaty of Ghent (ending the War of 1812) was singed. It was not ratified by the United States (and therefore did not take effect) until February 16, 1815. The Battle of New Orleans took place on January 8th, 1815. The United States was still at war with Great Britain.
This was the final battle of 'The War of 1912. Although the war was over, England wanted to control the mouth of the Mississippi River. This battle was really a true representation of America at the time. There was Andrew Jackson and his men, Backwoods men from the South, a group of Choctaws lead by Chief Pushmataha, from Alabama, and a group of Black men showed up. I also O have a family connection with my 4 Great Grand Father Elijah Pugh. On his way to join up with Andrew Jackson, the chief spent the night in his friend Elijah Pugh's house. Rezin Pugh, [Elijah's son] was a gunsmith and gave Chief Pushmataha a new rifle which he used in the battle. In 25 minutes, England's hope of any control of the United States was over.
Johnny Horton had the very unique distinction of being friends with Hank Williams, Sr., Elvis Presley, and Johnny Cash.
He married Hank Williams' widow, Billie Jean, in 1953.
Cool 😎 ❤
@@marxlover100 Then she was Johnny's widow
Johnny Cash dedicated his rendition of "When it's Springtime in Alaska" to Johnny Horton.
The War of 1812 had ended several weeks earlier, with the treaty of Ghent on Christmas Day (1814) - word hadn’t reached them yet. Earlier in 1814, the English sacked Washington DC, attempted to burn it down, but the heavens intervened in the form of either an extremely strong storm front, or possibly a hurricane, which put out the fires, but offered up several tornadoes that killed more English soldiers than the Americans had managed to do.
The English marched on to the port of Baltimore, and met up with their entire fleet, which proceeded to bombard the fort guarding the port and city, Ft. McHenry. Despite a full night of bombardment with every canon and rocket they had, when dawn broke, the American Flag still flew over the fort. An American lawyer, Francis Scott Key, who had rowed out to one of the British ships the night before to seek the release of a friend, wrote a poem about the battle, and the flag that still flew called “The Star Spangled Banner”, which of course became the American national anthem. The English, now out of ammunition, sailed away without taking the fort or city. They then decided to try their luck in New Orleans.
As for how this was received by the British, for context, this song came out a few years after Disney’s Davy Crockett, which was also popular in England, and even featured Andrew Jackson (Colonel Jackson, “Ol’ Hickory”), though not in the most flattering light. It was from the same time period, and the song has the tone of and perspective as what might be sung by a frontiersman, so it might have gone down better with English kids than you might otherwise have thought.
I grew up just north of New Orleans and in Junior High School we made a class trip the the preserved battle site. It was appalling to see how many markers there were on British side as the park had a map of where each sodier had fallen and placed a white stake in the ground. More than 2,000 dead because their style of fighting meant rows of soldiers in three line: kneeling, standing, and reloading; fire and the next line moves forward. The Americans were behind well-prepared barricades so had few casualties. The British had taken both sides of the Mississippi River and an American fort with cannon directly across from the American position but they were not supported. They had arrived on boats and had had to portage part of the way. The British soldiers were tired when they got to Chalmette and more tired when they got back to their ships. The war had ended a couple of months before but none of the combatants knew that. Earlier in the year, the British had burned down the US Capitol, White House, and other government buildings. No one I know thinks anything negative about the British people and all that history is 'water under the bridge'. I was a kid when this came out along with Sink the Bismark.
It was a song that wasnt intended to be taken seriously.
Like a cartoon.
The saddest part, a peace treaty had been signed and ratified before the battle happened but the news of peace being declared didnt get to New Orleans until long after the battle was won.
The other strange fact was the Lord Perceval assassination. The new Prime Minister who replaced him, wanted peace, but it was too late for him to stop the war, things were already set in motion...
sweisbrod6109 -
It makes no difference when the Treaty of Ghent (ending the War of 1812) was singed. It was not ratified by the United States (and therefore did not take effect) until February 16, 1815. The Battle of New Orleans took place on January 8th, 1815. The United States was still at war with Great Britain.
John Cash, "Ghost riders in the sky," another great story telling song. You'll appreciate it. Love your reactions. Gods speed. Peace.
Stan Jones did the original in 1948. The Ramrods had their instrumental hit in 1961. If you listen to the very end of it you can hear them go into "Apache".
Dude, I'm 51 and had this album on vinyl when I was 5 years old. I guess it was my parents', but I had claimed it and must have played this song a thousand times. I just loved it.
I am 54 and grew up listening to this song ❤
I was a kid and lived in New Orleans when this was released. We loved it
When I was growing up in America in the 1960's, this song came out and my parents had his album.
My history teacher in New Orleans back in the late 1960s played this song during class. He said that the “alligator “ part might not have been accurate 😂
They actually used crocodiles instead so as not to hurt any animals native to the United States.
Released vin 1958. I have been listening to this lately. Johnny Horton wrote other songs with historical basis.
The British Must’ve had a sense of humor about it hit number two on the charts
They realized it was also satirical.
It was released in 1959. I remember we used to sing it on the school bus in grade school. The whole bus of kids would join in singing! We used to laugh so hard when we were singing that song! LOL Hey, you guys were the enemy in that war! Remember, we kicked the ass of the biggest military in the world, not once...but TWICE! Americans are deeply proud people. But, keep in mind, we are friends and allies now. We've solved the problems and petty squabbles between each other since then. Today, we will put our lives on the line to protect our mother country.
this song is old enough to draw social security, back in those days we(america) didn't care who we pissed off. most of the rest of the world was still grateful that america had saved their arses from Hitler.
...and how soon Americans forget that our recent ancestors who fought and died in WWII were fighting fascisism. They were the original ANTIFA.
I'm 66 years old, and this song helped me remember our lessons. I recall it to this day, even showing my grandson when it came up in his history class. He loved it, and took it to class go play for everyone. It was a huge hit!
He also did a song about the sinking of the Bismark
Johnny was taken from us in the prime of his life and career. Now you have to listen to is most beautiful ballad voice, such as The Mansion Ou Stole, SO BEAUTIFUL. Also, When It’s Springtime In Alaska
It was a once sided battle, the Brits did not bring any artillery and just charged the walls. I have ancestors who fought in that battle on the American side.
I'm 75 and I remember this song being popular on the radio and I used to sing it. We loved it. And, yes, it was history. The Battle of 1812.
I am 65 years old. I loved to sing along with this song as a kid. Never heard any controversy between us and the Brits. However, back then, we didn’t receive news or events as quickly as we do these days.
ONG!! We used to sing this back in the 1960s. Never knew all the words, just the chorus.
I had trouble remembering how to spell as a child; but I knew every word to this song as us kids would sing along , good times with my cousins 💕
This was actually performed on British telly around 1960. It was regarded as a bit of silliness. That's the way we digest history. Sometimes it's patriotic, sometimes it's sentimental, sometimes it's a joke.
I'm from South Louisiana just an hour north of New Orleans and the story has been told for years. I'm from British stock but I'm all American.
the battle was in Chalmette
The tune is an old mountain fiddle tune called "Eighth of January," the day of the Battle of New Orleans.
In 1972 I was stationed in Scotland and I played this song. When my landlord heard it he told me to turn it off. He told me that the song was illegal to play it.
I’m 71, and first heard the tune with way different words, Louisiana Man, on an album by Harpers Bizarre in the ‘67. They covered The Battle Of New Orleans on another album a year later.
It was the War of 1812. Andrew Jackson('Old Hickory')became a nation hero as a result of this battle. He later became U.S. President in 1829.
And a genocidal war criminal, but let's not go there...
First time I heard this song was back in the mid 60s, I must have been around 7 or 8 years old. I had the 45 record. I played it over and over again. Til this day I still remember the lyrics. I'm from Texas.
When i was in the Navy during the Vietnam war we stopped at Hong Kong on our way over there...and at the time Hong Kong was under British rule ..in the clubs jukebox the song never said bloody British they said bloody rebels..but when that part came along the American sailor would yell out Bloody British and the British sailor weren't to happy about it...we just buy them another round and all would be cool...we both were fighting the same war...
@richiegangemi5258 thank you for your service.❤
The jukebox must have had the British version of this song. Johnny recorded a version for the U.S. and a version for Great Britain.
@@marxlover100 exactly
Mom had this Reader's DIgest Collection of multiple LP Records of greatest hits back in the 1970s, and this song was in the inventory. My brother and I as children played it over and over again on the record player, picking up the needle and setting it back to the beginning groove to play it again, and memorized the lyrics and would sing it while riding in the car, and would try to sing it as fast as we could. Nothing but good memories and the song taught us to take pride in the South where we lived and in our Country, the USA.