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The Southern Girl's Reply

from Am I Born to Die? by The Ghosts of Johnson City

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The melody of this traditional Civil War song is based on the Civil War tune ‘The Bonny Blue Flag’ and details the response of a girl from a southern Confederate family to a northern Union man’s marriage proposal. Apart from the surface-level narrative of the song’s wrenching lyrics, we also get a sense of the reality of life for a young woman in a hellish post-war Victorian atmosphere with its rigidly defined gender roles and, in the case of the south, a defeat-centered sense of collapsed nationalism.



The singer clearly differentiates herself from other ‘happy’ girls, and it could be argued that she puts nationalism over love; she also appears to forgive those responsible for her lover’s and her youngest brother’s deaths by stating she ‘holds no hatred in my heart’ and that ‘many a gallant soldier fell upon the other side’. We think this beautiful lament is sad and defiant, and speaks with a unique and powerful voice from the depths of conflict.

lyrics

I cannot listen to your words, the land's too far and wide

Go seek some happy northern girl to be your loving bride.

My brothers they were soldiers. The youngest of the three

Was slain while fighting by the side of Gen'ral Fitzhugh Lee.



Hurrah! Hurrah! For the sunny south I say

Three cheers for the southern girl

And the boy that wore the gray.



My lover was a soldier, too, he fought at God's command,

A sabre pierced his gallant heart. You might have been the man.

He reeled and fell but was not dead, a horseman spurred his steed

And trampled on his dying brain. You might have done the deed.



They left his body on the field who the fight this day had won,

A horseman spurred him with his heel, you might have been the one.

I hold no hatred in my heart, nor cold nor righteous pride

For many a gallant soldier fell upon the other side.



But still I cannot take the hand that smote my country sore,

Or love the foe that trampled down the colors that she bore.

Between my heart and yours there rose a deep and crimson tide

My lover's and my brother's blood forbid me be your bride.

credits

from Am I Born to Die?, released October 20, 2015

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The Ghosts of Johnson City Portland, Maine

Based in Maine with musical roots in Appalachia and the Deep South, The Ghosts of Johnson City present simple and soulful versions of old mountain music, Civil War songs, coal-mining melodies, disaster chronicles, haunting murder ballads and tunes of love and loss in times of poverty. ... more

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