"Tramp! Tramp! Tramp! (The Prisoner's Hope)" was one of the most popular songs of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. George F. Root wrote both the words and music and published it in 1864 to give hope to the Union prisoners of war. The song is written from the prisoner's point of view. The chorus tells his fellow prisoners that hope is coming. A Confederate version and various other versions have been made.

Lyrics

Confederate lyrics

In addition to the original version, soldiers of the

Confederate States of America The Confederate States of America (CSA), also known as the Confederate States (C.S.), the Confederacy, or Dixieland, was an List of historical unrecognized states and dependencies, unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United State ...

made their own lyrics to the tune. The Confederate lyrics revolve around General Lee's Army of Northern Virginia invading Pennsylvania, following which prisoners held in Northern prison camps shall be liberated.

Versions

The song has been parodied and the melody has been repurposed numerous times: Ohio Abolitionist

Joshua McCarter Simpson Joshua McCarter Simpson (ca. 1820 - April 20, 1877) was a store proprietor, herbalist, poet and lyricist in the United States. He lamented the enslavement of African Americans, called out the hypocrisy of white Christian abusers, and denounced the ...

rewrote the lyrics. ;Religion * It is well known as the melody for the

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

children's song " Jesus Loves the Little Children". * The

Latter-day Saint The Latter Day Saint movement (also called the LDS movement, LDS restorationist movement, or Smith–Rigdon movement) is the collection of independent church groups that trace their origins to a Christian Restorationist movement founded b ...

hymn "In Our Lovely Deseret" employs the tune as well. ;Politics * It also lends the music to an Irish patriotic song, "

God Save Ireland "God Save Ireland" is an Irish rebel song celebrating the Manchester Martyrs, three Fenians executed in 1867. It served as an unofficial anthem for Irish nationalists from the 1870s to the 1910s. Composition On 18 September 1867, a group of 20� ...

". * An early variant was " Damn, Damn, Damn the Filipinos", sung during the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

and

Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War, known alternatively as the Philippine Insurrection, Filipino–American War, or Tagalog Insurgency, emerged following the conclusion of the Spanish–American War in December 1898 when the United States annexed th ...

. * In 1913, the labor organizer and songwriter Joe Hill (1879–1915) wrote a song for the

Industrial Workers of the World The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), whose members are nicknamed "Wobblies", is an international labor union founded in Chicago, United States in 1905. The nickname's origin is uncertain. Its ideology combines general unionism with indu ...

to the tune, called "

The Tramp The Tramp (''Charlot'' in several languages), also known as the Little Tramp, was English actor Charlie Chaplin's most memorable on-screen character and an icon in world cinema during the era of silent film. ''The Tramp (film), The Tramp'' i ...

", about a man who is trying to find a job, only to get the universal answer: 'Tramp, tramp, tramp, keep on a-tramping / Nothing doing here for you / If I catch you 'round again / You will wear the ball and chain / Keep on tramping, that's the best thing you can do.' * In 1914 the melody and meter were used as the basis for the

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

song, ''

Belgium Put the Kibosh on the Kaiser "Belgium Put the Kibosh on the Kaiser" was a popular British patriotic song of the First World War. It was first recorded on 6 October 1914 by Mark Sheridan. The song refers to the 1914 campaign in Belgium when the small British Expeditionary Forc ...

'' by

Mark Sheridan Mark Sheridan (11 September 1864 – 15 January 1918), born Frederick Shaw, was an English music hall comedian and singer. He became a popular performer of lusty seaside songs and originated the J. Glover-Kind classic, "I Do Like to Be Beside t ...

. * In 1950, the German anti-US propaganda song "''Ami – go home!''" by Ernst Busch was set to this tune (arranged by

Hanns Eisler Hanns Eisler (6 July 1898 – 6 September 1962) was a German-Austrian composer. He is best known for composing the national anthem of East Germany, for his long artistic association with Bertolt Brecht, and for the scores he wrote for films. The ...

). * The KPD/ML used this tune in a song named "''Deutschland-Lied''" advocating for a unified Germany. * The ACP used an electronic remix of the tune in "Announcing the American Communist Party". ;Sports * The melody of this song is used as the second stanza of the Georgetown University Fight Song, collectively known as " There Goes Old Georgetown." *

Club Deportivo Universidad Católica Club Deportivo Universidad Católica, known as Universidad Católica, is a professional association football, football club based in Santiago, Chile. Founded in 1937 they play in the Chilean Primera División, Primera División, the top flight o ...

, one of Chile's most important football clubs, has used the music of this song as the official fight song of the "Cruzados Caballeros" since 1943. Also, it has been part of the corporate identity of Channel 13, which served as the startup music of the channel for much of the 1980s, the version used was that of Carlos Haiquel on vocals with mixed chorus, with the orchestral arrangement by Tito Ledermann. The current version was recorded in 1970. * The melody of this song, as used in "God Save Ireland," makes up part of "

Put 'Em Under Pressure "Put 'Em Under Pressure" was the official song to the Republic of Ireland national football team's 1990 FIFA World Cup campaign in Italy. Background Produced by U2's Larry Mullen Jr., Larry Mullen, it featured an intro by Moya Brennan. The song w ...

," the official song written to support Ireland's national football team in the 1990 FIFA World Cup. * The melody of this song, out of "God Save Ireland" was used as the tune for a novelty record fan-anthem, for the 1978 world cup released as the song Ally's Tartan Army. ;Other * It was the melody of "Tokoshie no Sachi"(永遠の幸, Eternal Happiness), the alma mater of

Sapporo Agricultural College was a school in Sapporo, Hokkaidō established in September 1875 for the purpose of educating students in the agriculture industry. History The first president of the college was Zusho Hirotake. Dr. William S. Clark, a graduate of Amherst C ...

(now

Hokkaido University , or , is a public research university in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. Founded in 1918, it is the fifth-oldest government-authorised university in Japan and one of the former Imperial Universities. The university finds its roots in Sapporo A ...

) in Japan. * In the 1933

Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy were a British-American double act, comedy duo during the early Classical Hollywood cinema, Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–1957) ...

comedy film ''

Sons of the Desert ''Sons of the Desert'' is a 1933 American pre-Code comedy film starring Laurel and Hardy. Directed by William A. Seiter, it was released in the United States on December 29, 1933. In the United Kingdom, the film was originally released under ...

'', the anthem of the Sons of the Desert lounge is a pastiche of several popular tunes, including ''Tramp! Tramp! Tramp!'' as well as '' Give My Regards to Broadway.'' *

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...

included the song in a medley on his album ''

101 Gang Songs ''101 Gang Songs'' is an LP recorded in December 1960 by Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the ...

'' (1961) * The German band De Höhner use the tune for their song "Dat Hätz vun d'r Welt" (published in 1982), sung in praise of

Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...

in the local dialect, Kölsch. * In the November 26, 2010, edition of the ''

Pickles Pickle, pickled or Pickles may refer to: Food * Pickle, a food that has undergone pickling * Pickled cucumber * Pickle, a sweet, vinegary pickled chutney popular in Britain, such as Branston Pickle, also known as "sweet pickle" or "ploughman's ...

'' comic strip, lead character Earl Pickles sings the chorus as a

preemptive strike A preemptive war is a war that is commenced in an attempt to repel or defeat a perceived imminent offensive or invasion, or to gain a strategic advantage in an impending (allegedly unavoidable) war ''shortly before'' that attack materializes. I ...

against his wife's urge to sing holiday songs.

References

Bibliography

* Root, George R. "Tramp! Tramp! Tramp!" (Sheet music). Chicago: Root & Cady (1864). * Smith, Nicholas, Col. ''Stories of Great National Songs''. Milwaukee, Wis.: The Yound Churchman Co. (1899).

External links

"Tramp! Tramp! Tramp!"
Harlan & Stanley (Edison Gold 9439, 1905)—
Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project
'. * The Music of the American Civil War (1861–1865

Confederate Lyrics * Georgetown University Fight Son

{{Authority control Songs of the American Civil War 1864 songs Songs written by George Frederick Root American Civil War prisoners of war