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Song

Music written by
Lyrics written by
Copyright date
September 26, 1863
Language
English
ISWC
T-920.300.976-1 ISWC
Comments
This was a U.S. Civil War era song of the people in the North whose friends and family were away from home. The lyrics were copyrighted on September 26, 1863 under the name "Louis Lambert", which was a pseudonym used by Gilmore. Gilmore disclaimed writing the music, stating that he adapted it from an African-American spiritual.

The melody for the song was previously published in July, 1863 under the title "Johnny Fill Up the Bowl" -- an American drinking song. The sheet music for this work credits a "J. Durnal" as the arranger of the music, but not its composer.

The song "Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye" -- an Irish anti-war song now sung to the same tune as "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" -- first published in 1867 is also claimed by some to predate "When Johnny Comes Marching Home", which is said to be a reworking of "Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye". Although the latter song was published later, some contend that it actually relates to the return of Irish soldiers from Ceylon; however, Irish troops were stationed there from at least 1837 until 1866, so that versions of "Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye" which refer to Ceylon (all do not) are not inconsistent with the notion that "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" is the earlier work. Moreover, it seems unlikely that "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" is a reworking of "Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye" because as originally published, the latter song used a different tune.

Many lyrical variations were put to the tune originally used for "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" over time.
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Versions

written by , English

Title Performer Release date Info
1897 First release
1898
1907
July 1917
1918
June 1919
listen on Internet Archive March 13, 1942
1942
1942
1954
1959
March 1960 Medley
June 17, 1960 Hit song
1960
1960
February 1961 Medley
November 1961 Live
Medley
1961
listen on Internet Archive 1961
1962
1962
1963
1963
1963
1965
1965
1965
June 1966
August 1966
October 1968
1968
1968
1969
1971
1971
When Johnny Comes Marching Home Pihasoittajat April 1972 Unverified
1972
1972 Medley
1973
1974 Medley
1975
1982
1983
1986
1987
February 14, 1990
August 1, 1991
August 13, 1991
1993
June 23, 1998
1999
1999
July 30, 2002
2002
November 11, 2003
2004 Medley
May 2, 2006
2007
April 3, 2011
June 14, 2011
2011
January 2012
August 1, 2012
April 1, 2013 Medley
November 5, 2013
June 30, 2018 Live
December 2018
The Ants Go Marching The Wiggles June 21, 2019 Unverified

written by instrumental

Title Performer Release date Info
listen on Internet Archive i 1917 Medley
listen on Internet Archive i February 1925 Medley
i April 26, 1939
i October 1950
i 1953
i 1955
i May 1957
i 1957
i 1958
i 1958
i When Johnny Comes Marching Home Al Goodman and His Orchestra 1958 Unverified
i August 1960
i 1960
i 1961
i 1962
i 1962
i 1962
i 1963
i 1964
i 1964
i 1965
i December 1966
i 1966
i 1966
i 1970
i 1971
i 1971
i 1971
i 1973
i 1973
i 1976
i When Johnny Comes Marching Home Rex Koury 1976 Unverified
i 1977 Medley
i 1977
i 1979
i 1979
i 1980
i 1981
i April 1983 Medley
i 1983
i 1989 Released more than 10 years after its recording
i 1991
i 1992
i 1993
i When Johnny Comes Marching Home Tupplurarna 1994 Unverified
i 1998
i 1999
i 1999
i April 18, 2000
i 2000
i August 21, 2001 Editor's cover song pick
Unusual cover song
i September 2001
i 2001
i 2002
i 2003
i 2003
i 2008
i December 9, 2011
i June 25, 2013
i August 2013
i November 2014
i 2014
i When Johnny Comes Marching Home Shiro Hamaguchi 2015 Unverified
i March 11, 2018