美国国家公共电台 NPR One Song Glory

 

NOEL KING, HOST:

Today, we're starting a new series called American Anthem¹. We're exploring songs that tap into the collective emotions that listeners and performers have around an issue or a belief.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

And we start with a big one, a big anthem - the "Battle Hymn² Of The Republic." Now, there's an episode of a "Johnny Cash Show" from 1969 where the man is about to sing that song, but before he starts, he makes little speech with a pretty big error.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "THE JOHNNY CASH SHOW")

JOHNNY CASH: Here's a song that was reportedly sung by both sides in the Civil War.

KING: The history is clear. The "Battle Hymn" was first written by Julia Ward³ Howe as a pro-Union, anti-slavery song, but then Cash makes this point.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "THE JOHNNY CASH SHOW")

CASH: Which proves one thing to me - that a song can belong to all of us.

KING: And about that, he's right.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "THE JOHNNY CASH SHOW")

CASH: (Singing) Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.

INSKEEP: NPR's Andrew Limbong guides us through one of America's most enduring anthems⁴.

ANDREW LIMBONG, BYLINE⁵: I should go easy on Johnny Cash for flubbing the history of the "Battle Hymn Of The Republic." I had it wrong, too. I didn't even know the song had ties to the Civil War up until embarrassingly recently because I, and maybe you if you grew up with a similar flavor of Christianity, only sang it at church.

UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS: (Singing) His truth is marching on.

LIMBONG: Little did I know, the song was being used to root for college football teams - Go Georgia...

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC")

LIMBONG: ...As an anthem for labor⁶ unions.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC")

UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS: (Singing) Solidarity⁷ forever.

LIMBONG: Evangelist Billy Graham, who helped popularize the song among Christians⁸, even took it to the Russian army chorus in 1992.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC")

ALEXANDROV ENSEMBLE⁹: (Singing) His truth is marching on.

SPARKY RUCKER: It's a good march. I mean, it's just the right cadence¹⁰ to march along if you're marching a picket¹¹ line or marching down the street carrying signs.

LIMBONG: That's Sparky Rucker, a folk singer and Civil War historian who performs a show of Civil War music called "Blue & Gray In Black & White" with his wife, Rhonda.

RUCKER: It sets your heart to (panting) and it really gets your blood going that you can slay¹² dragons.

LIMBONG: Dragons are relative, though. Anita Bryant used to sing the song at anti-gay rallies, and it's also been used to justify¹³ racism¹⁴. On the flip¹⁵ side, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made his famous "Mountaintop" speech the day before he was killed in 1968. And it ends like this.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.: I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.

BIRGITTA JOHNSON: How people relate to patriotism¹⁶ is kind of how they come into the "Battle Hymn."

LIMBONG: That's Professor Birgitta Johnson, an ethnomusicologist at the University of South Carolina who teaches in the schools of music and African-American studies. After Martin Luther King Jr. died, she says his home church, Ebenezer Baptist, made the song about him and his truth of the civil rights movement. Johnson says this anthem is all about what you bring to it.

JOHNSON: For example, when you see your white nationalist kind of digging deep into their heavy patriotism messages, they bring up things like "The Star-Spangled Banner" and the "Battle Hymn," and it becomes their battle cry just as easy as it can become the battle cry for Ebenezer in Atlanta.

LIMBONG: And that flexibility¹⁷ is by design.

(SOUNDBITE OF SPARKY AND RHONDA RUCKER SONG, "GLORY HALLELUJAH SUITE¹⁸: SAY BROTHERS WILL YOU MEET US/GLORY! GLORY! HALLELUJAH/BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC/MARCHING SONG OF THE 1ST ARKANSAS")

LIMBONG: Quick history - it's the middle of the Civil War. Union soldiers are sitting around a campfire, goofing¹⁹ off, singing songs, and they're ribbing on this one guy.

JOHN STAUFFER: One of the members of the singing group is a Scottish immigrant named John Brown.

LIMBONG: Not that John Brown, says Harvard professor John Stauffer. We're not talking about the famous abolitionist, just a regular soldier. Stauffer is the co-author of the book "The Battle Hymn Of The Republic: A Biography Of The Song That Marches On." He says the soldiers were making up lyrics²⁰ to the tune²¹ of an old hymn, to "Say Brothers, Will You Meet Us."

STAUFFER: So when they start making up songs to pass the time, comrades needle him and say, you can't be John Brown. John Brown's dead. And then another soldier would add, but his body's mouldering²² in the grave.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "GLORY HALLELUJAH SUITE: SAY BROTHERS WILL YOU MEET US / GLORY! GLORY! HALLELUJAH! / BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC / MARCHING SONG OF THE 1ST ARKANSAS")

RUCKER: (Singing) John Brown's body lies a moulderin' in the grave.

LIMBONG: So even though it's about a regular soldier, the ghost of the abolitionist looms²³ large, and a song called "John Brown's Body" is born. It becomes super popular among Union soldiers for a few reasons. It's easy to sing. The melody is simple. The lyrics are easy to remember. And most importantly, it glorified²⁴ the righteous fight against slavery.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "GLORY HALLELUJAH SUITE: SAY BROTHERS WILL YOU MEET US / GLORY! GLORY! HALLELUJAH! / BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC / MARCHING SONG OF THE 1ST ARKANSAS")

RUCKER: (Singing) The stars of heaven, they are looking kindly²⁵ down on the grave of old John Brown.

LIMBONG: A couple years later, a well-to-do, highly educated poet from York named Julia Ward Howe comes to Washington, D.C., with her minister to visit Union troops.

STAUFFER: As they do so, Confederates attack.

LIMBONG: But the Union troops defend and impress Howe. Her minister pushes her to rewrite "John Brown's Body."

STAUFFER: Rewrite it and elevate it for a kind of educated audience.

LIMBONG: John Stauffer says Julia Ward Howe was not interested in creating an anthem. She wanted to make capital-A art with metaphor²⁶ and symbolism so she could join the ranks of the better-known writers of her time.

STAUFFER: Symbolism was seen by Hawthorne or Melville, Thoreau, that part of the way in which they were understood as great writers was their use of symbolism.

LIMBONG: So Howe ditched many of the crowdsourced lyrics of "John Brown's Body" like let's hang Jeff Davis from a sour apple tree. But that crowdsourcing is what made the song so popular in the first place - that and the stirring melody of the original hymn. Birgitta Johnson says African-American units picked up the melody as their anthem.

JOHNSON: And you also had this "Marching Song of First Arkansas" being sung by black Union soldiers.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "GLORY HALLELUJAH SUITE: SAY BROTHERS WILL YOU MEET US / GLORY! GLORY! HALLELUJAH! / BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC / MARCHING SONG OF THE 1ST ARKANSAS")

RUCKER: (Singing) We mean to show Jeff Davis how the African can fight as we go marching on.

We're done with hoeing cotton. We're done with hoeing corn. We're colored Yankee soldiers now sure as you're born

LIMBONG: That's folk singer Sparky Rucker, again, whose versions of these songs we've been hearing. He says that when he sings the black Union soldiers' version of the song, even in the South where in his words the wounds of the Civil War are still fresh, everyone sings along.

RUCKER: Even a lot of my unreconstructed Southerners (laughter) in the audience will sing along with me because we've also sung some of their songs.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "GLORY HALLELUJAH SUITE: SAY BROTHERS WILL YOU MEET US / GLORY! GLORY! HALLELUJAH! / BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC / MARCHING SONG OF THE 1ST ARKANSAS")

RUCKER: (Singing) Singing glory, glory, hallelujah.

LIMBONG: Rucker says everyone also sings the Julia Ward Howe version, which eventually won, getting published by The Atlantic magazine in 1862 and becoming canonized. And while it does transcend²⁷ centuries and cultures, Birgitta Johnson is quick to point out that it is, at the end of the day, a war song.

JOHNSON: So the kumbaya moment will not be happening across the aisles²⁸ because of this song because it's really about supporting whatever your perspective is on freedom or liberation and having God as the person who's ordaining²⁹ what we're doing. And glory, hallelujah, about that.

LIMBONG: The song does belong to everyone, as Johnny Cash said in 1969. But what really matters is why they're singing it. Andrew Limbong, NPR News.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "THE JOHNNY CASH SHOW")

CASH: (Singing) His truth is marching on.

1 anthem   

n.圣歌，赞美诗，颂歌

参考例句：

• All those present were standing solemnly when the national anthem was played.奏国歌时全场肃立。
• As he stood on the winner's rostrum,he sang the words of the national anthem.他站在冠军领奖台上，唱起了国歌。

2 hymn   

n.赞美诗，圣歌，颂歌

参考例句：

• They sang a hymn of praise to God.他们唱着圣歌，赞美上帝。
• The choir has sung only two verses of the last hymn.合唱团只唱了最后一首赞美诗的两个段落。

3 ward   

n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开

参考例句：

• The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。
• During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时，我要点根火把，抵挡蚊虫。

4 anthems   

n.赞美诗( anthem的名词复数 )；圣歌；赞歌；颂歌

参考例句：

• They usually play the national anthems of the teams at the beginning of a big match. 在大型赛事开始前，他们通常演奏参赛国国歌。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Rise please, rise for the anthems of & . 请全体起立，奏和两国国歌。 来自互联网

5 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

6 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

7 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

8 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

9 ensemble   

n.合奏(唱)组；全套服装；整体，总效果

参考例句：

• We should consider the buildings as an ensemble.我们应把那些建筑物视作一个整体。
• It is ensemble music for up to about ten players,with one player to a part.它是最多十人演奏的合奏音乐，每人担任一部分。

10 cadence   

n.（说话声调的）抑扬顿挫

参考例句：

• He delivered his words in slow,measured cadences.他讲话缓慢而抑扬顿挫、把握有度。
• He liked the relaxed cadence of his retired life.他喜欢退休生活的悠闲的节奏。

11 picket   

n.纠察队；警戒哨；v.设置纠察线；布置警卫

参考例句：

• They marched to the factory and formed a picket.他们向工厂前进,并组成了纠察队。
• Some of the union members did not want to picket.工会的一些会员不想担任罢工纠察员。

12 slay   

v.杀死，宰杀，杀戮

参考例句：

• He intended to slay his father's murderer.他意图杀死杀父仇人。
• She has ordered me to slay you.她命令我把你杀了。

13 justify   

vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护

参考例句：

• He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。
• Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗？

14 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。

15 flip   

vt.快速翻动；轻抛；轻拍；n.轻抛；adj.轻浮的

参考例句：

• I had a quick flip through the book and it looked very interesting.我很快翻阅了一下那本书，看来似乎很有趣。
• Let's flip a coin to see who pays the bill.咱们来抛硬币决定谁付钱。

16 patriotism   

n.爱国精神，爱国心，爱国主义

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• They obtained money under the false pretenses of patriotism.他们以虚伪的爱国主义为借口获得金钱。

17 flexibility   

n.柔韧性，弹性，（光的）折射性，灵活性

参考例句：

• Her great strength lies in her flexibility.她的优势在于她灵活变通。
• The flexibility of a man's muscles will lessen as he becomes old.人老了肌肉的柔韧性将降低。

18 suite   

n.一套(家具)；套房；随从人员

参考例句：

• She has a suite of rooms in the hotel.她在那家旅馆有一套房间。
• That is a nice suite of furniture.那套家具很不错。

19 goofing   

v.弄糟( goof的现在分词 )；混；打发时间；出大错

参考例句：

• He should have been studying instead of goofing around last night. 他昨晚应该念书，不应该混。 来自走遍美国快乐40招
• Why don't you just admit you're goofing off? 偷了懒就偷了赖，还不爽爽快快承认？ 来自辞典例句

20 lyrics   

n.歌词

参考例句：

• music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hart 由罗杰斯和哈特作词作曲
• The book contains lyrics and guitar tablatures for over 100 songs. 这本书有100多首歌的歌词和吉他奏法谱。

21 tune   

n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整

参考例句：

• He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
• The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。

22 mouldering   

v.腐朽( moulder的现在分词 )；腐烂，崩塌

参考例句：

• The room smelt of disuse and mouldering books. 房间里有一股长期不用和霉烂书籍的味道。
• Every mouldering stone was a chronicle. 每块崩碎剥落的石头都是一部编年史。 来自辞典例句

23 looms   

n.织布机( loom的名词复数 )v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的第三人称单数 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近

参考例句：

• All were busily engaged,men at their ploughs,women at their looms. 大家都很忙，男的耕田，女的织布。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The factory has twenty-five looms. 那家工厂有25台织布机。 来自《简明英汉词典》

24 glorified   

美其名的，变荣耀的

参考例句：

• The restaurant was no more than a glorified fast-food cafe. 这地方美其名曰餐馆，其实只不过是个快餐店而已。
• The author glorified the life of the peasants. 那个作者赞美了农民的生活。

25 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

26 metaphor   

n.隐喻，暗喻

参考例句：

• Using metaphor,we say that computers have senses and a memory.打个比方，我们可以说计算机有感觉和记忆力。
• In poetry the rose is often a metaphor for love.玫瑰在诗中通常作为爱的象征。

27 transcend   

vt.超出，超越(理性等)的范围

参考例句：

• We can't transcend the limitations of the ego.我们无法超越自我的局限性。
• Everyone knows that the speed of airplanes transcend that of ships.人人都知道飞机的速度快于轮船的速度。

28 aisles   

n. (席位间的)通道, 侧廊

参考例句：

• Aisles were added to the original Saxon building in the Norman period. 在诺曼时期，原来的萨克森风格的建筑物都增添了走廊。
• They walked about the Abbey aisles, and presently sat down. 他们走到大教堂的走廊附近，并且很快就坐了下来。

29 ordaining   

v.任命（某人）为牧师( ordain的现在分词 )；授予（某人）圣职；（上帝、法律等）命令；判定

参考例句：