THE MUSIC
Pick a war that America has been involved in, and you might also be able to name a song that's somehow connected to that war — because it was sung by the soldiers, written in response to the war, or just popular at the time. But what about the War of 1812? Although it has what is probably one of the best known songs connected to it (the American national anthem), most people would have a hard time naming its equivalent of “When Johnny Comes Marching Home,” or “Over There.” After doing some research, it appears that not a whole lot of songs from the war survived. Like many pieces of music that existed before the invention of the phonograph, if a song wasn't passed on from one generation to the next, it died. Lyrics could be written down, and we have many of those; but being able to write down music on paper was not a common skill (and it’s still not today). So the actual melodies of many of those songs are unknown.
With 2012 being the bicentennial of the War of 1812,and Buffalo, NY having such strong historical connections tothe event, we felt it was fitting to record a collection of songs commemorating the war. But what’s a group of musicians supposed to do when very few songs from the war survived? They write their own songs — and that's what we did. Two of the songs here survived the two hundred years, and we offer our own take on them. Two others have new music written for lyrics that survived. The rest are all original; and although artistic license was implemented on rare occasion, they are mainly based on actual events of the war. All the songs are available for free download below. You can download each song individually, or the entire 53 minute collection in one .zip file.
THE RIVER WAS COLD
by David Mussen
The River Was Cold is based on various primary source accounts of the burning of Buffalo, and the battles (or British sacking) that took place in the general Buffalo-Niagara region in winter of 1813. Sketches of Early Buffalo and the Niagara Region by Sophie Cornelia Becker was particularly helpful in composing the lyrics of this song.
Dee Adams: Vocals
Jonathan Hughes: Bass, Organ
David Mussen: Electric Guitar
Rob Lynch: Drums
Naryan Padmanabha: Tambourine
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INLAND
by Sarah Fehskens
This lullaby is a tribute to the soldiers who had sailed to the Americas to fight in the war and were buried far away from their homes.
Sarah Fehskens: Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Jonathan Hughes: Bass, Electric Guitar
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SNAKE HILL
by Lisa Forrest and Jim Whitford
Buffalo based songwriters, Lisa Forrest & Jim Whitford, tell the tale of Snake Hill. In 1987, just west of Old Fort Erie, housing contractors uncovered human skeletal remains. The investigation that followed would reveal intense 1812 fighting, a makeshift hospital, and cemetery of unknown soldiers. Read More
Cathy Carfagna: Organ
Lisa Forrest: Vocals
Jonathan Hughes: Bass
Rob Lynch: Drums
Jim Whitford: Guitars
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JAMES BIRD
Traditional
(arranged by Rob Lynch)
This is a much abbreviated version of a song about young James Bird, who volunteered to serve with Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, but was executed shortly thereafter for desertion. “See the crimson current flow.”
Jonathan Hughes: Keyboards
Rob Lynch: Drums, Vocals, Violin, Guitar
Jim Whitford: Feedback Guitar
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JOHNNY HAS GONE
FOR A SOLDIER
Traditional
(arranged by Derek Bassett)
“Johnny Has Gone For A Soldier” is a song based on an old Celtic tune about a woman who has to send her love off to war. The beautiful melody as sung by Joelle Labert rings with the somber realities of war and all those it touches.
Derek Bassett: Acoustic Guitar
Jonathan Hughes: Bass, Keyboards, Solo
Joelle Labert: Vocals
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JOHNNY HAS GONE
FOR A SOLDIER
Traditional
(arranged by Shady Grove)
We’re offering up two completely different versions of this song. Although it actually dates back to the Revolutionary War, it was still topping the charts over thirty years later.
Nikki Carroll: Vocals
Sarah Fehskens: Guitar, Vocals
Lisa Forrest: Vocals
Jonathan Hughes: Electric Guitar
Naryan Padmanabha: Shaker
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WIDOWS AND ORPHANS
by David Mussen
Widows and Orphans is based on the significant yet often overlooked role women played during the war. Women were picked by lottery to accompany their husbands to military camps where they were employed as seamstresses and nurses among other important and necessary duties. The primary focus of this song is the practice where by which if a woman's husband was killed during the war, she had three to six months to remarry, or was forced to leave the camp to which she and her husband were assigned.
Sarah Fehskens: Vocals
Jonathan Hughes: Instruments
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IMPRESSMENT
by David Mussen
Impressment is based on the British practice of capturing of American seamen for service in the Royal navy, which eventually led to a galvanizing of American public opinion against the British, and is seen as among the major causes of the war.
Jonathan Hughes: Bass, Guitar, Organ
Doug Lambert: Vocals
Rob Lynch: Drums
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SWEET PENNY
by Dee Adams and David Mussen
The story of Sweet Penny is as old as time: star crossed lovers forced to sneak their affections until misfortune strikes them down. This time, set in the war of 1812 during the Battle of Black Rock, Penny tumbles down the banks of the Scajaquada Creek after setting out on a dark December night to leave a message of love for her British-soldier love interest.
Dee Adams: Vocals
Jonathan Hughes: Bass, Guitar, Keyboards
Joe Mergler: Organ
David Mussen: Electric Piano
Naryan Padmanabha: Tambourine
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AN AUTHOR’S ADVICE TO PRISONERS WHO INSIST ON GAMBLING
by Derek Bassett
This was originally a poem written during the War of 1812 concerning the immoral behaviors of certain prisoners of war. The poem is set to music in the style of Jimmy Rodgers and is brought to life by the voice of Joelle Labert.
Derek Bassett: Acoustic and Electric Guitars
Jonathan Hughes: Bass, Organ
Joelle Labert: Vocals
Rob Lynch: Drums
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DARTMOOR PRISON SONG
Traditional
(arranged by the Canal Street String Band)
This comes from the War of 1812 journal of Thomas B. Mott, a NY sailor imprisoned in England during the war. Dartmoor was known as the darkest, dampest, and dreariest of all English prisons. Mott wrote well over a dozen songs and poems there.
Phil Banaszak: Fiddle, Vocals
Dave Ruch: Vocals
Jim Whitford: Vocals
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COFFEE FOR TWO, PISTOLS FOR FOUR
by Doug Lambert
For a daring nighttime raid to steal two British ships on Lake Erie, the Americans were told to bring "coffee for two and pistols for four." The coffee, which was thought to have healing properties, was in case of injury. Having four pistols ready to go would ensure soldiers were able to quickly shoot.
John Allen:Saxophone
Ron Davis: Clavinet, Organ
Greg Horn: Trumpet
Jonathan Hughes: Bass, Keyboards
Doug Lambert: Guitar, Vocals
Rob Lynch: Drums
Naryan Padmanabha: Tambourine
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SOBBING SOPHIE
by Lisa Forrest and Doug Lambert
This song is about the tragic romance of Sophia Shaw and General Isaac Brock. Brock, who met Sophia in Niagara-on-the-Lake when he was stationed at Fort George, was killed in the 1812 Battle of Queenston Heights. Sophia never recovered from her broken heart. Local folklore suggests that you can still hear her wailing throughout the village at night.
Lisa Forrest: Vocals
Jonathan Hughes: Bass, Guitar, Keyboards
Doug Lambert: Keyboards, Vocals
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THE GHOST OF
LUNDY’S LANE
by Derek Bassett
This original song reflects centuries of supernatural sightings in and around the sight of a costly battle that occurred in Drummond Hills Cemetery during the War of 1812. Both the Americans and Canadians claimed victory on the battlefield but many eyewitnesses claim the spirits of those who died still haunt the area.
Derek Bassett: Acoustic and Electric Guitars
Jonathan Hughes: Bass, Organ
Joelle Labert: Vocals
Rob Lynch: Drums
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THE MUSICIANS click on the pictures for more information
Dee Adams
Phil Banaszak
Derek Bassett
Cathy Carfagna
Nikki Carroll
Ron Davis
Sarah Fehskens
Lisa Forrest
Greg Horn
Jonathan Hughes
Joelle Labert
Doug Lambert
Rob Lynch
David Mussen
Naryan Padmanabha
Dave Ruch
Jim Whitford
ABOUT ROBOT HOLIDAY
Robot Holiday is a collective of musicians and songwriters from Buffalo, NY. For the past ten years, they’ve been writing and recording original non-traditional holiday music and offering it for free on the web (www.robotholiday.com). This is their first foray as a group into non-holiday material.
all songs are © 2012, and are the property of their respective writers
