We should all get together and love Civil War era music

I'm writing this because since I can remember, there are times (sometimes months apart, maybe years) that I get a few songs stuck in my head. These are songs that when I sing them, no one knows what I'm singing. Probably because they were written and popular before your great grandmother lived.

You're right! Well, probably not, unless you said I'm thinking of Civil War era music. We remember that time as black and white photos with unsmiling people, fighting, slaves, pain, death, disease. I suppose it's hard to believe that they were actually people like us. We just don't really think of them like that because they didn't take pictures of smiling and everything seemed too stuffy. But these people liked music, and they cranked some pretty neat tunes that really gives us an insight as to what they were like. You probably know "Camptown Races" and "Oh! Susanna", but what about...

Note: Try to find versions of these songs done like they were written, not all popped up and redone by big stars. Though I appreciate them trying. I recommend The 97th Regimental String Band's records.

1. "Blue Tail Fly"

First of all, shut up about the rap songs that have sampled this beautiful song.

You know about Jimmy Crack Corn. And if not, get ready to learn. It's a popular children's piece, but I bet you don't know much about it. It was first published in 1846, and listening to the lyrics, you learn that it's in the point of view of a slave. Basically, the story is about the slave discussing the blue tail fly, this horrible giant fly that would suck on horses, making them throw off their 'massas'. The slave is sort of mourning the 'massa's' death.

the killer

There's a lot of disagreement about what the Jimmy Crack Corn part means. Alcohol makin', gossiping, yada yada. I don't know either. But it's a fun song and actually preserves a pretty important aspect of our history. And it's really awesome because it's not racist. I think.

2. "If You've Only Got A Mustache"

If you're one of the 70 people that saw A Million Ways to Die in the West, and stayed until the big musical number, you heard a version of this song. I am one of those people. But I heard this song long before the movie was even thought of. I grew up listening to it in my grandmother's car, so when I heard it, I thought it was weird that no one else in the theater (all six of them) knew what I was singing. I sang anyway because YOLO.

Written by the father of American music Stephen Foster in 1864, this song is about mustaches. Obvi. And this is over a century before mustaches adorned everything that could be made. Seriously, why were those fuzzy caterpillars so popular they needed to adorn pillows and bed sets and candles and earrings and cars? Yes, I saw a car with a giant mustache one day. Still have the photo.

The song is for those "poor single men" who want to "capture the hearts of the fair." Foster tells them not to despair if they've got a mustache! Just grow a mustache and you'll marry and procreate like bunnies. You may have everything, but life is just empty without a mustache. This is a fun, catchy song and will make you laugh. Share it with your kids. Then you'll all know and love the mustache song.

it still plagues me

3. "Hard Times Come Again No More"

One of Stephen Foster's better known pieces, I still find that no one at school knows it. Published in 1854, it's all about "pausing in life's pleasures" and thinking about how you got those pleasures. Through someone else's hard work. So Foster is asking for there to be no more hard times. A woman with a worn heart has gone through some shit and you're all happy, just stop and think about the hard times people have gone through. It's a beautiful song and quite catchy, and when you pause and think about what's gotten stuck in your head, you'll really see where Foster was coming from.


4. "Old Dog Tray"

Who doesn't love dogs? (That wasn't an actual question. Keep your dog hating to yourself.) Again a Stephen Foster song, this is about a man who has a dog, and that dog is very loyal. Dogs may get annoyed with you, like when you wash them or clip their nails or remove their testicles, but they always forgive you and love on you again. Pretty sure if you removed your human friend's testicles he'd be a bit more testy.

Old dog Tray's ever faithful
Grief cannot drive him away
He's simple, he is kind
I'll never never find 
A better friend than old dog Tray

I mean, it's so sweet. And it makes me happy to have my dogs, even if they are ungrateful sometimes. And all of these songs are child friendly!

Okay, so there may be some debate over "Blue Tail Fly" but that's just because a slave's master dies because of a ruthless insect with only one goal: to kill.