Should I whistle Dixie?

Poststructural Pub
1

I was busking today and a lady came up and
requested Confederate tunes. Said her family
came from Georgia. I can do Dixie, sort of,
but I don’t like it very well–musically or politically.
I tried it, said I could do some union tunes,
but she said she isn’t interested in tunes
from the union side.

I’m a little nervous playing confederate tunes
on the street here in St. Louis, given the
bitter conflict that happened in this state.
And there are lots of black people around
and I don’t think they would necessarily
like it. And I find the cause of the Confederacy
repugnant.

But I also think tunes are tunes and it’s
not necessary to invest them with more
significance than that.

What do you think? Should I play Confederate
tunes on the street?

This isn’t meant to start a political discussion,
and I don’t see why it should, but if it does,
moderators please shift it to the procto board.

Thanks.

2

Sure, why not? I think the lady wasn’t so much making a political statement as she was just wanting to hear “Southern” tunes.

I can think of some circumstances in which I might not play Dixie itself, however.

3

We played the Battle Hymn of the Republic in church today. I don’t know if that’s a northern or a southern song but West Virginia was never quite clear which side of the Mason-Dixon line we were on anyway. So it didn’t matter.

The Confederate soldiers need mourned too.

4

This question reminds me of the scene in The Long Riders where Randy Quaid as Clell Miller requests a southern tune…


I really don’t see a problem with Dixie, but then I was required to learn my state song way back when I was a little kid in school long ago- “Carry Me Back to Ole Virginny”. :astonished:

5

It would not make a difference as that tune is from the Revolutionary war times. West Virginia has always had a bit of a schizophrenic personality anyway. :smiley:

6

I take the Battle Hymn of the Republic to be the
quintessential Union song. I do play it on the street.

Maybe I’ve got my facts wrong, but I take
Dixie to be, not a tune of mourning, but pretty much
the theme song of the Confederate Army.

There is in Forest Park near where I live a large
monument for the Confederate dead, put up
by the Daughters of the Confederacy. It mentions
Jefferson and democracy and how these people
fought to preserve the principles upon which
the country was founded. It’s kind of amazing.
It isn’t hidden but large trees have been allowed to
grow up around it, so that one can go by it often
without noticing it.

Not far away is a smaller monument to General Franz,
a guerilla leader. He’s bronze, sitting on his horse, he’s wearing
a floppy hat, looks real and life sized, and the monument
thanks the German people of St. Louis for
defending the Union. This monument is framed
by flower beds and there are flood lights on
it at night.

I take the gist of the response that folks see nothing
wrong in principle in my playing Dixie on the street,
as long as it’s not imprudent or offensive.

7

Yes, Battle Hymn of the Republic is a Union song. A quite bloody one, really.

Probably the most accurate name for Dixie would be the National Anthem of the Confederacy. Many Southerners still stand at attention when Dixie is played.

There are lots of songs from the War Between the States that were favorites on both sides - ballads like Lorena and Aura Lee (the tune Elvis stole for Love Me Tender), for example. Other songs were war tunes, but pretty non-partisan, like All Quiet Along the Potomac Tonight, Just Before the Battle, Mother, and Cheer, Boys, Cheer. The Battle Cry of Freedom had both Union and Confederate lyrics. These could be tunes you could play that could appease both sides.

Maryland, My Maryland had Confederate lyrics, but most people would just probably wonder why you were playing O Christmas Tree if it’s not Christmastime.

Or maybe you could play a song like Goober Peas, which was a Confederate tune, but not really a war tune, just a song about eating peanuts.

By the way, Madison, Wisconsin has the northernmost Confederate cemetery in the US (prisoners who died at Camp Randall). Every Memorial Day, the American Legion does a service, first at the Union cemetery next to it, then they come over to the Confederate cemetery, a few words are said, a gun salute is given (usually Confederate re-enactors), and then Dixie is played before they play Taps, either by a live bugler if they have one, or some years it’s just a tape recording. Either way, it’s a very touching service. And there haven’t been any riots over Dixie, in a very liberal, progressive, politically correct city.

8

I was racing my bike in 94 in MS. I remember there was a confederate statue raised by the Daughters of the Confederacy in the town square in Yazoo City. I think the date on the statue was 1904.

PS Didn’t finish :frowning: but had a good time

9

Didn’t know Goober Peas was Confederate.
Thanks

By the way if I had to march into battle singing
something, Battle Hymn of the Republic would
do alright.

10

I think “Dixie” was written pre-war, just barely pre-war, as a minstrel song. It then became a favorite of the Confederate troops. If that’s true, it could be racially offensive on two points.

Not saying whether it should be played or not. Just throwing more info out there. By the way, I understand President Lincoln really liked it.

11

I thought Goober Peas was a Union song, making joke at the poor Confederate Soldiers who were reduced to eating peanuts as regular rations. Propaganda, if you like.
“Goodness, how delicious! Eatin’ Goober Peas!” No touch of Irony there, hunh?

12

I can’t totally answer you without getting this moved to the “other” board…

Let’s just say that because there is history in music and a particular song, I see no reason to NOT play it. You can talk about that history, and play it, and not necessarily mean that you support or reject the “meaning” behind the song.
Often songs are “taken” and used to back up something that is completely different then their first original writing anyway. You can talk about why this is, what the original words were and what they were changed to, etc.

How’s that for a politically correct answer?? :wink:

13

We play for period balls, and since both sides are represented in the reenactments, we try to make sure we keep it balanced… if Dixie gets requested, we follow it with Yankee Doodle (which is kind of funny - in these parts, it’s considered ‘northern’… which it really isn’t) - the same for the reverse. MO is kind of the perpetual split-state, and there are certainly folks who will get testy if you play the ‘wrong’ one. Luckily, we don’t often have deal with them. :slight_smile:

14

Goober Peas is definitely Confederate - admittedly a light hearted song. Not making fun of anyone, just a song about enjoying one of the few pleasures a soldier in wartime would have.

Sitting by the roadside on a summer’s day
Chatting with my mess-mates passing time away
Lying in the shadows underneath the trees
Goodness how delicious eating goober peas.

Chorus
Peas, peas, peas, peas
Eating goober peas
Goodness how delicious
Eating goober peas.

When a horse-man passes, the soldiers have a rule
To cry out their loudest, “Mister, here’s your mule?”
But another custom, enchanting-er than these
Is wearing out your grinders, eating goober peas.

Chorus

Just before the battle, the General hears a row
He says “The Yanks are coming, I hear their rifles now.”
He looks down the roadway and what d’you think he sees?
The Georgia Militia cracking goober peas.

Chorus

I think my song has lasted just about enough.
The subject’s interesting but the rhymes are mighty rough.
I wish the war was over so free from rags and fleas
We’d kiss our wives and sweethearts, and gobble goober peas.

Chorus

15

If you are aware of the political overtones behind a tune, you would be dishonest to both your audience and yourself to pretend ignorance. If you truly like the tune in spite of the known message, then you would have to wrestle with your own conscience whether to play it or not. If you don’t care for the tune or its message, it would be better to claim ignorance of the tune and be honest to yourself and your convictions.

djm

16

If you don’t care for the music, don’t play it.

I doubt you made much just for that particular tune…so why give yourself a moral puzzle to solve?

–James

17

"Despite its prompt association with the southern cause, ‘Dixie’ remained one of President Lincoln’s favorite tunes. Historian Cheryl Thurber says the very day the South surrendered, Lincoln asked a band to play ‘Dixie’ for crowds gathered outside the White House. " --NPR

18

I don’t care for the politics behind “The Sash…”

It is a great melody with a grand solid rhythm and a serious attitude.

I would play it every day.. if I forgot about all the associations.

Slan,
D.

19

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5n6JQlzmepo

20

I think the song to which you kindly provided a link
is a great song, in truth. Not done so well in
the link, but it’s background in the movie.
It’s authentic, it expresses honestly
and the ‘unreconstructed rebel’ is somebody
real.

By the way it can be done to another tune,
‘The State of Arkansas.’ I don’t know the
words to it but Pete Seeger adapted it
to the struggle to integrate Southern schools,
giving it these
words.

My name is Terry Roberts
From Little Rock I come.
I went down to the school house
The place they kept me from.
I went down to the schoolhouse
And this is what I saw.
State troopers with steel helmets
In the state of Arkansas.

Now listen Governer Faubus
And President Eisenhower too.
Give me the Constitution
That’s what you got to do.
Give me that Constitution
I ask for nothing more.
That’s what I want to study
In the state of Arkansas.

Well, you see:

Well I’m a good old Rebel
Yes that’s just what I am.
For this great land of freedom
I do not care a damn.
I’m glad I fought against it
I only wish we’d won
And I don’t want no pardon
For anything I done.

Well I can’t take up my musket
And fight em now no more
But I ain’t a gonna love em
Now that is something sure,
And I don’t want no pardon
For what I was and am.
And I won’t be reconstructed
And I do not care a damn.

But Dixie is something else–a bright, happy
tune, with hurrah hurrah words which
people played and sang on their way to die.
The Battle Hymn of the Republic is not
bright and happy and it says what’s worth
dying for.