None of the accounts at the time identified any tune in particular.
But about fifty years after the surrender of the British to the Americans at Yorktown, a legend developed that it was “a well known song” called “The World Turned Upside Down.”
The title is so fitting to the situation that people assume it must be true, but the evidence is pretty dubious.
Most likely, they played a variety of slow marches because the process of surrendering-marching forward in a pile, took quite a bit of time.
Related Posts
-
What was the song that the Titanic band played as the ship went down and sank?
"Songe d'Automne," also called "Dream of Autumn," by Archibald Joyce (1908) could have been the last song the band played on the Titanic before it sank. Or it could have been the hymn…
-
How Did the Song “Happy Birthday” Originate and Who Owns the Copyright to the Song?
The song "Happy Birthday" began as "Good Morning Dear Children" and was written by educators Mildred and Patty Hill in 1893. In 1924, a publisher changed the opening line to "Happy Birthday to…
-
Who was Matilda in the Australian Song “Waltzing Matilda” and When was the Folk Song Written?
In the Australian song "Waltzing Matilda," a billabong is a pool of stagnant water. A swagman was someone who carried around everything he owned in a knapsack. Waltzing meant hiking, and Matilda wasn't…
-
How Did the New Year’s Song Auld Lang Syne Originate and What Does the Song and Poem Mean?
The tone and lyrics of Auld Lang Syne seem to capture perfectly the emotions involved in the passing of the fleeting accomplishments and losses of one calendar year coinciding with the rise of…
-
What Was the Working Title of the Beatles Song “Yesterday” and When Was the Song Recorded?
"Yesterday" has had more airtime than any other song in history. The Beatles' Paul McCartney said the song came to him in a dream. While writing it he used the working title "Scrambled…
-
What was a song duel and How did the Inuit use song duels to settle disputes?
A song duel was the Inuit's unique way of settling disputes. Instead of fighting, two people who were angry with one another came before an audience and took turns singing songs that pointed…
