Happy 4th of July (Americans only)

[Opus106]

You couldn't find anything in Wikipedia to substantiate the claim that the US had a war in 1812?

Sorry, I should've worded that better. I meant to say that I couldn't find anything connecting the playing of the music on July 4th and the war declared by the U.S. in 1812.

[M forever]

Plus, the US had a "War of 1812" so must Americans probably assume that Tchaikovsky was American.

Most Americans probably don't even know that there was a war in which the US was involved in 1812. If you would poll people about that and ask them against who that war was fought, the vast majority of people would probably say "the Russians" some would say "dunno, maybe Iraq or some shit like that" and probably less than 5% would know the correct answer.

[scarpia]

Most Americans probably don't even know that there was a war in which the US was involved in 1812. If you would poll people about that and ask them against who that war was fought, the vast majority of people would probably say "the Russians" some would say "dunno, maybe Iraq or some shit like that" and probably less than 5% would know the correct answer.

Actually the US was at war with the Russians (indirectly).  The French had been at war with England for more than a decade, the US was mad that the British for disrupting neutral shipping and kidnapping US sailors to serve on British warships. Essentially the US entered the war on the side of France, which was in the process of invading Russia.  The US planned to seize all of Canada, but that didn't work out.  Ironically, the largest battle of the war took place after the peace treaty was signed, which was unknown to the combatants in the remote region known as New Orleans.

[Szykneij]

Ironically, the largest battle of the war took place after the peace treaty was signed, which was unknown to the combatants in the remote region known as New Orleans.

In 1814 we took a little trip
Along with Colonel Jackson down the mighty Mississip.
We took a little bacon and we took a little beans
And we caught the bloody British in the town of New Orleans.

We fired our guns and the British kept a'comin.
There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago.
We fired once more and they began to runnin' on
Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.

[mn dave]

In 1814 we took a little trip
Along with Colonel Jackson down the mighty Mississip.
We took a little bacon and we took a little beans
And we caught the bloody British in the town of New Orleans.

We fired our guns and the British kept a'comin.
There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago.
We fired once more and they began to runnin' on
Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.

I have that track. 

[greg]

In 1814 we took a little trip
Along with Colonel Jackson down the mighty Mississip.
We took a little bacon and we took a little beans
And we caught the bloody British in the town of New Orleans.

We fired our guns and the British kept a'comin.
There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago.
We fired once more and they began to runnin' on
Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.

I had to memorize that for history class once and recite it with a partner in front of the class (everyone else had to, as well, if I remember right). What an amazing song, gripping, and if you study the tone row in the middle section, you'll see that the first seven notes are actually a retrograde inversion of the seven notes of the C# minor scale. Not really.

[SonicMan46]

I have that track. 

Yes, Johnny Horton singing the Battle of New Orleans - love his 'historic' ballad songs! 

But, I must say that Ray Charles singing American the Beautiful is one of my favs this time of the year! 

 

[M forever]

I had to memorize that for history class once and recite it with a partner in front of the class

That's how they teach history here? Interesting. That explains a lot.

[Szykneij]

Yes, Johnny Horton singing the Battle of New Orleans - love his 'historic' ballad songs! 

Me too! "Sink the Bismark" was a big favorite of mine when I was a kid.

[greg]

That's how they teach history here? Interesting. That explains a lot.

Yeah, we never had tests and never had to study out of books, ever. In fact, we didn't even have books- the local gangs would take them away flush them down the toilet.

[Lilas Pastia]

Yeah, well it's still better than Canada, where licking British ass is the national pastime (along with America-bashing). Sure, there's plenty wrong with America, but it's just sad that every time Canadians start talking about their national identity (or lack thereof), the occasion always devolves very rapidly into America-bashing. For a country its size (ie. population) Canada does have a lot to be proud of. Maybe it would help instill a sense of national identity and pride if they would let the America-bashing subside, and if they would stop naming every town, street, school, and urinal after some long-dead, swishy, inbred British monarch. Why not start naming (and re-naming) some things after great Canadians? And forget politicians! Screw Trudeau and Pearson; Let's name an airport after Glenn Gould! 

Licking british ass is NOT the national pastime in the portion of Canada I live in. Apart from Victoria BC, I don't know a single large canadian city named after a long-dead, swishy british monarch. Actually, I don't recognize in your description anything I could associate with Canada. Including America-bashing. Unless you equate it with Bush bashing. Even that is done more tastefully (canadian-style) than what is the case in the rest of the world.

[mn dave]

Canadians are the nicest people. Does anything piss them off?

[Sergeant Rock]

In 1814 we took a little trip
Along with Colonel Jackson down the mighty Mississip.
We took a little bacon and we took a little beans
And we caught the bloody British in the town of New Orleans.

We fired our guns and the British kept a'comin.
There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago.
We fired once more and they began to runnin' on
Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.

Horton gets some of the details right. The next verse goes:

We looked down the river and we seed the British come
And there must've been a hundred of 'em beatin' on the drum
They stepped so high and they made their bugles ring
We stood beside our cotton bales, didn't say a thing...


The Seventh Infantry Regiment fought at New Orleans and their defense behind the cotton bales is remembered to this day in their nickname, the Cottonbalers, and Distinctive Unit Insignia:




This post brought to you by Sgt Rock, GMG's expert in military trivia

[Sergeant Rock]

Me too! "Sink the Bismark" was a big favorite of mine when I was a kid.

Mine too. I recall the song came out, and was a Top 40 hit, shortly before the film, Sink the Bismarck, came to my local theater. At age 11 I felt like Cartman waiting for the Nintendo Wii to come out...the wait was unbearable 

I saw the film again several years ago. It's stood up pretty well: a fairly accurate account of the Bismarck campaign...although the admiral's character is a ridiculous stereotype of a Nazi.

Sarge

[M forever]

I watched that last year, it was on cable, along with a documentary in which they showed the little one-man submarines they tried to use in the operation. IIRC, they also took an expedition to the site and lifted one of these from the depths. Or maybe my recollection is not exact here since I used to watch a lot of these documentaries on the History and the Military Channel. Now I don't have cable anymore. BTW, it's spelled "Bismarck", not "Bismark".

[SonicMan46]

The Seventh Infantry Regiment fought at New Orleans and their defense behind the cotton bales is remembered to this day in their nickname, the Cottonbalers, and Distinctive Unit Insignia:..........................

Sarge - thanks for the detail above - enjoyed!    Actually, own the film Sink the Bismarck (1960) - love watching Dana Wynter in a uniform! - a good film!

But, I must say that one of my favorite films w/ a Johnny Horton song is North to Alaska (also, 1960) w/ John Wayne, Stewart Granger, and Capucine (just beautiful & charming!) - 

 

[drogulus]

I watched that last year, it was on cable, along with a documentary in which they showed the little one-man submarines they tried to use in the operation. IIRC, they also took an expedition to the site and lifted one of these from the depths. Or maybe my recollection is not exact here since I used to watch a lot of these documentaries on the History and the Military Channel. Now I don't have cable anymore. BTW, it's spelled "Bismarck", not "Bismark".

    The midget subs were used to attack the Tirpitz, the sister ship of the Bismarck. They did some damage but eventually the ship was sunk by aerial bombing. Special 12,000 lb. bombs were developed for the occasion.

     

     

[M forever]

Right, I remember that now, the documentary I saw was about that. The Tirpitz was sitting in a fjord in Norway while the Bismarck was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean. I recall they said in the documentary that around the site where the Tirpitz was anchored, there are now artificial lakes, basically water-filled craters which were created by the big bombs that missed the ship!

[scarpia]

Wikipedia has a concise and fascinating description of the sinking of the Bismarck.  Remarkable how the naval engagements of these enormous ships with so many lives at stake can turn on a lucky break, like the torpedo that disabled the rudder of the Bismarck, or the complete destruction of the Hood by a single shell that apparently hit the magazine. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_battleship_Bismarck

[Sergeant Rock]

Now I don't have cable anymore. BTW, it's spelled "Bismarck", not "Bismark".

I know...too much cognac last night 

Sarge