A rock song about Gettysburg

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Thanks to Civil Warriors for this one, this is too cool. This song is by The Brandos.

Here are the lyrics:

On a cold October’s day
The battlefield at Gettysburg
On a plaque I read my name
The wheels of time begin to turn
I see the years stripped away
I see their lines blue and gray

Chorus:

Down in Gettysburg
Saw them fall
Bloody Gettysburg
Took them all
Waited for the word
Never came
Retreat from Gettysburg

I’ve seen a lot of wicked things
Heard a lot of people cry
I know it couldn’t touch the pain
Of seeing 50,000 die
I saw the sun fall away
The moon shone white on their graves

Chorus

Billy Yank said good-bye
Mother’s son left to die
Dixieland look away
Mother’s son died today

Papa fought a bloody war
His father in the one before
Walking through the haunted field
I knew we couldn’t give no more
I saw the years stripped away
I watched men die blue and gray

Chorus

6 thoughts on “A rock song about Gettysburg”

  1. Dan,
    If this song came out years ago( and it sounds like the one I heard) I have been searching for it for a long time.
    I believe the group Savanah did a song on Gettysburg and I can’t seem to find that one now. Any idea?

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  2. There was a song ( studio version ) played on NYC radio around 1990 or so, catchy tune, this is a live version, and I’d like to know the name of the band, I have been searching for this tune for some time as well as Saul. Thanks

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  4. I used to listen to that song on the radio in 1987, while I was on my way to college. I have been trying to find out who that was for a long time. Thanks to google, I was able to go directly to your site, and there it was!

    Thanks a million!

    Glen

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  5. Same here! Heard this great song in my teen years, only never to hear of it again until now! Thanks to all involved in putting this song back where it belongs! I was replaying this in my mind thousands of times and did a search for it a few times. Came up with nothing. I thought the bands’ name was Gettysburg Address. The Brandos had a very unique sound and rhythm.

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    • its so funny this song was in my head for a long time also. first heard it on 102.7 wnew fm where rock lived. thought it was by the smithereens. i have been going crazy trying to find it too.

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