Herbie Mann’s Battle Hymn of the Republic

If you haven’t heard Herbie Mann’s rendition of the Battle Hymn of the Republic from his Memphis Underground album, you need to stop reading this post, download or buy the song and listen to it. And yes, I did say album.  Back when I first experienced this song, it was on a vinyl album.

Every time I hear the song I think about the story my father told when it played. First he told the story with the music and then played the song again so we could envision the story on our own. Each instrument was like a brush stroke bringing the story to life.

My Dad’s Story

The story begins with a saddened lonely man slowly walking the street on a cold snowy Christmas Eve. This man had lost everything (listen to the organ and the occasional guitar strum). He lost his wife and his children. He was fired from his job and eventually lost his home. All he had left were the dingy tattered clothes he had on his back.

The snow flakes were swirling and he was cold and hungry. In the distance he sees a small ray of light (listen to the flute). As he gets closer to the light he realizes it’s a church and hears the feint sound of music. As he walks toward the church, the light gets brighter and the music louder (the music picks up a bit in tempo). When he reaches the building he looks up the seemingly never ending church steps at the stained glass doors. He’s hesitant to go in.

Realizing he has nothing to lose he starts up the church steps (listen to the congas). At the top of the step he places his hand on the door and slowly pushes it open. He steps in and takes a seat in the rear pew. Happy to be warm, he sits back and listens to the preacher preach and the choir perform.

Suddenly the music starts to pickup and something comes over this man. Instead of hiding in the back pew, he finds himself walking up the aisle. An inner feeling of hope, and for the first time in a long time he knew everything would be alright. He knows he’s not alone and things happen for a reason. He didn’t understand the reason why, but he knew it was going to be all right.

As the music slows and the flute softens, you see the man leave the church, but he’s not the same man as the one who walked into the church. He knows he has a purpose.

Envision Your Own Story

That story was one told to me as a child. That was my father’s story. That’s what he saw and he felt when he heard Herbie Mann play the Battle Hymn of the Republic. Mann’s rendition of the song may affect you differently. My suggestion is that you listen to the song and feel the music for yourself.

Category: Flute, Jazz