better words to the same marching tune
I wonder what the original lyrics were?

John Brown's body lies a'moldering in the grave,
John Brown's body lies a'moldering in the grave,
John Brown's body lies a'moldering in the grave,
But his truth goes marching on!

Ugh. If memory serves, John Brown was a hero/martyr of the Abolishists -- and a kook of the first order.

I'm not sure if the tune originated there, though. In the movie versions of the Scopes Monkey Trial (Inherit the Wind?), the crowd of torch-carrying rednecks sings the same tune, with different words.

Anyone know where the tune started?