American Revolutionary War Songs to Cultivate the Sensations of Freedom

Arthur F. Schrader

The first anthologies of Revolutionary War song-texts began to appear in 1842. Fast forward 131 years, and many adaptations later, to find music historian and performer Arthur Schrader revisited the original texts in their primary sources.

This recording and its notes evolved from preparation by Schrader for a 1973 conference sponsored by the Colonial Society of Massachusetts. He wanted to address the inaccuracies, censorship and simplification that had affected the tunes and texts of Revolutionary War songs over the centuries.

Such is Schrader’s dedication to authenticity; the unabridged song texts are reproduced in facsimile from eighteenth century newspapers, magazines and caricatures. Furthermore, most songs are sung unaccompanied as they would have been in the eighteenth century, and sung to the tune to which their authors wanted them sung.

In this form, the songs become more than ephemeral. They provide as compelling a record of the social, economic, political, and military events of their day as John Adams’ diary, an entry from which gives this album its evocative title.

Track Listing

101	Burn All Arthur F. Schrader	02:09
102	Address to the Ladies Arthur F. Schrader	02:04
103	Liberty Song Arthur F. Schrader	02:53
104	Come Shake Your Dull Noodles Arthur F. Schrader	03:04
105	The World Turned Upside Down (The Old Woman Taught Wisdom) Arthur F. Schrader	03:47
106	Ballad of the Tea Party Arthur F. Schrader	01:25
107	Liberty Tree / Tory Doodle Arthur F. Schrader	03:02
201	Yankee Doodle's Intrenchments Near Boston Arthur F. Schrader	01:36
202	The Irishmen's Epistle Arthur F. Schrader	00:59
203	The King's Own Regulars Arthur F. Schrader	02:41
204	New Massachusetts Liberty Song (Free America) Arthur F. Schrader	02:37
205	Lady Washington (Saw You My Hero) Arthur F. Schrader	01:38
206	The Rebels Arthur F. Schrader	03:14
207	The Halcyon Days of Old England Arthur F. Schrader	03:03
208	The Parody Parodized or the Massachusetts Song of Liberty Arthur F. Schrader	02:44