John Brown's Body

American  

noun

1. a long narrative poem (1928) by Stephen Vincent Benét, about the U.S. Civil War.

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“John Brown's Body” Cultural  

1. A song of the Civil War that pays tribute to the abolitionist John Brown (see abolitionism). It begins, “John Brown's body lies a-moldering in the grave.”

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“The Battle Hymn of the Republic” was written to the tune of “John Brown's Body.”

Example Sentences

It was introduced in 1897, initially to the tune of the American abolitionist folk song, John Brown's Body.

From BBC • Jan. 27, 2020

A 1948 limited edition copy of "John Brown's Body," the Stephen Vincent Benet poem?

From Fox News • Dec. 22, 2018

“Since I was a kid there’s always been a strong scene here,” says Elliot Martin, lead singer with the nationally acclaimed band John Brown’s Body.

From The Guardian • Nov. 20, 2018

While the tiny French African garrison slept, a band of young Bamil�k� tribesmen came marching down the dirt road singing their own pidgin French words to the tune of John Brown's Body.

From Time Magazine Archive

From over the house-tops came floating echoes of "John Brown's Body" and "Marching through Georgia."

From Vignettes of Manhattan; Outlines in Local Color by Matthews, Brander