<P> The melody was previously published around July 1, 1863, as the music to the Civil War drinking song "Johnny Fill Up the Bowl". A color - illustrated, undated slip of Gilmore's lyrics, printed by his own Boston publisher, actually states that "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" should be sung to the tune of "Johnny Fill Up the Bowl". The original sheet music for "Johnny Fill Up the Bowl" states that the music was arranged (not composed) by J. Durnal . There is a melodic resemblance of the tune to that of "John Anderson, My Jo" (to which Robert Burns wrote lyrics to fit a pre-existing tune dating from about 1630 or earlier), and Jonathan Lighter has suggested a connection to the seventeenth - century ballad "The Three Ravens". </P> <P> "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" is also sung to the same tune as "Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye" and is frequently thought to have been a rewriting of that song . However, "Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye" was not published until 1867, and it originally had a different melody . </P> <P> "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" was immensely popular and was sung by both sides of the American Civil War . It became a hit in England as well . </P> <P> Quite a few variations on the song, as well as songs set to the same tune but with different lyrics, have appeared since "When Johnny Comes Marching Home' was popularized . The alleged larcenous tendencies of some Union soldiers in New Orleans were parodied in the lyrics "For Bales", to the same tune . A British version appeared in 1914, with the similar title, "When Tommy Comes Marching Home". </P>

When johnny comes marching home union or confederate