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of the community he could not see his sister-in-law becoming romantically attached to a poor preacher and so stepped in to put an end to the relationship. Miss
Blocksom told Webster that they must part and gave him a letter containing the line "If we try, we may forget," which found its way into the song. The brokenhearted Mr. Webster resigned his pastorate and left Zanesville. In 1856, Webster met Joseph P. Webster (who later composed the music of " Sweet By-and-By"). J. P. Webster was looking for lyrics to a song he was writing and Henry Webster responded by writing a ballad about his lost love, changing her name from Ella to Bertha. The composer required a three-syllable name and Henry Webster changed the name again, this time to Lorena. The song was published in 1857 by Higgins Brothers of Chicago and soon was known across America.
29:
169:, soldiers on both sides of the conflict thought of their wives and girlfriends back home when they heard the song "Lorena". One Confederate officer even attributed the South's defeat to the song. He reasoned that upon hearing the mournful ballad the soldiers grew so homesick that they lost their effectiveness as a fighting force.
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Church in
Zanesville where the Rev. Henry DeLafayette Webster was the minister. Miss Blocksom caught the eye of the young preacher and his feelings became more than just pastoral. Henry Blandy and his brother Fred were co-owners of the Blandy foundry in Zanesville. As a wealthy and prominent member
361:, played on fiddle. The saloon keeper tells the fiddler that it is too melancholy and asks him to play a different tune. Near the end of the movie, the piano player plays an upbeat version of the tune, and the crowd celebrates their victory over the aliens by dancing to it.
100:, after a broken engagement. He wrote a long poem about his fiancée Ella Blocksom, but changed her name at first to "Bertha" and later to "Lorena", perhaps an adaptation of "Lenore" from
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Henry D.L. Webster also married, fathered four children, and eventually became the minister of a
Unitarian church in Chicago, Illinois. He died in 1896, and is buried in Chicago.
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Her parents being deceased, Miss
Blocksom lived with her brother-in-law and sister, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Blandy. The family attended the
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After their defeat at the Battle of
Atlanta, Confederate General John Hood and his men somberly sang the song while leaving the city.
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A NATION SINGS: A MUSICAL REMEMBRANCE OF CIVIL WAR TUNES, FEATURING U.S. ARMY BAND AND CHORUS, AND CIVILIAN VOCALISTS
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the tune is used in the background as Gus McCrae lies dying – ostensibly played on a whorehouse piano.
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The melody features prominently in several episodes of the 1990 Ken Burns documentary
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The tune of the song is used in the saloon scene near the beginning of the 2012 film
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justice from 1879 to 1886. She died in 1917 and is buried at
Woodland Cemetery in
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used the melody to represent bittersweet parting at the end of the 1959 western
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The song features prominently in one subplot-line of the television series
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It was also used as background music in the PBS Civil War drama series
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documentary is available on the series' accompanying soundtrack album.
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is manning the stall at the charity dance in her mourning outfit and
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in 1857. It became a favorite of soldiers of both sides during the
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in 1986 album, recorded live at The
Kennedy Center, Washington, DC
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song with Ohio origins. The lyrics were written in 1856 by Rev.
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to represent homecoming in various scenes in the 1956 western
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It was used as harmonica background music in the TV series
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Was featured in the 2017 Colin
Farrell/Nicole Kidman film,
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chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time.
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at
Lawrence County, Ohio Genealogy and Historical website
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The
American Bicentennial Songbook, Vol. 1 (1770-1870s)
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Tennessee Ernie Ford Sings Civil War Songs of the South
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An instrumental version was recorded and released by
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wrote the music, and the song was first published in
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319:films. The melody of "Lorena" was used by composer
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132:"Lorena" was based on the lyricist's love for a
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189:The frost gleams where the flow'rs have been.
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282:But there, up there, 'tis heart to heart.
231:Sleep on! nor heed life's pelting storms."
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667:Songs written by Joseph Philbrick Webster
255:They touched some tender chords, Lorena,
229:I'll say to them, "Lost years, sleep on!
225:But then, 'tis past, the years are gone,
214:And hear the distant church bells chime.
265:The tie which linked my soul with thee.
259:'Twas not thy woman's heart that spoke;
251:Yes, these were words of thine, Lorena,
206:Though mine beat faster far than thine.
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464:was included on the compilation album
238:The hopes that could not last, Lorena,
183:Oh, the years creep slowly by, Lorena,
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227:I'll not call up their shadowy forms;
204:And felt the pulse beat fast, Lorena,
200:A hundred months have passed, Lorena,
191:But the heart beats on as warmly now,
147:In 1854 Martha Ella Blocksom married
272:Our heads will soon lie low, Lorena,
240:They lived, but only lived to cheat.
223:Had but our loving prospered well --
221:And what we might have been, Lorena,
219:Far more than we ever dared to tell;
208:A hundred months, 'twas flowery May,
202:Since last I held that hand in mine,
248:Were words of thine long years ago.
210:When up the hilly slope we climbed,
187:The sun's low down the sky, Lorena,
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393:season 1 episode 4 - "Sacrifice".
280:'Tis dust to dust beneath the sod;
274:Life's tide is ebbing out so fast.
193:As when the summer days were nigh.
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558:. American Cowboy. Archived from
533:, May 12, 2007, Zanesville, Ohio.
449:"Lorena" was recorded in 1961 by
263:A duty, stern and pressing, broke
242:I would not cause e'en one regret
217:We loved each other then, Lorena,
197:A-down affection's cloudless sky.
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278:Of life this is so small a part!
276:There is a Future! O, thank God!
270:The past is in the eternal past;
261:Thy heart was always true to me:
195:Oh, the sun can never dip so low
185:The snow is on the ground again.
662:Songs of the American Civil War
253:They burn within my memory yet;
234:The story of that past, Lorena,
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246:For "if we try we may forget,"
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244:To rankle in your bosom now;
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556:"The Top 100 Western Songs"
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604:www.thetabernaclechoir.org
552:Western Writers of America
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289:Usage in more recent media
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437:Red Dead Redemption 2
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574:"Johnny Cash – 1970"
451:Tennessee Ernie Ford
358:Cowboys & Aliens
600:"Digital Downloads"
562:on 19 October 2010.
98:Henry D. L. Webster
81:Henry D. L. Webster
466:Johnny Cash – 1970
336:The Horse Soldiers
301:Gone With The Wind
167:American Civil War
153:Ohio Supreme Court
118:American Civil War
16:American folk song
120:. Members of the
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304:(1939) when
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609:11 February
481:Matt Glaser
473:Molly Mason
462:Johnny Cash
427:Video games
417:Josh Radnor
399:Wagon Train
329:. Composer
321:Max Steiner
165:During the
75:Lyricist(s)
61:Composer(s)
672:1857 songs
656:Categories
444:Recordings
433:video game
374:Television
94:antebellum
584:2 January
485:Civil War
477:Jay Ungar
404:Ann Blyth
381:Civil War
343:(1956).
317:John Ford
106:The Raven
104:'s poem "
51:Published
643:. (1963)
628:"Lorena"
554:(2010).
508:Katyusha
502:See also
390:So Weird
22:"Lorena"
578:Discogs
519:Sources
128:History
114:Chicago
43:Written
580:. 1970
479:, and
176:Lyrics
90:Lorena
538:Notes
513:Erika
611:2023
586:2019
294:Film
54:1857
46:1856
37:Song
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