The Battle of New Orleans by Johnny Horton

The Battle of New Orleans was written by Jimmie Driftwood. The song details the 1815 Battle of New Orleans from the perspective of an American fighting alongside Andrew Jackson against British forces, but the tone is lighthearted. It has been recorded by many artists, but the one most often associated with this song is Johnny Horton his version was released as a single in 1959.

Driftwood, a school principal in Arkansas with a passion for history, set a historical account of the battle to this music in an attempt to get students interested in learning history. It worked, and Driftwood became well known in the region for his historical songs.

The Battle of New Orleans:

In 1814 we took a little trip
Along with Colonel Jackson
down the mighty Mississip.
We took a little bacon
and we took a little beans
And we caught the bloody British
in the town of New Orleans.

[Chorus:]
We fired our guns and the
British kept a'comin.
There wasn't nigh as many
as there was a while ago.
We fired once more and
they began to runnin' on
Down the Mississippi
to the Gulf of Mexico.

We looked down the river
and we see'd the British come.
And there must have been a hundred of'em
beatin' on the drum.
They stepped so high
and they made the bugles ring.
We stood by our cotton bales
and didn't say a thing.

[Chorus]

Old Hickory said we could
take 'em by surprise
If we didn't fire our muskets
'til we looked 'em in the eye
We held our fire 'til we
see'd their faces well.
Then we opened up with squirrel guns
and really gave 'em ... well

[Chorus]

Yeah, they ran through the briars
and they ran through the brambles
And they ran through the bushes
where a rabbit couldn't go.
They ran so fast that the hounds
couldn't catch 'em
Down the Mississippi
to the Gulf of Mexico.

We fired our cannon
'til the barrel melted down.
So we grabbed an alligator
and we fought another round.
We filled his head with cannon balls,
and powdered his behind
And when we touched the powder off,
the gator lost his mind.

[Chorus]

Yeah, they ran through the briars
and they ran through the brambles
And they ran through the bushes
where a rabbit couldn't go.
They ran so fast
that the hounds couldn't catch 'em
Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.