“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,” Johnny Horton piped the iconic opening line of “The Battle of New Orleans.”
The song, written by Jimmy Driftwood, has had a long list of covers, but Horton’s was undeniably a standout, as it earned not just the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 but was also ranked by the magazine as the top song of 1959 in a time dominated by rock and roll sound. In addition, his rendition was recognized by the Grammys, winning the Best Country & Western Performance, and was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2002.
Meaning Behind the Song
Driftwood wrote this song when he was a teacher at Snowball, Arkansas. He wanted to rouse his students’ interest in learning history, so he figured that rendering it in ballad form would do the trick. And it did. One of those was “The Battle of New Orleans.”
He penned the track in 1936, setting it to the music of a popular American fiddle tune, “The 8th of January.” It narrates the celebration of Andrew Jackson’s victory in the final major battle against Great Britain in the War of 1812. At the time, both countries’ troops were unaware that a peace treaty had already been signed in Ghent, Belgium, and so the battle ensued.
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As the song opened, in the autumn of 1814, a British fleet of more than 50 ships led by Gen. Edward Pakenham sailed into the Gulf of Mexico. They hoped to conquer New Orleans by strategically situating themselves at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Gen. Andrew Jackson, commander of the Seventh Military District, didn’t waste any time and assembled all able-bodied men and weapons to aid the city’s defense.
The Americans split into two defensive positions, the eastern bank commanded by Jackson and the west by Gen. David Morgan. They started battling on a small scale, but then the British kept coming, so they waited for a full-blown attack.
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Around 8,000 British troops moved forward and broke through the defensive lines. But as soon as they were in sight, the Americans delivered heavy fire, and the British quickly lost their general. The battle lasted two hours, and ultimately, the Americans won despite being outnumbered.
Driftwood recorded the track in 1958, but Horton catapulted it into fame in 1959.
Sing along to Johnny Horton’s version of “The Battle of New Orleans” in the video below. And make sure to check out more of Johnny Horton’s hits! They definitely deserve a listen.
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