▁subject ▁matter , ▁such ▁as : ▁drink ing ▁songs , ▁sport ing ▁songs , ▁train ▁songs , ▁work ▁songs , ▁war ▁songs , ▁and ▁ball ads . ▁ ▁The ▁Star - Sp ang led ▁B anner ' s ▁t une ▁was ▁adapted ▁from ▁an ▁old ▁English ▁drink ing ▁song ▁by ▁John ▁Staff ord ▁Smith ▁called ▁" To ▁An acre on ▁in ▁Heaven " ▁ ▁" The ▁Ball ad ▁of ▁Case y ▁Jones " ▁is ▁a ▁traditional ▁song ▁about ▁rail road ▁engineer ▁Case y ▁Jones ▁and ▁his ▁death ▁at ▁the ▁controls ▁of ▁the ▁train ▁he ▁was ▁driving . ▁It ▁tells ▁of ▁how ▁Jones ▁and ▁his ▁fire man ▁Sim ▁Web b ▁rac ed ▁their ▁locomot ive ▁to ▁make ▁up ▁for ▁lost ▁time , ▁but ▁discovered ▁another ▁train ▁ahead ▁of ▁them ▁on ▁the ▁line , ▁and ▁how ▁Jones ▁remained ▁on ▁board ▁to ▁try ▁to ▁stop ▁the ▁train ▁as ▁Web b ▁jump ed ▁to ▁safety . ▁ ▁" When ▁Johnny ▁Com es ▁March ing ▁Home " ▁( s ometimes ▁" When ▁Johnny ▁Com es ▁March ing ▁Home ▁Again ") ▁is ▁a ▁popular ▁song ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War ▁that ▁expressed ▁people ' s ▁long ing ▁for ▁the ▁return ▁of ▁their ▁friends ▁and ▁relatives ▁who ▁were ▁fighting ▁in ▁the ▁war . ▁The ▁Irish ▁anti - war ▁song ▁" John ny ▁I ▁Hard ly ▁K new ▁Ye " ▁and ▁" When ▁Johnny ▁Com es ▁March ing ▁Home " ▁share ▁the ▁same ▁mel od ic ▁material . ▁Based ▁on ▁internal ▁text ual ▁references , ▁" John ny ▁I ▁Hard ly