The Soldier's Joy

The Soldier's Joy is fiddle tune classified as a reel or country dance, which traces its origin to Scottish fiddling traditions.  It has been played in Scotland for over two hundred years, and Robert Burns used it for the first song of his cantata, 'The Jolly Beggers'. It is one of the oldest and most widely used tunes. The tune dates as early as 1760s.

In spite of its upbeat tempo and catchy melody, the term "soldier's joy" has a much darker meaning, than is portrayed by the tune. This term eventually came to refer to the combination of Whiskey, beer, and morphine used by American soldiers to alleviate pain. 

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