Gone to Shiloh Lyrics
Little Dan and Becky waved goodbye
They're gonna have to share the weight together
Idle hands will see a good farm slowly die
For the Union
Shoulder to shoulder
Side by side
Gone to Shiloh
Hope springs eternal
When flags and bullets start to fly
They watched his shadow fade around the bend
He's headed for a different kind of thunder
And the stunned surprise in the eyes of dying men
For the Union
Shoulder to shoulder
Side by side
Gone to Shiloh
Time passes slowly
When flags and bullets start to fly
His step seemed bold, his manner fancy-free
I pray we see him alive and well in the fall here
Than that God-forsaken place in Tennessee
For the Union
Shoulder to shoulder
Side by side
Gone to Shiloh
Men stand united
When flags and bullets start to fly
If we should prevail
Heaven help the South
When Sherman comes their way
This song is set during the Civil War in the US, and the elder son (probably) is going off to fight with the Union Army at what became known as the Battle of Shiloh, or Battle of Pittsburgh Landing, which took place in southwestern Tennessee in the Spring of 1862. The narrator of the song is probably the father of the family (unless it's the grandfather telling the story and Little Dan and Becky's father that is going to war).
I honestly never thought I'd hear three of my early 70s rock heroes harmonizing together as they do on this moving song. Neil Young adds a haunting quality to his verse and the choruses, along with Leon Russell and Elton John. It's also a refreshing change to hear a song with a hero that's fighting for the North in the Civil War, as there are so many cliché tunes featuring "rebel heroes".