Get Out of the Way Old Dan Tucker

There's nothing new under the sun in the way cities work. The more things change, the more they stay the same

Here’s a gossipy excerpt from a local Halifax reader called HALIFAX: It’s Sins and Sorrows from April 9th, 1862 filled with familiar characters, themes and songs

It’s the height of the Civil war and Halifax’s waterfront docks are a Starwars bar scene of North and South, Soldiers and Spies, English, French, Americans, traders, and fishermen from all over.

Popular media and the free press have found great voice in Halifax more than most places due mainly to the work of Joseph Howe and Thomas Haliburton. Newspapers, broadsheets, pamphlets, and gossip notes of all sort cover the town along with the goings and doings of the people.

In this news of the day report, it’s the soldiers in town causing a bit of a ruckus with the rock and roll of their band playing Old Dan Tucker marching through town on the way to church. But it’s the solution that’s timeless. The folks talked to the General of the soldiers. He took responsibility and put things back in order to everyone’s satisfaction and that was the end of the whole matter.

“None, probably, will controvert this statement, that, in general, cities are centres of light and of darkness-centres of virtue and centres of vice.
That such should be the case is natural. To account for it is easy. In large cities vast numbers of the human family are congregated together.

Halifax, like other Garrison Towns is obliged to contend with the demoralizing influences of a depraved soldiery - among these, however, are honorable exceptions. Most of the Military commanders who have been from time to time
stationed in this city have given the weight of their influence towards helping on Sabbath profanation, by allowing their soldiers to march to and from Church on the Lord's day to the sound of martial music.

Much of that music was not so martial either, for there is not much of the spirit of Mars in " Dixie Land," " There's nae luck about the House," “Old Dan. Tucker," etc. These airs, however, played by a fine band, did not fail to attract crowds of the lower orders, and in such numbers as to nearly block up the streets and side-walks opposite the Garrison Chapel.

After submitting to this outrage on the sanctity of the Lord's Day, and on the feelings of many Christians who feared God and referenced the Sabbath, an effort was made to have it suppressed. " Old Dan. Tucker" began to sound so flat to ears attuned to sacred melody, that it became intolerable.

The lovers of the Sabbath, putting their heads together, as the saying is,
approached General Doyle very respectfully and said, " General Doyle can't you oblige us by keeping ' Old Dan.' at home on the Sabbath?'

" Certainly," said the good General: and so "Old Dan. Tucker" has not been to
Church ever since.”