When this came up in OCP’s Guitar Accompaniment Book, I refused to make a backing as I thought it was too well known and was unsuitable for any liturgy I could think of.
The song is otherwise known as the Battle Hymn of the Republic, which was an adaption of the Civil War song, “John Brown’s Body” and has also been used for many a scabrous children’s chant.
While the text is by Julia Ward Howe, who was a real champion, I still don’t think it is a song suitable for liturgy. Some of the least objectionable stanzas are included in the hymnal, but there are a lot of verses and a lot of variations out there. The tune is American traditional.
I did make a backing this time:
1 Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He has loosed the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword;
His truth is marching on.Refrain:
Glory! Glory! Alleluia!
Glory! Glory! Alleluia!
Glory! Glory! Alleluia!
His truth is marching on.2 He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before his judgment seat:
O be swift, my soul, to answer him; be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on.3 In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in his bosom, which transfigures you and me:
As he died to make men holy, let us live to make men free,
while God is marching on.4 He is coming like the glory of the morning on the wave:
He is warning to the mighty and avenger of the slave;
So the world shall be his footstool, for he triumphed o’er the grave!
Our God is marching on.
There is an unfortunate tendency to use this song to glorify war. Not all these clips do, but spot the AI monstrosity.