有这么一段旋律，我最先在Guns N’ Roses的反战歌曲Civil War中听到，由Axl Rose的口哨吹起，动听得撩人；随后在老Bruce Willis的电影“虎胆龙威3”中，出现在具有德国军队背景的反面角色抢夺地下金库时的场面；在我最新看过的“奇爱博士”中，这段旋律又反复出现在美军轰炸机向苏联投掷原子弹的路上，显得振奋而激昂。这应该是与军队有关的曲子，但究竟是什么呢？最终找到原来名为When Johnny Comes Marching Home。(Thanks Google!)
但When Johnny Comes Marching Home也并非源头，其改编自另一首Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye。Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye是一首爱尔兰反战歌曲，产生于19世纪早期英国的东印度公司在爱尔兰征兵去锡兰作战的背景下，描述战士带着残缺不全的身体从战场返回家乡的情景，著名民谣女歌手Joan Baez曾翻唱过Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye，很幽怨；之后到了美国的南北战争时期，爱尔兰裔的Patrick Gilmore改写了Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye的歌词和伴奏来用以鼓舞士气，在改编后的描述中，Johnny从战场完好无损的凯旋，回到了家乡亲人和朋友的身边。蝴蝶效应阴暗与阳光版的两个结局。
以下是有代表性的版本(没找到Joan Baez翻唱的)：
爱尔兰民谣Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye，清新甜美，歌词略有差异但大致相同
Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye
While goin’ the road to sweet Athy, hurroo, hurroo
While goin’ the road to sweet Athy, hurroo, hurroo
While goin’ the road to sweet Athy
A stick in me hand and a tear in me eye
A doleful damsel I heard cry,
Johnny I hardly knew ye.
With your drums and guns and guns and drums, hurroo, hurroo
With your drums and guns and guns and drums, hurroo, hurroo
With your drums and guns and guns and drums
The enemy nearly slew ye
Oh my darling dear, Ye look so queer
Johnny I hardly knew ye.
Where are the eyes that looked so mild, hurroo, hurroo
Where are the eyes that looked so mild, hurroo, hurroo
Where are the eyes that looked so mild
When my heart you so beguiled
Why did ye scadaddle from me and the child
Oh Johnny, I hardly knew ye.
Where are your legs that used to run, hurroo, hurroo
Where are your legs that used to run, hurroo, hurroo
Where are your legs that used to run
When you went to carry a gun
Indeed your dancing days are done
Oh Johnny, I hardly knew ye.
I’m happy for to see ye home, hurroo, hurroo
I’m happy for to see ye home, hurroo, hurroo
I’m happy for to see ye home
All from the island of Sulloon
So low in the flesh, so high in the bone
Oh Johnny I hardly knew ye.
Ye haven’t an arm, ye haven’t a leg, hurroo, hurroo
Ye haven’t an arm, ye haven’t a leg, hurroo, hurroo
Ye haven’t an arm, ye haven’t a leg
Ye’re an armless, boneless, chickenless egg
Ye’ll have to put with a bowl out to beg
Oh Johnny I hardly knew ye.
They’re rolling out the guns again, hurroo, hurroo
They’re rolling out the guns again, hurroo, hurroo
They’re rolling out the guns again
But they’ll never will take my sons again
No they’ll never will take my sons again
Johnny I’m swearing to ye.
改编后的When Johnny Comes Marching Home，带视频的伴奏与演唱
When Johnny Comes Marching Home
When Johnny comes marching home again, Hurrah! Hurrah!
We’ll give him a hearty welcome then, Hurrah! Hurrah!
The men will cheer and the boys will shout
The ladies they will all turn out
And we’ll all feel gay when Johnny comes marching home.
The old church bell will peal with joy, Hurrah! Hurrah!
To welcome home our darling boy, Hurrah! Hurrah!
The village lads and lassies say
With roses they will strew the way
And we’ll all feel gay when Johnny comes marching home.
Get ready for the Jubilee, Hurrah! Hurrah!
We’ll give the hero three times three, Hurrah! Hurrah!
The laurel wreath is ready now
To place upon his loyal brow
And we’ll all feel gay when Johnny comes marching home.
Let love and friendship on that day, Hurrah, hurrah!
Their choicest pleasures then display, Hurrah, hurrah!
And let each one perform some part
To fill with joy the warrior’s heart
And we’ll all feel gay when Johnny comes marching home.
还有意外收获，来自爵士大师Jimmy Smith的When Johnny Comes Marching Home，不一样的口味。爵士真的是无处不在啊。
听了一系列的爵士合辑之后，我也能记住一些出现频率较高的名字，比如Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Julie London等，在没去了解这些伟大的爵士艺术家的一些具体信息前，完全是通过他们的歌声在我脑中幻化出他们的形象（当然有一些经典面孔会出现在很多张专辑的封面上，如Nina Simone），而得知了一些人的生平，又往往会大吃一惊。比如，听着John Coltrane冷静平和的萨克斯曲I’m old fashioned时，绝对想象不到John Coltrane早在1967年其40岁时便已英年早逝，而拥有惊人唱片数量的John Zorn生于1953年，现在还没过60岁，还有一些生于一九零几年的艺术家，在二十一世纪的今天听着他们的声音更是感觉恍如隔世，在爵士乐的海洋中时间仿佛失去了意义。
和摇滚乐不同，我无法确切地说出是哪首爵士歌曲使我突然被爵士吸引住，爵士乐在我的生活中从无到有完全是一个渐进的过程。如果一定要找到哪一首“始作俑者”，我能想到的是The Carpenters(对，就是那首无处不在的Yesterday Once More)的This Masquerade。这首歌的曲调，尤其是中间一段洋气十足的钢琴solo，实在是太独特了，在懵懂之中我仿佛被告知这就是所谓的爵士吧。但直到今天，这首歌究竟是什么风格我还是说不清楚。或许和爵士压根就没一丁点的关系。
