The “original” John Brown song uses the melody “Brothers, Will You Meet Me” (A.K.A. “Say Brothers Will You Meet Us”, also used as the melody for Julia Ward Howe’s “Battle Hymn of the Republic”):

So here’s the question:

Is this song about THE John Brown:

… or is it about a more obscure “John Brown”?

GO, LISTEN & READ TO FIND OUT!:

• “Teacher Hit Me with a Ruler” by Sarah Vowell (This American Life) — Describes how the song originated & evolved into the Battle Hymn of the Republic, written by Julia Ward Howe.
• “John Brown Marches On” (NYTimes.com 2011)