Oscar Brand's Songs of ’76 returns for America’s 250th anniversary

Gypsy Hill Music is reissuing Oscar Brand’s Songs of ’76: A Folksinger’s History of the Revolution as the U.S. marks its semiquincentennial. The book uses Revolutionary-era songs and historical commentary to show how ordinary people experienced the war, and it is now featured in museum exhibitions in New Jersey and Boston.

Why it matters: - Songs of ’76 offers a different view of the American Revolution, focusing on the songs, jokes, complaints and arguments of ordinary people rather than only generals and political leaders. - The reissue arrives during the nation’s 250th anniversary, giving the book new relevance for readers, educators and museum visitors. - The book is now part of two exhibitions, extending its reach beyond the page and into public history spaces.

What happened: - Gypsy Hill Music announced the reissue of Songs of ’76: A Folksinger’s History of the Revolution, originally published in 1972 by Oscar Brand. - The new edition is published by Lyons Press and distributed by Simon & Schuster. - The publication date is Sept. 1, 2026. - The book centers on the American Revolution through songs people sang as events unfolded around them. - The volume is featured as the centerpiece of its namesake exhibit at the new Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music in Long Branch, New Jersey. - The book also appears in Chimes of Freedom: Patriotism, Protest, and the Power of Song at the Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame at the Boch Center in Boston.

The details: - Brand collected more than 60 songs from old manuscripts, newspapers and historical accounts. - He paired those lyrics and melodies with his own historical commentary. - The material covers taxation, the Boston Massacre, the Tea Party, the coming of war, battles, heroes and traitors. - The songs reflect both Patriot and Tory perspectives. - The book’s approach shows what the Revolution sounded like to people living through it, not just what it looked like in official records. - The book is a trade paperback with 192 pages. - The ISBN is 978-1-4930-9840-8. - The list price is $24.95. - The Library of Congress’s National Library Service still includes Songs of ’76 among its music appreciation resources on patriotic and protest music. - More information is available on the official publisher page for Songs of ’76 and the Amazon Book Page as listed in the release. - More about Oscar Brand is available at OscarBrand.com.

Between the lines: - Jeannie Brand said her father believed songs could reveal what official documents could not, including what people feared, joked about and fought over. - The reissue frames the Revolution as a human story rather than a purely monumental one. - The museum placements suggest continued institutional interest in folk music as a way to interpret American history.

What's next: - The book’s exhibition visibility may help introduce Oscar Brand’s work to new audiences ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary observances. - Gypsy Hill Music continues to manage Oscar Brand’s musical and literary legacy. - Brand’s catalog is positioned to reach readers, listeners and museumgoers through both retail and exhibition channels.

The bottom line: - Songs of ’76 is returning at a moment when Americans are looking for fresh ways to interpret the Revolution, and Oscar Brand’s song-based history offers one of the most distinctive angles available.