Oscar Brand's Songs of '76 Returns for America's 250th Anniversary

Classic “folksinger’s history” brings the voices, humor, arguments and music of the American Revolution to a new generation

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, September 30, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Gypsy Hill Music announces the re-issue of Songs of ’76: A Folksinger’s History of the Revolution, the distinctive musical history of the American Revolution by legendary folksinger, author and broadcaster Oscar Brand.

Originally published in 1972, Songs of ’76 approaches the Revolution not primarily through generals, politicians and famous speeches, but through the songs ordinary people sang about the events unfolding around them. The new edition, published by Lyons Press and distributed by Simon & Schuster, arrives as the United States commemorates its 250th anniversary.

Brand collected more than 60 songs from old manuscripts, newspapers and historical accounts, pairing their words and music with his own historical commentary. The result captures reactions to taxation, the Boston Massacre, the Tea Party, the coming of war, battles, heroes and traitors — from both Patriot and Tory perspectives. The songs reveal something conventional histories can miss: what the Revolution sounded like to the people living through it.

“Oscar believed that songs could tell us things about history that official documents couldn’t — what people joked about, complained about, feared and fought over,” said Jeannie Brand, the folksinger’s daughter. “He wanted Songs of ’76 to make the Revolution human rather than monumental. As America marks its 250th anniversary, we’re very happy that readers can once again experience the Revolution through the voices of the people who lived it.”

The book is featured in two current exhibitions. It is the centerpiece of its eponymously named exhibit at the new Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music in Long Branch, New Jersey. And it is featured, along with other Oscar Brand memorabilia, at the Chimes of Freedom: Patriotism, Protest, and the Power of Song exhibit at the Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame, housed at the Boch Center in Boston.

About Oscar Brand
Oscar Brand (1920–2016) was a folksinger, songwriter, author and broadcaster whose career spanned seven decades. He wrote hundreds of songs and released scores of albums covering subjects ranging from American history and politics to children’s music and satire.
Brand was also one of the most enduring figures in American radio. Through his work as a performer, writer and broadcaster, he helped preserve and popularize American folk music and introduced generations of listeners to traditional and contemporary performers.

Songs of ’76, first published in 1972, combined Brand’s interests in folk music,
storytelling and American history. The Library of Congress’s National Library Service continues to include Oscar Brand’s Songs of ’76 among its music appreciation resources on patriotic and protest music.

Book Information
Title: Songs of ’76: A Folksinger’s History of the Revolution
Author: Oscar Brand
Publisher: Lyons Press
Publication date: September 1, 2026
Format: Trade paperback
Pages: 192
ISBN: 978-1-4930-9840-8
List price: $24.95

Book information and purchasing:
Official publisher page for Songs of ’76
Amazon Book Page

More about Oscar Brand:
OscarBrand.com

About Gypsy Hill Music
Gypsy Hill Music represents the musical and literary legacy of Oscar Brand. Brand established Gypsy Hill Music during his long career as a songwriter, performer, author and broadcaster.

Jeannie Brand
Gypsy Hill Music
+1 301-466-7253
derienzoj2@hotmail.com
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