President Lincoln loved opera, especially “Martha” by Friedrich von Flotow. The opera is known for a beautiful aria called “Ach so Fromm.”

One of Mr. Lincoln’s favorite tunes was “Annie Laurie,” an old Scottish love ballad.

And, of course, he loved “Dixie.”

While the Confederates appropriated it as their anthem, Dixie had been a popular song North and South before the Civil War.

After the war, the president jokingly claimed the song as federal property.

Source: NPR Morning Edition