We have a song in Sweden where we sing (in Swedish):
"Emperor Napoleon had hundred thousand men.
Emperor Napoleon had hundred thosand men.
Emperor Napoleon had hundred thousand men,
when he marched along the road in macadam."
The melody is the same as "John Brown's body lies a'mouldring in his grave". You sing it repeatedly, but for each time you leave out the last word from "men" and backwards, until there is nothing left but the part "when he marched along the road in macadam." Do you get the point?