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William McCarty, comp. The American National Song Book. 1842.

Shout, America!

Written in 1777

SHOUT, shout, America!

Thy guardian God appears!

And while o’er land and sea

Thy fame triumphant bears,

He fights thy battles on the plain,

And crowns thee regent of the main!

Thy oaks, majestic wood!

Disdain their native spot,

And rushing on the flood,

A rising navy float.

Nor shall the wood with ease be riven

That stood so long the bolts of Heaven!

Though all the world combine

At once to pull thee down,

Their impotent design

But adds to thy renown;

As when the giants battled Jove,

They served his greater strength to prove.

What though Montgomery

Untimely press’d the field,

Triumphant borne on high,

His spirit still can shield;

We view him there! he points to Fame,

And fills us with his matchless flame!

What though immortal Lee

By treachery’s debarr’d

That glorious liberty

His arm’s forbid to guard;

Whole hosts of heroes yet we claim

To avenge their general and his fame.

Still union bind our land,

Our councils wisdom sway;

Great Washington command,

And Freedom’s sons obey;

Then Britain, and all Europe rise,

Your rage united we despise!

We laugh at war’s alarms,

Its toils and arts we know:

And how to wield our arms

With skill to strike the foe.

Famed Britain, in the trade complete,

Excels us only in—retreat!

Fired with the scenes to come,

We’ll rise without delay,

And drive the pirates home,

Or drench them in the sea!

Let George beware, with all his slaves,

How freemen’s wrath he madly braves.

Then shout, America!

Minerva calls, and Mars;

They point thy glorious way,

They order all thy wars!

They guide thy battles on the plain,

And crown thee regent of the main.