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

Great Britain

GREAT BRITAIN in her fury

Does America engage;

Hell is her judge and jury,

That sets her in a rage,

She fancies none can beat them;

When they arrive on shore,

The Americans will meet them,

As they have done before.

When America engages,

We’ll hold by freedom’s rein,

She’ll fight to endless ages,

Her freedom to maintain;

She shows with such a beauty

An independent stand;

She scorns to pay her duty

Unto a British land.

Let those who are connected

Throughout our training band,

Be men who are respected

Throughout Columbia’s land;

Let them in duty, glory,

Teach soldiers to obey,

And not, like some old tory,

Desert and run away.

We’ll volunteer out willingly,

Our country’s rights to save;

The British now are killing

Columbia’s sons so brave:

To hear of such reviling,

We do it but disdain,

It sets our blood a boiling

In every raging vein.

And when they do engage us,

We’ll not regard their frowns;

We’ll fight it out courageous,

Until death doth sweep us down;

And this is our desire,

The balls at them to fling,

Like stones thrown at Goliath,

From great King David’s sling.

We’ll form this resolution,

Independent for to be,

With a free constitution,

And rights of liberty;

If any foreign nation

For duty on us call,

We’ll try the operation

Of powder, smoke, and ball.