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