Liberty Song

Come, join hand in hand, brave Americans all,
And rouse your bold hearts at fair Liberty's call,
No tyrannous acts shall suppress your just claim,
Or stain with dishonour America's name.

(Chorus)
In freedom we're born and in freedom we'll live,
Not as slaves but as freemen our money we'll give.

Our worthy forefathers - let's give them a cheer -
To climates unknown did courageously steer;
Thro' oceans to deserts for freedom they came,
And dying bequeathed us their freedom and fame.

(Chorus)

Their generous bosoms all dangers despised,
So highly so wisely their birthrights they prized,
We'll keep what they gave - we will piously keep,
Nor frustrate their toils on land or the deep.

(Chorus)

The tree their own hands had to liberty reared,
They lived to behold growing strong and revered,
With excitement they cried, "Now our wishes we gain,
For our children shall gather the fruits of our pain."

(Chorus)

Swarms of Placemen and Pensioners soon will appear,
Like locusts deforming the crops of the year,
Suns vainly will rise, showers vainly defend,
If we are to labor for what others will spend.

(Chorus)

Then join hand in hand brave Americans all,
By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall;
In so righteous a call, let us hope to suceed,
For heaven approves of each generous deed.

(Chorus)

All ages shall speak with amaze and applause,
Of the courage we'll show in support of our laws.
To die we can bear - but to slave we disdain -
For shame is to freemen more dreadful than pain.

(Chorus)

This poem I crown for our sovereign's health
And this to Britannia's glory and wealth;
That wealth and that glory immortal may be,
If she is but just and if we are but free!

...John Dickinson

I love this poem; my brother and I wrote music for it.  There are a lot of good concepts and principles within these lines - concepts that more of us need to grasp and take to heart.