dots-menu
×

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

Song: ‘Hail to the chief, now in glory advancing’

Written soon after the Battle of Erie

Tune—“Irish Harp”

HAIL to the chief, now in glory advancing,

Who conquer’d the Britons on Erie’s broad wave:

Who play’d Yankee Doodle to set them a dancing,

Then tripp’d up their heels for a watery grave;

May Heaven its favours shed

On his victorious head—

Bold may he battle and conquer the foe:

While the loud cannon’s roar

Echoes from shore to shore,

Strike for Columbia—strike! lay the proud low!

Ours! ours is the country where freemen are dwelling;

No tyrant nor lordling disturbs here our ease;

Our hearts,—freemen’s hearts,—proud with liberty swelling,

Disdain the cold tyrant that preys on the seas.

Once—though weak in war,

With many a wound and scar—

Bruised we the Bull till he ran off with fear;

Yes! soon the time will come,

When e’en the Yankee drum,

Sounding like death-bell, each Briton will scare.

Then fight, heroes, fight for the laurel of glory;

While England insults us with proud, haughty scorn;

So long may you fight to ennoble the story

Of our freemen triumphant o’er Britons forlorn.

While thus ye glory gain,

O’er all the watery main

Yankees shall sing the exploits of the brave;

And all Columbia’s boys

Exult, with patriot joys,

Over our heroes that fight on the wave.