Maryland, My Maryland

Melody - "O Tannenbaum", German folksong, from ca. 1799

James R. Randall, 1861

The despot's heel is on thy shore,
Maryland, my Maryland!
His torch is at thy temple door,
Maryland, my Maryland!
Avenge the patriotic gore
that flecked the streets of Baltimore,
and be the battle queen of yore,
Maryland, my Maryland!

2. Hark to an exiled son's appeal,
Maryland, my Maryland!
My mother state, to thee I kneel,
Maryland, my Maryland!
For life or death, for woe or weal,
thy peerless chivalry reveal,
and gird they beauteous limbs with steel,
Maryland, my Maryland!

3. Thou wilt not cower in the dust,
Maryland, my Maryland!
Thy beaming sword shall never rust,
Maryland, my Maryland!
Remember Caroll's sacred trust.
Remember Howard's warlike thrust,
and all thy slumberers with the just,
Maryland, my Maryland.

4. Come! 'Tis the red dawn of the day,
Maryland, my Maryland!
Come with thy panoplied array,
Maryland, my Maryland!
With ringgold's spirit for the fray,
with Watson's blood at Monterey,
with fearless lowe and dashing may,
Maryland, my Maryland!

5. Dear Mother, burst the tyrant's chain,
Maryland, my Maryland!
Virginia should not call in vain,
Maryland, my Maryland!
She meets her sisters on the plain,
"Sic semper!" 'Tis the proud refrain
Arise in majesty again,
Maryland, my Maryland!

6. Come! For thy shield is brighter and strong,
Maryland, my Maryland!
Come! For thy dalliance does thee wrong,
Maryland, my Maryland!
Come to thine own heroic throng,
stalking with Liberty along,
and chant thy dauntless slogan-song,
Maryland, my Maryland!

7. I see the blush upon thy cheek,
Maryland, my Maryland!
But thou wast ever bravely meek,
Maryland, my Maryland!
But lo! There surges forth a shriek,
from hill to hill, from creek to creek,
Potomac calls to Chesapeake,
Maryland, my Maryland!

8. Thou wilt not yield the vandal toll,
Maryland, my Maryland!
Thou wilt not crook to his control,
Maryland, my Maryland!
Better the fire upon the roll,
better the shot, the blade, the bowl,
than crucifixion of the soul,
Maryland, my Maryland.

9. I hear the distant thunder-hum,
Maryland, my Maryland!
The "old line's" bugle, fife and drum,
Maryland, my Maryland!
She is not dead, nor deaf, nor dumb;
Huzza! She spurns the Northern scum
She breathes! She burns! She'll come! She'll come!
Maryland, my Maryland!

To illustrate how governments will do anything to remain in power, read about the lengths that the US government went to in order to keep Maryland in the Union. The writ of habeas corpus was suspended, and a military board ran the state, in effect occupying Maryland. This was done to prevent Washington DC from being entirely surrounded by the Confederacy. Line

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