There’s Life in the Old Land Yet

A song to the Maryland Society from 1862.
Words by Jas. R. Randall.
Music by Edward O. Eaton.


The sheet music:


Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:


Lyrics

  1. By blue Pataps co’s billowy dash
    The tyrant’s war-shout comes
    Along with the cymbals’ fitful clash
    And the growl of his sullen drums
    We hear it, we heed it, with vengeful thrills
    And we shall not forgive or forget
    There’s faith in the streams
    There’s hope in the hills
    There’s life in the old land yet
    There’s faith in the streams
    There’s hope in the hills
    There’s life in the old land yet
  1. Minions! we sleep, but we are not dead
    We are crushed, we are scourged, we are scarred
    We croueth ’tis to welcome the triumph tread
    Of the peerless Beauregard
    Then woe to your vile, polluting horde
    When the Southern braves are met
    There’s faith in the victor’s stainless sword
    There’s life in the old Land yet
  2. Bigots! ye quell not the valiant mind
    With the clank of an iron chain
    The spirit of freedom sings in the wind
    O’er Merryman, Thomas and Kane
    And we, though we smite not, are not thralls
    We are piling a gory debt
    While down by McHenry’s dungeon walls
    There’s life in the old Land yet
  3. Our women have hung their harps away
    And they scowl on your brutal bands
    While the nimble poignard dares the day
    In their dear, defiant hands
    They will strip their tresses to string our bows
    Ere the Northern sun is set
    There’s faith in their unrelenting woes
    There’s life in the old Land yet
  4. There’s life, though it throbeth in silent veins
    ‘Tis vocal without noise
    It gushed o’er Manassa’s solemn plains
    From the blood of the Maryland boys
    That blood shall cry aloud, and rise
    With an everlasting threat
    By the death of the brave, by the God in the skies
    There’s life in the old Land yet

Sung here by Vancha March: