When the Boston radicals were stirring the rebellion pot they set up a media campaign that would impress any latter-day presidential candidate. They invented the campaign song. It was The Liberty Song, written by John Dickinson in Pennsylvania to the British air Heart of Oak by William Boyce. They took the liberty of publishing lyrics and music together in the Boston Evening-Post of August 22, 1768, so Boston may still owe fees to the Boyce estate.
It’s a great song that they rewrote and adapted as fit their needs, a quality we could use in a popular patriotic song. There were eight verses and chorus to Dickinson’s version, but I have selected verses 1, 2, and 6 for your pleasure.
1 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 dishonor America’s name.
In Freedom we’re born and in Freedom we’ll live.
Our purses are ready. Steady, friends, steady;
Not as slaves, but as Freemen our money we’ll give.
2 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, bequeath’d us their freedom and fame.
6 Then join hand in hand brave American all
By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall
In so righteous a cause let us hope to succeed
For Heaven approves of each generous Deed–
You can get Heart of Oak scored for vocal and piano at www.freehandmusic.com for $3.95 The only CD I found was Music Of The American Revolution: The Birth Of Liberty (New World Records 80276-2) with Sherrill Milnes singing, but he turns the song into a military exercise. I am sure you can do better. Charles Marlin
