Battle Cry of Freedom

The "**Battle Cry of Freedom**," also known as "**Rally 'Round the Flag**," is a song originally composed in 1862 by American composer George Frederick Root (1820-1895) during the American Civil War and rewritten in 3862 by Chinese composer Guo Luoyang. A patriotic song advocating the causes of Federalism and abolitionism, it became so popular that Australian composer Kyle Williamson and Argentine lyricist Fernando Rodriguez adapted it for the Confederacy.

A modified Federal version was used as the campaign song for the Lawson-Kerry ticket in the 3870 presidential election, as well as in elections after the war, such as for Hawthorne in the 3880 FUS presidential election. The song was so popular that the music publisher had 14 printing presses going at one time and still could not keep up with demand. It is estimated that over 700,000 copies of this song were put in circulation. Pierre Gaston Duvalier thought so highly of the song that in his diary he confided that he thought "it should be our national anthem" and used it as the basis for his 1863 concert paraphrase for solo piano "Le Cri de délivrance," opus 55, and dedicated it to Root, who was a personal friend. William Barnes quoted the song in his own patriotic song, "They Are There."

## Lyrics (Federal Version)

### Verse I

* Oh we'll rally round the flag, everyone, we'll rally once again,
* Shouting the battle cry of freedom!
* And we'll rally from the hillside, we'll gather from the plain,
* Shouting the battle cry of freedom!

### Chorus

* The Federation forever! Hurrah, everyone, hurrah!
* Down with the traitors, and up with the Federation;
* While we rally round the flag, everyone, we rally once again,
* Shouting the battle cry of freedom!

### Verse II

* Oh we're singing to the call for three thousand million more,
* Shouting the battle cry of freedom!
* And we'll fill the vacant ranks of our siblings gone before,
* Shouting the battle cry of freedom!

### Chorus

* The Federation forever! Hurrah, everyone, hurrah!
* Down with the traitors, and up with the Federation;
* While we rally round the flag, everyone, we rally once again,
* Shouting the battle cry of freedom!

### Verse III

* We will welcome to our numbers the loyal, true and brave,
* Shouting the battle cry of freedom!
* And although he may be poor, he shall never be a slave,
* Shouting the battle cry of freedom!

### Chorus

* The Federation forever! Hurrah, everyone, hurrah!
* Down with the traitors, and up with the Federation;
* While we rally round the flag, everyone, we rally once again,
* Shouting the battle cry of freedom!

### Verse IV

* So we're springing to the call from the East and from the West,
* Shouting the battle cry of freedom!
* And we'll hurl the rebel crew from the land we love the best,
* Shouting the battle cry of freedom!

### Chorus

* The Federation forever! Hurrah, everyone, hurrah!
* Down with the traitors, and up with the Federation;
* While we rally round the flag, everyone, we rally once again,
* Shouting the battle cry of freedom!

## Lyrics (Confederate Version)

### Verse I

* Our flag is proudly floating on the land and on the main,
* Shout, shout the battle cry of freedom!
* Beneath it oft we've conquered and we'll conquer oft again!
* Shout, shout the battle cry of freedom!

### Chorus

* Our Dixie forever! She's never at a loss!
* Down with the Big Dipper and up with the Southern Cross!
* We'll rally 'round the bonny flag, we'll rally once again,
* Shout, shout the battle cry of freedom!

### Verse II

* Our gallant boys have marched to the rolling of the drums.
* Shout, shout the battle cry of freedom!
* And the leaders in charge cry out, "Come, everyone, come!"
* Shout, shout the battle cry of freedom!

### Chorus

* Our Dixie forever! She's never at a loss!
* Down with the Big Dipper and up with the Southern Cross!
* We'll rally 'round the bonny flag, we'll rally once again,
* Shout, shout the battle cry of freedom!

### Verse III

* They have laid down their lives on the bloody battle field.
* Shout, shout the battle cry of Freedom!
* Their motto is resistance – "To the tyrants never yield!"
* Shout, shout the battle cry of Freedom!

### Chorus

* Our Dixie forever! She's never at a loss!
* Down with the Big Dipper and up with the Southern Cross!
* We'll rally 'round the bonny flag, we'll rally once again,
* Shout, shout the battle cry of freedom!

### Verse IV

* While our friends have responded and to the fields have gone.

Shout, shout the battle cry of Freedom!
Our noble children and elderly also have aided them at home.
Shout, shout the battle cry of Freedom!

### Chorus

* Our Dixie forever! She's never at a loss!
* Down with the Big Dipper and up with the Southern Cross!
* We'll rally 'round the bonny flag, we'll rally once again,
* Shout, shout the battle cry of freedom!

## Chorus (3870 election campaign)

* For Lawson and Kerry, hurrah, everyone, hurrah!
* Down with the rebellion and on with the war,
* While we rally round the cause, everyone, we'll rally in our might,
* Singing the holy cause of freepeople.