Historic Sheet Music Collection

Document Type

Score

Publication Date

1922

Comments

National colonial anthem of the United States of America
words and music by George K. Hamilton.

Ladleton, N.Y. : Geo. K. Hamilton

Some of these resources may contain offensive language or negative stereotypes. Such materials should be seen in the context of the time period and as a reflection of the attitudes of the time. The items are part of the historical record, and do not represent the views of the libraries or the institution.

Lyrics

This wilderness was our abode,
A hundred years ago,
And if good meat we chose to eat, we caught the buck and doe.
For fish, we used the hook and line,
We pounded corn to make it fine,
On Johnny cakes the ladies dine,
In the new country.

[SYMPHONY]
Our fathers, where were they?
When they sailed for New York, In America?
When they signed their Independence
in the City of Philadelphia.

[CHORUS]
Our fathers they were Patriots,
Who fought with Washington,
With Jackson and for Jefferson,
Against a foreign crown.
Our States were formed from the Colonies,
Independence our liberty,
The Stars and Stripes our emblem to be,
In the new country.

They came from France they came from Spain,
They crossed the waters blue,
From Holland and from Germany and from the dear old English Isles.
From Sweeden and Norway from Switzerland so true,
To our mountains streams and valleys,
On our prairies lakes and wilds,
In the new country.

[CHORUS]

Our occupations were to make,
The lofty forest bow,
With axes good we chopped the wood, and well we all knew how,
We cleared the land for rye and wheat,
For strangers and ourselves to eat,
From ample trees we made our sweet,
In the new country.

[CHORUS]

We lived in social harmony,
We drank the pearling stream.
The doctor, priest and lawyer were seldom to be seen.
Our health it needed no repair,
No pious one forgot his prayer,
How could we keep the lawyer where In the new country.

[CHORUS]

Our paths were thru the winding vale, o'er which the savage trod,
They were not wide, nor scarce a guide, but all the ones we had.
Our houses made of logs of wood, rolled up and squared and corked with mud,
If the bark was tight the roof was good,
In the new country.

[CHORUS]

From the deerskins we made our moccasins to wear upon our feet.
A checkered shirt was thought no hurt, good company to keep;
And if a visit we did repay on a winter's night or a winter's day,
The oxen drew the ladies sleigh in the new country.

[CHORUS]

COinS
 

The views expressed in this paper are solely those of the author.