A HOUSE DIVIDED
Captain Emmett Lochran
Brother, my brother
One blue and one gray
Will meet upon a quiet field
The morn of Judgment Day
Brother, my brother
God has heard your battle call
Now He'll watch His precious children
Learn how to stand, learn how to fall
And His eyes will look away
For His heart will so be torn
As his fields of gold turn scarlet
From the rage of battle born
And the silence of the night
Will be broken with the cry
Of the ones who've been forgotten
On a quiet field where honour lies
Voice of Abraham Lincoln
A house divided against itself cannot stand
Our fathers, when they formed this constitution understood this.
The right to secede from the Union cannot exist.
The Union is everything.
If its destruction by one or more states is lawfully possible
Then the Constitution has failed.
A storm is coming, and the Union will defend itself.
Private Sam Taylor
Listen brother, there's a storm blowing in
And there won't be mercy for the next of kin
There ain't nothing you can say or can do
That will make me over, so I think like you
So bang the drum, and ring the bell
If war must come, see you in hell
Private Nathaniel Taylor
You go your way brother, I'll travel mine
But it breaks my heart to see you cross the line
There ain't nothing you can say or do
That will make me over so I think like you
Take one last look
Private Sam Taylor
And fare-thee-well
Private Nathaniel Taylor
Then close the book
Both
See you in Hell
Captain Emmett Lochran
And the ordinary days
Of a husband and his wife
Will be lost and gone forever
From their ordinary life
Corporal William McEwan
Today I heard some mighty things
And the words rose up like a thousand wings
Saying we must stand together
If this country is to survive
'Cause we owe a debt to the men
Who made this land forever free
So you work until the debt is paid
'Least it seems that way to me
So I must go
I must go
Sarah McEwan
But the roof needs fixin',
And the house needs paint
And the plantin's done
But the harvest ain't
And I'm worried 'bout the crops
And scared to death of losing you
Corporal William McEwan
Oh Sarah, I'll be home soon
And I only pray
That our son will grow
And will know someday
That his father kept his promise
For the honour of our name
So I must go
I must go
Captain Emmett Lochran
Home is the constant
Home is the land
Home is the only thing
A man can understand
To force his angry hand
Captain Billy Pierce
Mr. Lincoln says we don't have a choice
And I keep my counsel and I hold my voice
But there are some things that I won't abide
Like the streets of Richmond gettin' occupied
So if its war, that Lincoln sends
Then at my door, all patience ends
I must raise my sword for Virginia
Right or wrong, I will fight for this land
I will raise my sword for Virginia
This is my country
These are my people
Here is the line in the sand
All
Give me now a splendid sun
With all his light full clear
Give me now a gentle autumn
Before the dying of the year
Give me a field of unbloodied grass
Before the bugle call
All God's precious children
Learn how to stand, learn how to fall
FREEDOM'S CHILD
Frederick Douglass
My name is Frederick Douglass
I am the son of a slave and a white man
The president would have you believe that the essential nature of this conflict is to preserve the union. It is not.
Others would have you believe it is to uphold the right of self-government. It is not.
That it is to abolish slavery, I have no manner of doubt.
The right of the Negro is the pivot upon which this whole rebellion turns.
And so I ask you, Mr. Lincoln: are the principles of political freedom, embodied in the Declaration of Independence, extended to us?
Look at these hands
I stole them from my master
Look through these eyes
Imagine what they've seen
The cold, dark night
Must now come to an end
A holy light
Is just around the bend
Today we fight
For all the ground in between
The words we say and what we really mean
So let the bells of freedom ring
Let the dogs of war run wild
From out the age of darkness bring
The birth of freedom's child
Look at these words:
"To God all men are equal"
Write them again
In letters black and strong
Till all are free
We'll all live as a slave
We all must be
The land born to the brave
Till you and me
Can find a place to belong
Where we believe what isn't right must be wrong
So throw my brother's chains away
No more to be exiled
And get down on your knees and pray
We'll all be freedom's child
All of those years
Standing outside
Knocking on heaven's door
All of those tears
All of us crying
Give us our freedom
Nothing less, nothing more!
Where slavery is, there liberty cannot be
Freedom!
Where liberty is, there slavery cannot be
Freedom!
If this institution of slavery is to be removed from this land
Freedom!
We must remove it!
So throw my brother's chains away
Freedom!
No more to be exiled
Freedom!
And get down on your knees and pray
Freedom!
We'll all be freedom's child!
So let the bells of freedom ring
Freedom!
Let the dogs of war run wild
Freedom!
From out the age of darkness bring
Freedom!
The birth of freedom's child
So throw my brother's chains away
Freedom!
No more to be exiled
Freedom!
And get down on your knees and pray
Freedom!
We'll all be freedom's child!
BY THE SWORD/SONS OF DIXIE
Frederick Douglass
This contest must now be decided and decided forever.
Which of the two, freedom or slavery, shall give law to this republic?
Let the conflict come.
Union Soldiers
Now come on boys, we'll rattle our sabres a bit
Well, at least for a couple of days till they quit
Gonna raise up Ol' Glory and make 'em salute
If we ever can stop all this talking and shoot
Now the battle is near
And the moment is here
It's the Union forever
When the blue meets the gray
Every rebel will pay
Confederate Soldiers
I can shoot a mounted horseman from half a mile away
I can take a hill and hold it till we meet on Judgment Day
I will cut a dashing figure
I will make the ladies swoon
I'll be back by fall to kiss 'em all
If the war don't end too soon
We'll make 'em all skedaddle
Long before the cotton's high
We can whoop 'em in a battle
Sure 'nough whoop 'em do or die
Union Soldiers
When we lick 'em, we'll get home before the first snow
We'll come back with a chestful of medals to show
When we lick 'em, there'll be one hellatious parade
Yeah, and maybe by then we'll get paid
All for one, one for all
So let's open the ball
It's the Union forever
By the angels above
By all that we love
By the sword
By the sword
By the sword
By the vow we have taken
Now we awaken
Our flag flying high
We will live or we'll die
By the sword
Confederate Soldiers
I won't let no damn Yankee tell me how I'm gonna live
I will not forget and you can bet I ain't tendin' to forgive
So we polish up our muskets and give 'em all a yell
We'll chase 'em down to Washington or send 'em all to hell
We'll send 'em all a-runnin'
From the warm Virginia sun
So let 'em come a-gunnin'
And we'll show 'em how it's done
When the sons of Dixie take to the field
Then the battle is won for we never will yield
When the sons of Dixie fire their guns
Then we'll all see how fast that a scared Yankee runs
Captain Emmett Lochran
Now with God on our side
Let the truth be our guide
Union Soldiers
As we fight for our country
Captain Billy Pierce
Now with God on our side
Let the truth be our guide
Confederate Soldiers
As we fight for our country
Union Soldiers
Now the battle is near
Confederate Soldiers
And the moment is here
All
For the Union/Old Dixie forever
When the blue meets the gray
Every rebel/Yankee will pay
Confederate Soldiers
When the sons of Dixie take to the field
Union Soldiers
By the sword!
Confederate Soldiers
Then the battle is won for we never will yield
Union Soldiers
By the sword!
Confederate Soldiers
When the sons of Dixie fire their guns
Union Soldiers
By the sword!
Confederate Soldiers
Then we'll all see how fast that a scared Yankee runs
All
With our flag flying high
We will live or we'll die
By the sword
Captain Billy Pierce
By the sword!
TELL MY FATHER
Private Nathaniel Taylor
No!
Private Sam Taylor
Tell my father that his son
Didn't run or surrender
That I bore his name with pride
As I tried to remember
You are judged by what you do
While passing through
As I rest 'neath fields of green
Let him lean on your shoulder
Tell him how I spent my youth
So the truth could grow older
Tell my father, when you can
I died a man
Tell him we will meet again
Where the angels learn to fly
Tell him we will meet as men
For with honour did I die
Tell him I fought the blue
Proud and true, through the fire
Tell my father so he'll know
I love him so
Tell him how I wore the gray
Just the way that he taught me
Tell my father not to cry
Then say goodbye
THE PECULIAR INSTITUTION
Auctioneer
Step right up, gentlemen
Step right up
We have a fine selection of strong young bucks
And choice nimble-fingered wenches for your consideration
Auctioneer's Assistant
Turn around, you bastard
Auctioneer
A strong back for bearing any burden
Unscarred by whip or brand
Auctioneer's Assistant
Turn around, you bastard
Auctioneer
And fine white teeth unstained by any taste of liquor or lies
550
555, thank you, sir
560
560
560
580
590
600
610
Thank you, sir
The Enslaved
I remember the first time I witnessed
The hard terrible lash of the boss-man
On a back runnin' red
In the cool of the morning
In my sixteenth or seventeenth summer
How I cried when they sold off my brothers
To a house far away
Like a team of fast horses
How they jabbed and prodded and poked me
On the block of the docks in Savannah
They opened my mouth
For to reckon my value
I am summoned to pleasure the master
On those nights when the humor is on him
I bear him his sons
And he trades them for gold
And it feels more like dying than living
When somebody ain't free
And there's no one but Jesus forgiving
What they're doing to me
And they stole my son
From his bed one night
And they sold him South
'Cause the mistress decided he wasn't polite
And his eyes were disturbing
And my poor heart cries
But it comes and goes
Cause there's more good-byes
Than my body and soul and my broke heart knows
That I won't be forgetting
And it feels more like dying than living
When somebody ain't free
And the angels weep
And the winds complain
And the hurt goes deep
And the conscience of everyone tries to explain
When there's no explanation
And we're bought and sold
On the auction block
And the young grow old
In the chains that their father's would die to unlock
For their emancipation
And there's no one but Jesus forgiving
What they're doing to me
White women
Parasols, lawns of green
Summer all year long
Always there, seldom seen
They carry us along
The Enslaved
There must be an end!
To this long dark night
May the Lord God send
All his wrath down upon what he knows isn't right
To this valley of sorrow
Let the angels scream
Let the cold wind howl
Let the good men dream
Of the day when the devil of hate doesn't prowl
May that day be tomorrow
And it feels more like dying than living
How can God let this be
And there's no one but Jesus forgiving
What they're doing to me
I remember the old ones would tell me
'Bout a land that lay over the water
So far, far away
Where they said we had kingdoms
They said we had kingdoms
Auctioneer
Sold!
IF PRAYIN' WERE HORSES
Clayton Toler
Don't cry for what might have been
There ain't enough tears
To empty the ocean of my sorrow
We're strangers a'wanderin'
The prairie of years
Born to be waitin' for tomorrow
And freedom ain't comin' soon enough for me
And sure 'nough ain't comin' for free
If prayin' were horses all of us would ride
And ever I'd be by your side
Auctioneer
Sold!
Bessie Toler
Don't cry for what might have been
There ain't enough time
Just hold me and memorize my story
This country we're travelin'
Is all uphill climb
It's windy and empty and so lonely
If prayin' were horses, all of us would ride
And ever I'd be by your side
Both
Move along now like a river
Don't you ever look back
Feel our people like a river
Runnin' fast, deep and black
Don't cry for what might have been
There ain't enough tears
To empty the ocean of my sorrow
We're strangers a'wanderin'
The prairie of years
Born to be waitin' for tomorrow
And freedom ain't comin' soon enough for me
And sure 'nough ain't comin' for free
If prayin' were horses all of us would ride
And ever I'd be by your side
Auctioneer
Sold!
Both
And ever I'd be by your side