Ballard Of The Green Mountain Boys

We need this spirit today more than ever.

Ho--all to the borders! Vermonters, come down,
With your britches of deerskin and jackets of brown;
With your red woolen caps and your moccasins come,
To the gathering summons of trumpet and drum.
Come down with your rifle!
Let gray wolf and fox
Howl on in the shadow of primitive rocks;
Let bear feed securely from pig-pen and stall;
Here's two-legged game for your powder and ball.
Then cheer, cheer, the green mountaineer, then cheer, cheer the green mountaineer!

On the south came the Hessians, our land to police;
And armed for the battle while canting of peace;
On our east came the British, the red coated band
To hang up our leaders and eat up our land.
Ho--all to the rescue! For Satan shall work
No gain for the legions of Hampshire and York!
They claim our possessions--the pitiful knaves--
The tribute we pay shall be prisons and graves!
Then cheer, cheer, the green mountaineer, then cheer, cheer the green mountaineer!

We owe no allegiance, we bow to no throne,
Our ruler is law and the law is our own;
Our leaders themselves are our own fellow-men,
Who can handle the sword and the scythe and the pen
Hurrah for Vermont! For the land that we till
Must have sons to defend her from valley and hill
Our vow is recorded--our banner unfurled,
In the name of Vermont we defy all the world!
Then cheer, cheer, the green mountaineer, then cheer, cheer the green mountaineer!

Lyrics by John Greenleaf Whittier
(1779)