[patton]

I

The despot’s heel is on thy shore,
Maryland!*
His torch is at thy temple door,
Maryland!
Avenge the patriotic gore
That flecked the streets of Baltimore,
And be the battle queen of yore,
Maryland! My Maryland!
II

Hark to an exiled son’s appeal,
Maryland!
My mother State! to thee I kneel,
Maryland!
For life and death, for woe and weal,
Thy peerless chivalry reveal,
And gird they beauteous limbs with steel,
Maryland! My Maryland!
III

Thou wilt not cower in the dust,
Maryland!
Thy beaming sword shall never rust,
Maryland!
Remember Carroll’s sacred trust,
Remember Howard’s warlike thrust,-
And all thy slumberers with the just,
Maryland! My Maryland!
IV

Come! ‘tis the red dawn of the day,
Maryland!
Come with thy panoplied array,
Maryland!
With Ringgold’s spirit for the fray,
With Watson’s blood at Monterey,
With fearless Lowe and dashing May,
Maryland! My Maryland!
V

Come! for thy shield is bright and strong,
Maryland!
Come! for thy dalliance does thee wrong,
Maryland!
Come to thine own anointed throng,
Stalking with Liberty along,
And chaunt thy dauntless slogan song,
Maryland! My Maryland!
VI

Dear Mother! burst the tyrant’s chain,
Maryland!
Virginia should not call in vain,
Maryland!
She meets her sisters on the plain-
“Sic semper!” ‘tis the proud refrain
That baffles minions back amain,
Arise in majesty again,
Maryland! My Maryland!
VII

I see the blush upon thy cheek,
Maryland!
For thou wast ever bravely meek,
Maryland!
But lo! there surges forth a shriek,
From hill to hill, from creek to creek-
Potomac calls to Chesapeake,
Maryland! My Maryland!
VIII

Thou wilt not yield the Vandal toll,
Maryland!
Thou wilt not crook to his control,
Maryland!
Better the fire upon thee roll, Better the blade, the shot, the bowl,
Than crucifixion of the soul,
Maryland! My Maryland!
IX

I hear the distant thunder-hum,
Maryland!
The Old Line’s bugle, fife, and drum,
Maryland!
She is not dead, nor deaf, nor dumb-
Huzza! she spurns the Northern scum!
She breathes! she burns! she’ll come! she’ll come!
Maryland! My Maryland!

[nathanbedford]

As his horses stepped into the Potomac on the way to Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the North, he had the regimental bands strike up, "Maryland, my Maryland." Now we have Barbara Mikulski wading across the Potomac on her way to the United States Senate where she assists Barak Obama in dismantling our democracy.

Somebody should tell non- sequitur that is what we were fighting for.

All in fun.

[Verginius Rufus]

Wait till the Hispanic activists discover the fourth verse, glorifying the Maryland-born American commanders fighting in Mexico in the War of 1846.

As a native of Virginia, it warms my heart to see an antebellum map showing Virginia extending to the Ohio River, but I accept the loss of West Virginia as a fait accompli and probably a good thing overall...but Jefferson County and Berkeley County should still be part of Virginia. How can the Commonwealth of Virginia not have a county named for Jefferson?

[STONEWALLS]

...were were taught the third verse in elementary school in Howard County in the 1950s

[rabidralph]

We used to sing that song in music class at school when I was growing up. But I don’t recall the teacher explaining who the “despot” was.

[Salamander]

Oh yeah, taking out “northern scum” is *really* gonna change the intent of the song.

Why don’t they just replace it with “Shiny, Happy People”, the buncha Botards.