by George Cooper (1840 - 1927)
For the dear old Flag I die
Language: English
"For the dear old Flag I die," Said the wounded drummer boy; "Mother, press your lips to mine; O, they bring me peace and joy! 'Tis the last time on the earth I shall ever see your face, Mother, take me to your heart, Let me die in your embrace. Chorus: For the dear old Flag I die, Mother, dry your weeping eye; For the honor of our land And the dear old Flag I die. Do not mourn, my mother dear, Every pang will soon be o'er; For I hear the angel band Calling from their starry shore; Now I see their banners wave In the light of perfect day, Though 'tis hard to part with you, Yet I would not wish to stay. Farewell mother, Death's cold hand Weights upon my spirit now, And I feel his blighting breath Fan my pallid cheek and brow. Closer! closer! to your heart, Let me feel that you are by, While my sight is growing dim, For the dear old Flag I die.
Authorship:
- by George Cooper (1840 - 1927) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Stephen Collins Foster (1826 - 1864), "For the dear old Flag I die", published 1863. [voice and piano] [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Laura Prichard [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2015-12-26
Line count: 29
Word count: 172