The song originally intended for use by the Union became so popular that it was adapted for the Confederation and thus also sung south of the Mason-Dixon Line .
Oh, we'll rally round the flag, boys, we'll rally once again,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom,
We will rally from the hillside, we'll gather from the plain,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!
Oh, we're rallying around the flag, boys, we're rallying again,
and calling out the battle cry of freedom!
We stream from the mountains, we stream from the plains,
And cry out the battle cry of freedom!
Refrain:
The Union forever! Hurray, boys, hurray!
Down with the traitor, up with the star;
While we rally round the flag, boys, rally once again,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!
Refrain:
The Union forever! Hooray, guys, hurray!
Down with the traitor, up with the star;
As we gather around the flag, boys, gather again,
And cry out the battle cry of freedom!
We are springing to the call of a million free men more,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!
And we'll fill our vacant ranks of our brothers gone before,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!
We jump up to the cry of another million free people,
And cry out the battle cry of freedom!
And fill up our ranks emptied by the previous brothers,
And call out the battle cry of freedom!
We will welcome to our numbers the loyal, true and brave,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!
And although he may be poor, not a man shall be a slave,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!
We welcome the loyal, the honest and the brave in our multitudes,
And shout the battle cry of freedom!
Even if he is poor, no one may ever be a slave,
And call out the battle cry of freedom!
So we're springing to the call from the East and from the West,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!
And we'll hurl the rebel crew from the land we love best,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!
So we jump up to the calls from East and West,
And call out the battle cry of freedom!
And drive the brood of rebels from our beloved land,
And call out the battle cry of freedom!
We are marching to the field, boys, we're going to the fight,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!
And we bear the glorious stars for the Union and the right,
shouting the battle cry of freedom.
We're marching on the battlefield, boys, we're going to fight,
And shout the battle cry of freedom!
And we hold up the glorious stars of Union and justice,
And shout the battle cry of freedom!
Text (version of the Confederation)
Our flag is proudly floating on the land and on the main,
Shout, shout the battle cry of Freedom!
Beneath it often we've conquered, and we'll conquer often again,
Shout, shout the battle cry of Freedom!
Our flag flutters proudly on coast and mainland
, Calls, calls out the battle cry of freedom!
We have often triumphed under her and will often still triumph.
Call out, call out the battle cry of freedom!
Refrain:
Our Dixie forever, she's never at a loss!
Down with the eagle and up with the cross.
We'll rally 'round the bonny flag, we'll rally once again,
Shout, shout the battle cry of Freedom!
Refrain:
Our Dixie forever, she never succumbs!
Down with the eagle and up with the cross.
We gather around the good old flag, gather again
, call out, call out the battle cry of freedom!
Our gallant boys have marched to the rolling of the drums.
Shout, shout the battle cry of Freedom!
And the leaders in charge cry out, "Come, boys, come!"
Shout, shout the battle cry of Freedom!
Our brave boys have marched to
the beat of the drum , call out, call out the battle cry of freedom!
And the officers shout "Come on boys, come!"
Shout, shout the battle cry of freedom!
They have laid down their lives on the bloody battle field.
Shout, shout the battle cry of Freedom!
Their motto is resistance - to tyrants we'll not yield!
Shout, shout the battle cry of Freedom!
They left their lives on the bloody battlefield
, call out, call out the battle cry of freedom!
Their motto is resistance - we do not bow to tyrants!
Call out, call out the battle cry of freedom!
While our boys have responded and to the fields have gone.
Shout, shout the battle cry of Freedom!
Our noble women also have aided them at home.
Shout, shout the battle cry of Freedom!
While our boys reported and went into the field
, call out, call out the battle cry of freedom!
If our noble women have supported them in their homeland
, call out the battle cry of freedom!
The refrain in the campaign hit of 1864
For Lincoln and Johnson , hurray, boys, hurray!
Down with the rebellion and on with the war,
While we rally round the cause, boys, we'll rally in our might,
Singing the holy cause of freemen.
For Lincoln and Johnson, hooray, guys, hooray!
Down with the rebellion and on with the war.
As we gather around the cause, boys, with all our might,
And sing the sacred cause of the free.
In the film Back to the Future III , the Battle Cry of Freedom is intoned at the inauguration of the large Hill Valley town hall clock by a dance band shown in the following shot, in which the musicians of the band ZZ Top have a guest appearance.
In the film The Lullaby of Manslaughter , the Battle Cry of Freedom sounds as the cavalry triumphantly withdraws from an Indian settlement that has just been cruelly extinguished with all of its inhabitants.
