Maryland, My Maryland
Maryland, My Maryland has been the official anthem of the American state of Maryland since 1939 . It was a battle song of the Confederates in the American Civil War . The song is sung to the melody of O Tannenbaum .
The text of the hymn is based on a nine-trophy martial poem by James Ryder Randall from 1861, which refers to events in Baltimore shortly before the start of the Civil War . US troops marching through the city were attacked by Confederate cause sympathizers, whereupon the soldiers opened fire and killed several citizens.
The text of the song speaks, among other things, of the "Despot" (meaning Abraham Lincoln ) using her fire torch to create Maryland's temple. It appeals to the homeland personified as mother not to let its “shining sword rust”, to “break the chains of the tyrant” and to “drive the scum from the north” in order to avoid “crucifixion of the soul”.
Because of this text, there have been several attempts to replace the song as the state anthem. But these remained in vain. "Florida, My Florida", "Michigan, My Michigan" and "The Song of Iowa" are sung to the same tune.
text
The first stanza reads:
| English | German |
|---|---|
|
The despot's heel is on your shore, |
Despot's heel is on your |
* Although the official text only includes a stanza in Maryland on the second and fourth lines, it is usually Maryland, my Maryland .
Publications
Tennessee Ernie Ford sings Civil War Songs of the South , Capitol Records 1961
Web links
- Maryland State Archives. Maryland State Song - Maryland, My Maryland . Retrieved December 27, 2004.
- "Maryland, my Maryland". Women, War and Song University of Maryland 2012.