The history and politics of the English protest song

1818 (est.)

The Lancashire Hymn

Tune: Falmouth
Lyrics: Samuel Bamford

Great God! who did of old inspire
The patriot’s ardent heart,
And fill’d him with a warm desire
To die, or do his part.
O let our shouts be heard by thee,
Genius great of liberty.

Here ’fore creation's million worlds,
Our wrongs we do proclaim,
And when thy banner thou unfurls,
We will redress the same.
Triumph ever waits on thee
God of love and liberty.

When fell oppression o’er the land,
Hung like a darksome day;
And crush’d beneath a tyrant’s hand
A groaning people lay;
The patriot band, impell’d by thee,
Nobly strove for Liberty.

And, shall we tamely now forego
The rights for which they bled!
And crouch beneath a minion's blow,
And basely bow the head?
Ah! no—it cannot, cannot be;
Death for us, or Liberty.

Part II

Behold! yon midnight dark divan,
The plunderers of our right,
Fell sorcerers, mustering ev’ry ban
Our happiness to blight;
Why lingers yet the nation’s ire,
Why bursteth not the flood of fire?

The dungeon door hath opened wide,
Its victims to immure;
And blood hath yonder scaffold dyed,
Betray’d by hellish lure.
O Justice, why so long delay,
To bare thy sword of equity?

Have we not heard the infant cry,
And mark’d its mother’s tear;
That look which told us mournfully,
That woe and want were there.
And shall they ever weep again?
And shall their pleadings be in vain?

By the dear blood of Hampden shed,
In freedom’s noble strife,
By gallant Sydney’s gory head,
By all that’s dear to life,
They shall not supplicate in vain!
No longer will we bear the chain!

Souls of our mighty sires, behold,
This band of brothers join,
O never, never be it told,
That we disgrace your line
If England wills the glorious deed,
We’ll have another Runnimede.

Lyrics

Self-styled ‘weaver boy’ activist Samuel Bamford wrote scores of protest songs, of which this, subtitled ‘For Public Meetings’, is his most ambitious in both musical arrangement and practical intent: a pious ‘shout’ of liberty expertly set to a four-part dissenting hymn tune. Though other radical leaders scotched his plans to make this part of meetings, he went on to sing it with fellow prisoners whilst incarcerated, claiming that it even moved – and impressed – their warders.

Cause: Collectivist | Reformist
Theme: Political Process | Rights | Impact of Change
Addressed to: God
Target of Protest: The Ruler | Judiciary
Proposal/Solution: Organisation | Franchise Reform