To All who Love Union and freedom.
"The First Gun Is Fired!" (1861)
("May God Protect the Right")
by George Frederick Root
[compare to his music
of "The People's Choice" (1884)]

1.
The first gun is fired,
May God protect the right,
Let the freeborn sons of the north arise
In power's avenging might;
Shall the glorious Union our fathers made,
By ruthless hands be sundered,
And we of freedom's sacred rights
By trait'rous foes be plunder'd
Arise; Arise; Arise!
And gird ye for the fight,
And let our watchword ever be,
"May God protect the right."

CHROUS
Arise; Arise; Arise!
And gird ye for the fight,
And let our watchword ever be,
May God protect the right.


2.
The first gun is fired,
By echoes thrill the land,
And the bounding hearts of the patriot throng,
Now firmly take their stand;
We will bow no more to the tyrant few
Who scorn our long forebearing,
But with Columbia's stars and stripes,
We'll quenceh their trait'rous daring
Arise; Arise; Arise!
And gird ye for the fight,
And let our watchword ever be,
"May God protect the right."

(CHORUS)

3.
The first gun is fired,
Oh! heed the signal well,
And the thunder tone as it rolls along
Shall sound opression's knell,
For the arm of freedom is mighty still,
But strength shall fail us never,
The strength we'll give to our righteous cause
And our glorious land forever
Arise; Arise; Arise!
And gird ye for the fight,
And let our watchword ever be,
"May God protect the right."

(CHORUS)