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John Brown
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Henry Ward Beecher was a well-known minister in New England, but was better known internationally as the designer of the state-of-the-art Sharps rifle. He'd ship his rifles out to the abolitionists in Kansas in wooden crates marked "Bibles."
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"If the great Phil Ochs were to rise from the dead today, he would probably be hailed as the new David Rovics." Andy Kershaw, BBC
Song Info
Genre
Acoustic • Acoustic Folk
Charts
Peak #155
Peak in subgenre #8
Author
David Rovics
Rights
bmi all rights reserved 2009
Uploaded
September 18, 2009
Track Files
MP3
MP3 9.4 MB • 320 kbps • 4:05
Story behind the song
Henry Ward Beecher was a well-known minister in New England, but was better known internationally as the designer of the state-of-the-art Sharps rifle. He'd ship his rifles out to the abolitionists in Kansas in wooden crates marked "Bibles." Naturally his guns became known among John Brown and his ilk as "Beecher's Bibles."
Lyrics
Owen Brown was an abolitionist John was Owen's son He grew up in New England He was born in Torrington John Brown was a tanner And a man of many skills And he stood up for the workers Who toiled in the mills He stood up for the Indians He stood up for the women For the oppressed and the exploited This good man stood with them So when Kansas was bleeding He went and joined the fray If the slave-trade wanted Kansas Then the slave traders had to pay Riding through the Kansas prairie With a fine and loyal band Glory, Hallelujah Beecher's Bible in his hand With two thousand of New England's Best and bravest sons Captain Brown fought in Kansas With a Bible and a gun When Free Lawrence was on fire Lighting up the night The ruffians would flee John Brown would stand and fight Lincoln called him a fanatic And he was a Christian who Thought you should do unto others As you'd have others do unto you Christ said love your neighbor And if your neighbor's held in slavery He was one who felt his duty Was to fight to set them free Chorus He drove the slave trade out of Kansas Then went to bordering Missouri Raided the plantations No compromise, said he Broke the chains and shackles Rode at night to Canada Out of the nightmare The devil's friend, America He was caught in Harper's Ferry His family lying dead They questioned him for hours As he lay there and bled They hanged him on the gallows And laid him in his grave John Brown was a Christian And he died to free the slave Chorus
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