John Brown

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

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