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Song of Democracy Lyrics by Howard Hanson

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An old man's thoughts of school
An old man's gathering youthful memories and
Blooms that youth itself cannot
Now only do I know You
O fair auroral skies - O morning dew upon the grass!
And these I see, these sparkling eyes
These stores of mystic meaning, these young lives
Building, equipping like a fleet of ships, immortal ships
Soon to sail out over the measureless seas
On the soul's voyage
Only a lot of boys and girls?
Only the tiresome spelling, writing, ciphering classes?
Only a public school?
Ah more, infinitely more
And you America
Cast you the real reckoning for your present?
The lights and shadows of your future, good or evil?
To girlhood, boyhood look, the teacher and the school
Sail, Sail thy best, ship of Democracy
Of value is thy freight, 'tis not the present only
The Past is also stored in thee
Thou holdest not the venture of thyself alone
Not of thy Western continent alone
Earth's resume entire floats on thy keel, O ship
Is steadied by thy spars
With thee Time voyages in trust, the antecedent
Nations sink or swim with thee
With all their ancient struggles, martyrs, heroes
Epics, wars, thou bear'st the other continents
Theirs, theirs as much as thine, the destination -
Port triumphant;
Steer then with good strong hand and wary eye
O helmsman, thou carriest great companions
Venerable priestly Asia sails this day with thee
And royal feudal Europe sails with thee
And royal feudal Europe sails with thee
Credits
Howard Hanson

Howard Hanson

About “Song of Democracy” by Howard Hanson

Read the complete lyrics to "Song of Democracy" by Howard Hanson. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Pop.

"Song of Democracy" is performed by Howard Hanson. This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Song of Democracy", explore more songs by Howard Hanson using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Song of Democracy" is credited to Howard Hanson. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

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