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The Riverside song book/A Ballad of the Boston Tea Party

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For other versions of this text, see A Ballad of the Boston Tea-Party.
For other versions of this tune, see Yankee Doodle (melody).
2613448The Riverside song book — A Ballad of the Boston Tea PartyOliver Wendell Holmes (1809-1894)


A BALLAD OF THE BOSTON TEA PARTY.

Oliver Wendell Holmes. Unknown.

(Air Yankee Doodle.)

An eve - ning par - ty,— on - ly that, No for - mal in - vi -

How fast the strag-glers join the throng, From stall and work-shop

On, on to where the tea - ships ride! And now their ranks are

O wo - man, at the eve - ning board So gra - cious, sweet, and

Ah, lit - tie dreams the qui - et dame Who plies with rock and

Old char-ters shriv - el in its track, His Worship's bench has


ta - tion. No gold - laced coat, no stiff cra - vat. No

gath - ered! The live - ly bar - ber skips a - long And

form - ing,— A rush, and up the Dartmouth's side The

purr - ing. So hap - py while the tea is poured, So

spin - dle The pa - tient flax, how great a flame Yon

crum - bled. It climbs and clasps the un - ion - jack. Its



feast in con - tem - pla - tion, No silk - robed dames, no

leaves a chin half lath - ered; The smith has flung

Mo - hawk band is swarm - ing! See the fierce na - tives!

blest while spoons are stirr - ing, What mar tyr can com -

lit - tle spark shall kin - dle! The lur - id morn - ing

bla - zoned pomp is hum - bled. The flags go down on

fid - dling band, No flow'rs, no songs, no danc - ing,— A

ham - mer down,— The horse - shoe still is glow - ing; The

what a glimpse Of paint and fur and feath - er, As

pare with thee, The moth - er, wife, or daugh - ter, That

shall re - veal A fire no king can smoth - er Where

land and sea Like corn be - fore the reap - ers; So


tribe of Red men, axe in hand,—Be - hold the guests ad - van - cing!

tru - ant tap - ster at the Crown Has left a beer - cask flow - ing!

all at once the full-grown imps Light on the deck to - geth - er!

night, in - tead of best Bo-hea, Condemned to milk and wa - ter!

Brit - ish flint and Bos - ton steel Have clashed a- gainst each oth - er!

burned the fire that brewed the tea That Bos - ton served her keep - ers!


Chorus to each verse.

No! ne'er was mingled such a draft In pal - ace, hall, or ar - bor. As

free - men brewed and ty - rants quaffed That night in Bos - ton Har - bor!