The Drummerboy at Gettysburg
lyrics by Joel Sattler

Late at night as I lay dying
underneath a summer storm,
I could hear the cannons firing
in the fields of blood and corn

I could hear the drummer boys coming up
up over the hill
where there’s a way there’s a will,
death be not proud
pride cannot be killed
all the drummer boys,
of all the Regiments
are waiting in the shadows
too young to die
too bad to lie
marching through the darkness
coming through the rye

The drummer boy had courage
the drummer boy had pride
he took a bullet in the stomach
and knew he was going to die
the sun is turning red
and his blood dripped on the sand,
so shed a tear for the boy who would never be a man
so many drummer boys have fallen in the wars
so many mothers have waited for the knock upon the door
children have to die so that rich men could have more
nobody ever really wins in a Civil War
death can be your friend.
Death is the only thing that’s sure.
Your country is your heart and the heart cannot be cured
so save your useless prayers for the drummer boys
dying in the sunset in the battle noise the boy sat in the woods
at the devils den.
He held his hands over his gut
but he couldn’t stop the blood

Poor little drummer,
boy why do you cry
poor little boy?
Why do you die you never got to run
never shot anyone.
All you have left is the last of your pride

The ghosts of Gettysburg
are sleeping in the hill
the monuments of all the soldiers
gathered round them still