The Marseillaise / The Workers’ Marseillaise (Charles H. Kerr)

“The Marseillaise” / “The Workers’ Marseillaise” Sheet Music (pdf).
“The Marseillaise” / “The Workers’ Marseillaise” Karaoke (midi with lyrics).

Lyrics: Charles H. Kerr.
Tune: Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle.


Ye sons of toil, awake to glory!
Your day of freedom bids you rise!
Your children, wives, and grandsires hoary,
Behold their tears and hear their cries!
Behold their tears and hear their cries!
Shall hateful tyrants, mischief breeding
With hireling hosts (a ruffian band),
Affright and desolate the land
While peace and liberty lie bleeding?

To arms! To arms, ye brave!
The avenging sword unsheath!
March on, march on, all hearts resolved
On Liberty or Death.

With luxury and pride surrounded,
The vile, insatiate despots dare,
Their thirst for gold and power unbounded
To mete and vend the light and air,
To mete and vend the light and air!
Like beasts of burden would they load us,
Like gods would bid their slaves adore,
But man is man, and who is more?
Then shall they longer lash and goad us?

To arms! To arms, ye brave!
The avenging sword unsheath!
March on, march on, all hearts resolved
On Liberty or Death.

O, Liberty, can man resign thee
Once having felt thy gen’rous flame?
Can dungeon’s bolts and bars confine thee?
Or whips thy noble spirit tame?
Or whips thy noble spirit tame?
Too long the world has wept bewailing
That Falsehood’s dagger tyrants wield!
But freedom is our sword and shield
And all their arts are unavailing.

To arms! To arms, ye brave!
The avenging sword unsheath!
March on, march on, all hearts
Resolved on Liberty or Death.


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