This land’s gallant slain
Gave their lives in all our wars.
We live as they died.

Soldiers from this land.
They came from America
To sacrifice all.

One of them would sing
Old Macdonald had a farm.
He memorized names.

No one could have guessed
That soldiers names could be set
To a melody.

They thought he was dumb.
So they let him walk around
As a  prisoner.

He came back and sang
Government names of war captured.
They said please slow down.

He said I can't stop.
The names I studied with songs
I cannot forget.

These men were rescued
To Old Macdonald had a farm.
Now he has men too.

A song I learned when I was a youth
Helped to tell a very potent truth.
I never heard of this way before
That a song would release prisoners of war.