RAGGED OL' FLAG

I walked across a country courthouse square;

on a park bench, an old man was sitting there,

I said, "Your old courthose is kinda run down,"

He said, "Aw, it'll do for our little town."

I said, "Your ol' flagpole is leaning a bit,

and that's a ragged ol' flag on top of it."

He said, "Have a seat," and I sat down.

"Is this the first time you've been in our little town?"

I said, "I think it is."

He said, "I don't like to brag,

but we're mighty proud of that ragged ol' flag.

You see, that flag got a hole in it there

when Washington took her across the Delaware.

It got powder burn the night that Francis Scott Key said,

'Washington's right and -- Oh, say can you see.'

It got a big rip at the seams in New Orleans,

with Peckingham and Jackson tugging at the seams.

It almost fell at the Alamo,

But by the Texas flag, she waved on, though.

It got cut by a sword in Chandlersville;

It got cut again on Shiloh Hill.

And, with Robert E. Lee, Beauregard and Bragg, the

South wind blew hard on the ragged ol' flag.

She was in Korea, Vietnam;

She went where she was sent by her Uncle Sam.

In Flanders Field, in World War I, she got a big hole from a Bertha Gun,

She turned blood red in World War II, she hung limp a time or two.

She waved from our ships on the briny foam,

but you know: we're getting a little careless about waving her back here at home.

In her own good land, she's been abused, burned, dishonored, and

refused, and the government for which she stands has been scandalized throughout the land.

So, she's getting a little threadbare and she's wearing thin,

But she's in mighty good shape for the shape she's in.

And, because she's been through the fire before,

I think she can stand a whole lot more.

So, we raise her up every morning, and we take her down every night,

We don't let her touch the ground, and we fold her up right.

On second thought, I do like to brag,

'Cause I'm mighty proud of that ragged ol' flag."