The sun shone bright and clear that day we all left Washington
To lick the Rebel boys in gray at the Battle of Bull Run
They came from Pennsylvania and some from Maryland
To see the Rebel boys get spanked by Honest Abe’s broad hand
We said, “We’ll run ’em to Atlanta and to Galveston Bay”
But they ran us back to Washington and Philadelphia, and Philadelphia
The ladies wore their brightest shawls, the gentlemen were gay
They came to see their Yankee boys whip old Virginia
I held my mama’s hand and skipped when a soldier said to me
“Would you rather have Jeff Davis’ hat or the sword of Bobby Lee?”
We said, “We’ll run ’em to Atlanta and to Galveston Bay”
But they ran us back to Washington and Philadelphia, and Philadelphia
And then the general doffed his hat, and said “Let’s rest a spell”
And for the first time, we all heard that awful Rebel yell
The waters of Manassas creek became a ruby red
And many a Reb and Yankee boy lay in the willows dead
We said, “We’ll run ’em to Atlanta and to Galveston Bay”
But they ran us back to Washington and Philadelphia, and Philadelphia
A fight locked in the chest of time too horrible to tell
Virginia’s cool, green countryside became a lake of hell
Don’t count your chicks before they’re hatched, or you work until it’s done
Remember, yes, remember long the Battle of Bull Run
We said, “We’ll run ’em to Atlanta and to Galveston Bay”
But they ran us back to Washington and Philadelphia, and Philadelphia
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Claude King Lyrics – Bull Run