Song For A Cold Water Army Poem by John Pierpont

Shall e'er cold water be forgot,
When we sit down to dine?
O no, my friends, for is it not
Pour'd out by hands divine?
Pour'd out by hands divine, my friends,
Pour'd out by hands divine;
From springs and wells it gushes forth,
Pour'd out by hands divine.


To Beauty's cheek, tho' strange it seems,
'Tis not more strange than true,
Cold Water, though itself so pale
Imparts the rosiest hue;
Imparts the rosiest hue, my friends,
Imparts the rosiest hue,
Yes, Beauty, in a water-pail
Doth find her rosiest hue.


Cold water too, (tho' wonderful,
'Tis not less true, again)-
The weakest of all earthly drinks,
Doth make the strongest men:-
Doth make the strongest men, my friends,
Doth make the strongest men;
Then let us take that weakest drink
And grow the strongest men.


I've seen the bells of tulips turn,
To drink the drops that fell
From summer clouds;-then why should not
The two lips of a belle?
The two lips of a belle, my friends,
The two lips of a belle?
What sweetens more than water pure
The two lips of a belle?


The sturdy oak full many a cup
Doth hold up to the sky,
To catch the rain; then drinks it up,
And thus the oak gets high;
'Tis thus the oak gets high, my friends,
'Tis thus the oak gets high;
By having water in its cups,
Then why not you and I?


Then let cold water armies give
Their banners to the air;
So shall the boys like oaks be strong,
The girls like tulips fair;
The girls like tulips fair, my friends,
The girls like tulips fair;
The boys shall grow like sturdy oaks,
The girls like tulips fair.