[Verse 1] Come gather 'round, with silver in your temples now Still, my grandchildren, every day somehow The fireworks bloom where the blue lakes gleam But freedom's more than a patriotic dream It's the quiet hand that mends the gate Shows up early, stays up late Knows when to carry, when to release How strength can serve the common peace [Pre-Chorus] Every timber knows the grain Every harvest earns the rain Every promise, every thumb Learns to build square, level, and plumb [Chorus] Raise your voices, let them ring Freedom is a living thing Stand your ground, but never numb Build it square, level, and plumb Strong enough to stand alone Wise enough to not stand lone Heart and hand become as one That's how independence's won [Verse 2] Old Rome called for Cincinnatus Fields still clinging to his hands He left the furrow, took the burden Only long enough to make a stand He wore the wreath without desire Held the power, quenched the fire Then laid the purple gladly down Returned to soil instead of crown His wealth was never marble halls Nor echoed names on senate walls His freedom grew from deeper ground Where love and duty both were found [Pre-Chorus] Roots can hold what crowns cannot The humble heart forgets it not Measure twice before you're glum Build it square, level, and plumb [Chorus] Raise your voices, let them ring Freedom is a living thing Stand your ground, but never numb Build it square, level, and plumb Strong enough to stand alone Wise enough to not stand lone Heart and hand become as one That's how independence's won [Bridge] Some drift chasing only self Leaving every shelf to tilt Others carry every load Until their spirit starts to wilt Every age forgets the art Either pride or fear takes part But liberty was never won By hearts detached from everyone Balance is the builder's eye Truth that doesn't lean or lie Every beam beneath the sun Needs another joined as one [Final Chorus] So when your own have children grown And your hair has softly shone Tell them what this old world's learned From every bridge and beam that's earned Be courageous when you're called Be humble after triumph's fall Leave the throne when work is done Return to those you truly love Raise your glasses, laugh and hum To fields that feed and hands that come May your houses never succumb Built square, forever level and plumb [Outro] The rockets fade The stars remain The finest freedom still becomes A faithful life Well loved Built square, level, and plumb.
