Lesley, here you go. The song is pretty basic with no abundant story. As I recall, most of the songs from the album are. I like this one and El Camino Real best of the bunch. Both these songs have a shred of believable history in them. What gem of fact that goes to create a legend is often nearly as good as the legend itself. Revolutionary War buffs I know swear this is based in fact. Just as Molly Pitcher's story was. People do amazing things when called upon by conscience.

Don
^^
THE BLACKSMITH OF BRANDYWINE
Pat Garvey

As we marched into Brandywine, it was a sight to see:
A giant of a man with a hammer in his hand beneath the old oak tree,
And all around him on the ground, in fatal disarray,
Lay a score of men who'll never fight again, or travel on the King's highway.

CHORUS: Make it one for Washington and all his gallant men,
One for the girl that once was mine;
Make it one for the darling boy I'll never see again,
And one for the blacksmith of Brandywine.

We dug his grave, covered him o'er, and sadly wept a tear,
Spent the day ridin' on our way till we met with a musketeer.
From him we learned the story of this brave and angry man,
Who undertook the British enemy with a hammer in his hand. CHORUS

In Chestertown there lived a man away from the cannon's roar.
Of manner mild, his woman and child, no man could ever love more;
But the Tories spoke of a plot one day to waylay Washington,
And he left his home and family alone. To the general he did run. CHORUS

His errand done, he journeyed home but sorrow there he found.
By British guns his wife and son lay still on the cold hard ground.
Well, that blacksmith reached for his heavy sledge and he gave a practice swing,
And they say on the line at Brandywine, they hear that hammer sing.

CHORUS: Make it one....

And don't forget the blacksmith....