Back when I learned and started singing this song publicly, no one else in the US was singing it. When I learned the song from Jim Mageean back in 1976 in England, he told me he had changed the line from "Let union be in all our farms" to "Let union be in all our hearts". He also mentioned it was originally a grange song. I assumed he meant the British grange movement which presumably predated the American granger movement of the 1870's. I never had any reason to question him, and I never suggested or entertained the notion that it might be an American song, grange or otherwise. I have been unable to find any information on a British grange movement on line, so I can't speak for Jim's information. Maybe when he said a "grange" song, he was simply referring to united farms.

Jim is on Facebook and on MySpace, so queries should be sent to him.