The marching band of the University of Maryland will no longer play the state song of Maryland, according to the Baltimore Sun. The song, “Maryland, My Maryland,” a tune set to the rhythm of “O Tannenbaum,” was inspired by a poem written about a clash between Union troops and pro-Confederate rioters in Baltimore.
“University spokeswoman Katie Lawson said the band decided to suspend playing the controversial tune to “evaluate if it is consistent with the values of our institution at this time,” according to the Sun.
The poem, originally written by James Ryder Randall, was inspired by the author’s sadness in losing a friend during the Baltimore Riots. In 1861, a contingent of Union troops traveled through Baltimore on their way to Washington, D.C. However, they came into contact with a large group of pro-Confederate rioters and violence ensued. Before the fighting was over, four Union soldiers and a dozen rioters lay dead.
According to the Sun, “In his poem, Randall implored Marylanders to “avenge the patriotic gore / that flecked the streets of Baltimore.”
“Thou wilt not yield the Vandal toll,” he wrote. “Thou wilt not crook to his control.”
The “vandal” to which the people of Maryland will not “crook,” is Abraham Lincoln. In fact, the song contains nine verses in opposition to Lincoln and the “northern scum.”
The University of Maryland marching band, the “Mighty Sound of Maryland,” had traditionally played the song prior to the start of football games.
The university’s decision to stop playing the state song comes as schools, universities, and courthouses across the country, have tried to ban or tear down any statue in connection with the Confederacy.