THE OLD FLAG

Our flag bears the stars that blaze in the night,
In our Southern sky of blue,
And the little old flag in the corner,
That's part of our heritage, too.

It's for the English, the Scots and the Irish,
Who were sent to the ends of the earth,
The Rogues and the schemers, the doers and the dreamers,
Who gave modern New Zealand birth.

And you who are shouting to change it,
You don't seem to understand,
It's the flag of our law and our language,
Not a flag of a faraway land.

Though there are plenty of people who'll tell you,
When Europe was plunged into night,
That little old flag in the corner,
Was their symbol of freedom and light.

It doesn't mean we own allegiance,
To a forgotten imperial dream,
We've the stars to show where we're going,
And the old flag to show where we've been.