Monday, September 27, 2010

Heart of Oak

Come, cheer up, my lads, 'tis to glory we steer,
To add something more to this wonderful year;
To honour we call you, as freemen not slaves,
For who are so free as the sons of the waves?

Heart of oak are our ships, heart of oak are our men,
we always are ready; Steady, boys, steady!
We'll fight and we'll conquer again and again.


We never see our foes but we wish them to stay,
They never see us but they wish us away;
If they run, we will follow, we will drive them ashore,
And if they won't fight, we can do no more.

Heart of oak are our ships, heart of oak are our men,
we always are ready; Steady, boys, steady!
We'll fight and we'll conquer again and again.

They swear they'll invade us, these terrible foes,
They frighten our women, our children and beaus,
But should their flat bottoms in darkness get o'er,
Still Britons they'll find to receive them on shore.

Heart of oak are our ships, heart of oak are our men,
we always are ready; Steady, boys, steady!
We'll fight and we'll conquer again and again.

**note: "Heart of Oak" was originally written for an opera in the 18th century, and is now the official march of the British Royal Navy, the Royal Canadian Navy, the Royal Australian Navy, and the Royal New Zealand Navy.

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