Heart of Oak
Patrick H
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Heart of Oak is the official quick march past of the Royal Navy, and many Commonwealth Navies (including the Royal Canadian Navy). It was composed to mark the "year of victory" (1759), where the British had won naval victories at the Battle of Lago's and the Battle of Quiberon Bay (which I will post about on its anniversary on Tuesday) and land victories at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham. The song does very well of making fun of the British enemy, France, which makes things awkward for the RCN, who sings it in French. The lyrics are as follows: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?
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?
Chorus:
- Heart of oak are our ships, jolly tars are our men,
- We always are ready; steady, boys, steady!
- We'll fight and we'll conquer again and again.
We ne'er see our foes but we wish them to stay,
They never see us but they wish us away;
If they run, why we follow, and run them ashore,
For if they won't fight us, what can we do more?
They never see us but they wish us away;
If they run, why we follow, and run them ashore,
For if they won't fight us, what can we do more?
(Chorus)
They say they'll invade us these terrible foe,
They frighten our women, our children, our beaus,
But if should their flat bottoms, in darkness set oar,
Still Britons they'll find to receive them on shore.
They frighten our women, our children, our beaus,
But if should their flat bottoms, in darkness set oar,
Still Britons they'll find to receive them on shore.
(Chorus)
We still make them feel and we still make them flee,
And drub them ashore as we drub them at sea,
Then cheer up me lads with one heart let us sing,
Our soldiers and sailors, our statesmen and king.
And drub them ashore as we drub them at sea,
Then cheer up me lads with one heart let us sing,
Our soldiers and sailors, our statesmen and king.
(Chorus X2)
Alternative last verse:
Britannia triumphant her ships rule the seas,
Her watch word is justice her password is free,
So come cheer up my lad, with one hart let us sing,
Our soldiers, our sailors, our statesmen, our king[queen].
Britannia triumphant her ships rule the seas,
Her watch word is justice her password is free,
So come cheer up my lad, with one hart let us sing,
Our soldiers, our sailors, our statesmen, our king[queen].
Alternate first verse:
Come, cheer up, my lads, 'tis to glory we steer,
With heads carried high, we will banish all fear;
To honour we call you, as freemen not slaves,
For who are so free as the sons of the waves?
Come, cheer up, my lads, 'tis to glory we steer,
With heads carried high, we will banish all fear;
To honour we call you, as freemen not slaves,
For who are so free as the sons of the waves?
***Fun Fact*** Each country that plays Heart of Oak adds something special too it. In the link below you will hear the Canadian version, which has a special cymbol crash (listen to a British version and you'll notice it)
Audio: Heart of Oak
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