Heart of Oak
"Heart of Oak" is the official march of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom.
The music was composed by Dr William Boyce and the words were written by the 18th Century English actor David Garrick.
The "wonderful year" referenced in the first verse is 1759-60, during which British forces were victorious in several significant battles: the Battle of Lagos on 19 August, 1759, the battle of Quebec City on 13 September, 1759 and the battle of Quiberon Bay on 20 November, 1759. These were followed a few months later by the Battle of Wandiwash in India on 22nd January 1760.
"Heart of Oak", even though it is the official march of these military branches was originally written as an opera, many marches don't have lyrics, but the operatic lyrics were adopted for the march.
Lyrics
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 as free as the sons of the waves?
CHORUS sang twice... 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,
And if they won't fight us, we cannot do more.
CHORUS sang twice...
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.
CHORUS sang twice...
Britannia triumphant, her ships sweep the sea,
Her standard is Justice -- her watchword, 'be free.'
Then cheer up, my lads, with one heart let us sing,
Our soldiers, our sailors, our statesmen, and king.
CHORUS sang twice...
