Come, cheer up, my lads, ’tis to glory we steer,
To add something more to this wonderful year;
To honour we call you, as free men 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 fight and we 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?
(Chorus)
They say they’ll invade us these terrible foes,
They frighten our women, our children, our beaus,
But should their flat bottoms, in darkness set oar,
Still Britons they’ll find to receive them on shore.
(Chorus)
We still make them fear and we still make them flee,
And drub them ashore as we drub them at sea,
Then cheer up my lads and with one heart let’s sing,
Our soldiers and sailors, our statesmen and king.
(Chorus)
Lyric by David Garrick
