Hearts of Oak

Hearts of Oak is the official march of the Royal Navy.  The music was composed by Dr. William Boyce, and the words were written by the 18th-century English actor David Garrick for his pantomime “Harlequin's Invasion", at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.

The "wonderful year" referenced in the first verse was 1759, during which British forces were victorious in several significant battles.  The oak in the song's title refers to the wood from which British warships were traditionally made.

Hearts of Oak

 

Come, cheer up, my lads, 'tis to glory we steer,
 To add something new 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?

(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.

(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.

(Chorus X2)