Come, cheer up my lads, 'tis to glory we steer, To add something more to this wonderful year. To honour we call you, not press you like slaves, For who are so free as we 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 ne'er see our foes but we wish 'em to stay. They never see us but they wish us away. If they run, why, we follow and run 'em ashore, For if they won't fight us, we cannot do more. Heart of oak etc. They swear they'll invade us, these terrible foes. They frighten our women, our children and beaux. But should their flat-bottoms in darkness get o'er, Still Britons they'll find to receive them on shore. Heart of oak etc. We'll still make 'em run and we'll still make 'em sweat, In spite of the devil and Brussels Gazette. Then cheer up my lads, with one heart let us sing Our soldiers, our sailors, our statesmen and King. Heart of oak etc. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...A LETTER TO HER HUSBAND, ABSENT UPON PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT by ANNE BRADSTREET THE WIND AND THE MOON by GEORGE MACDONALD MOST LOVELY SHADE; FOR ALICE BOUVERIE by EDITH SITWELL IN MEMORIAM A.H.H.: 106 by ALFRED TENNYSON ODES: BOOK 1: ODE 8. ON LEAVING HOLLAND by MARK AKENSIDE A CHILD'S GRAVE by THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH |