Come Cheer Up My Lads

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 lives so free as we sons of the waves: Hearts of oak are our ships, Hearts 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 them to stay, They never see us but they wish us away; If they run, we follow, and drive them ashore, For if they won't fight us what can we do more. Hearts of oak, &c.

They swear they'll invade us, these terrible foes, They frighten our women our children & beaus; But should their flat-bottoms in darkness get o'er, Still Britons they'll find to receive them on shore. Hearts of oak, &c.

We'll still make them run and we'll still make 'em sweat, In spight of the Devil and Brussel's gazette; Then cheer up my lads, with one voice let us sing, Our soldiers, our sailors, our Statesmen and King. Hearts of oak, &c.