https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKYJ3owDEBA Feb 15, 2021 "Heart of Oak" is the official march of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. It is also the official march of several Commonwealth navies, including the Royal Canadian Navy and the Royal New Zealand Navy. It was also the official march of the Royal Australian Navy, but has now been replaced by the new march, "Royal Australian Navy". The music of "Heart of Oak" was composed by William Boyce, and the words were written by the 18th-century English actor David Garrick. "Heart of Oak" was originally written as part of an opera. It was first played publicly on New Year's Eve of 1760, sung by Samuel Thomas Champnes, one of Handel's soloists, as part of Garrick's pantomime Harlequin's Invasion, at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Duke of Canada
https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/Royal-Navy/64284 May 15, 2023 Royal Navy, naval military organization of the United Kingdom, charged with the national defense at sea, protection of shipping, and fulfillment of international military agreements....During the 18th century the Royal Navy engaged in a long struggle with the French navy for maritime supremacy, leading Britain to victory over France in four separate wars between 1688 and 1763. Britannica School
A New Song. To the tune of Hearts Of Oak
COME, come, my brave boys, from my song you shall hear,
That we'll crown seventy four a most glorious year;
We'll convince Bute and Mansfield, and North, though they rave,
Britons still, like themselves, spurn the chains of a slave.
CHORUS:
Hearts of oak were our sires,
Hearts of oak are their sons,
Like them we are ready, as firm and as steady,
To fight for our freedom with swords and with guns.
Foolish elves, to conjecture, by crosing of mains,
That the true blood of freemen would charge in our veins;
Let us scorch, let us freeze, from the line to the pole,
Britain's sons still retain all their freedom of soul.
Chorus: Hearts of oak, etc.
See--our rights to invade, Britain's dastardly foes,
Sending bysons and congoes, did vainly suppose,
That poor shallow [illegible] like themselves, we were grown,
And our hearts were as servile and base as their own.
Chorus: Hearts of oak, etc.
Their tea still is driven away from our shores,
Or presented to Neptune, or rots in our stores;
But to awe, to divide, till we crouch to their sway,
On brave Boston their vengeance they fiercely display.
Chorus: Hearts of oak, etc.
Now, unask'd we unite, we agree to a man,
See our stores flow to Boston from rear and from van;
Hark! the snows , how it flies, freedom's voice, how it sounds!
From each country, each clime, bark, the echo rebounds!
Chorus: Hearts of oak, etc.
Across the Atlantic, so thund'ring the roar,
It has rous'd Britain's genius, who dos'd on his shore;
Who has injur'd my sons, my brave boys o'er the main,
Whose spirits to vigor it renews me again!
Chorus: Hearts of oak, etc.
With sons, who I foster'd and cherish'd of yore,
Fair freedom shall flourish till time is no more;
No tyrant shall rule them, 'tis Heaven's decree,
They shall never be slaves while they dare to be free.
Chorus: Hearts of oak, etc.
Source: Williamsburg Gazette (Pinkney), October 6, 1774
The song was written for the London stage in 1759 by William Boyce with words by David Garrick.
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 the sons of the waves?
Chorus:
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.