Editing Heart of Oak (section)

==Lyrics==
===Original===
The song was written for the London stage in 1759 by [[William Boyce (composer)|William Boyce]] with words by [[David Garrick]]:<ref>{{Cite news|title=March Marches on: Remembering the 104th Regiment of Foot|date=13 March 2018|work=Daily Gleaner|via=ProQuest}}</ref>
<blockquote>
Come cheer up, my lads! 'tis to glory we steer,<br />
To add something more to this wonderful year;<br />
To honour we call you, as free men not slaves,<br />
For who are so free as the sons of the waves?<br />

''Chorus'':<br />
Heart of oak are our ships, heart of oak are our men;<br />
We always are ready, steady, boys, steady!<br />
We'll fight and we'll conquer again and again.<ref>[https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/history/students/modules/hi254/timetable/print/ Print Culture]{{Dead link|date=April 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}. Department of History, [[University of Warwick]], 2007. Retrieved 17 December 2018</ref>
</blockquote>

===Amended words===
<blockquote>
Come, cheer up, my lads, 'tis to glory we steer,<br />
To add something new to this wonderful year;<br />
To honour we call you, as freemen not slaves,<br />
For who are so free as the sons of the waves?

''Chorus'':<br />
Heart of Oak are our ships,<br /> 
Jolly Tars are our men,<br /> 
We always are ready: Steady, boys, Steady!<br /> 
We'll fight and we'll conquer again and again.

We ne'er see our foes but we wish them to stay,<br />
They never see us but they wish us away;<br />
If they run, why we follow, and run them ashore,<br />
For if they won't fight us, what can we do more?

(''Chorus'')

They say they'll invade us, these terrible foes,<br />
They frighten our women, our children, our beaus,<br />
But if they in their flat-bottoms, in darkness set oar,<br />
Still Britons they'll find to receive them on shore.

(''Chorus'')

We still make them fear and we still make them flee,<br />
And drub them ashore as we drub them at sea,<br />
Then cheer up me lads with one heart let us sing,<br />
Our soldiers and sailors, our statesmen and king.

(''Chorus'')

'''Alternative first verse''':<br />
Come, cheer up, my lads, 'tis to glory we steer,<br />
With heads carried high, we will banish all fear;<br />
To honour we call you, as freemen not slaves,<br />
For who are so free as the sons of the waves?

'''Alternative last verse''':<br />
Britannia triumphant her ships rule the seas,<br />
Her watchword is 'Justice' her password is 'Free',<br />
So come cheer up my lads, with one heart let us sing,<br />
Our soldiers, our sailors, our statesmen, our King [Queen].
</blockquote>

===Royal Canadian Navy===
<blockquote>
Come, cheer up, my lads, 'tis to glory we steer,<br />
To add something new to this wonderful year;<br />
To honour we call you, not press you like slaves,<br />
For who are so free as the sons of the waves?

''Chorus'':<br />
Heart of Oak are our ships,<br /> 
Jolly Tars are our men,<br /> 
We always are ready: Steady, boys, steady!<br /> 
We'll fight and we'll conquer again and again.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YTl5jFnhPs] [[Naden Band of Maritime Forces Pacific|The Naden Band of the Royal Canadian Navy]], 03 May 2020. Retrieved 02 February 2023</ref>
</blockquote>

===French lyrics ([[Royal Canadian Sea Cadets]])===
<blockquote>
Debout mes gaillards, pointons-nous vers la gloire,<br />
Fleurons ajoutons à ces heures sans déboire{{ref|a}}<br />
Sans carcans et sans joug,<br />
Tout l'honneur nous attend,<br />
Pour nous qui sommes les fils libres de l'océan.

Coeur de chêne nos navires<br /> 
Gais lurons nos marins<br /> 
Toujours fidèles au poste,<br />
Hardis, gars, hardis!<br /> 
L'avenir est à nous les vrais!

Coeur de chêne nos navires,<br /> 
Gais lurons nos marins,<br /> 
Toujours fidèles au poste,<br />
Hardis, gars, hardis!<br /> 
L'avenir est à nous les vrais conquérants!<ref>[https://www.gatineau.cc/musique]. CCMRC Gatineau 236. 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2024</ref>
</blockquote>