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William McCarty, comp. The American National Song Book. 1842.

The Sailor’s Address

From the London Evening Post, March 14th—republished in the Pennsylvania Evening Post, June 8, 1775

COME listen, my cocks, to a brother and friend,

One and all, to my song, gallant sailors, attend;

Sons of freedom ourselves, let’s be just as we’re brave,

Nor America’s freedom attempt to enslave.

Firm as oak are our hearts where true glory depends:

Steady, boys, steady,

We’ll always be ready

To fight all our foes, not to murder our friends.

True glory can ne’er in this quarrel be won;

If New England we conquer, Old England’s undone;

On our brethren we then will refuse to fix chains,

For the blood of Great Britain flows warm in their veins.
Firm as oak, &c.

Shall courtiers’ fine speeches prevail to divide

Our affection from those who have fought by our side?

And who often have join’d us to sink, in the main,

The proud, boasting navies of France and of Spain?
Firm as oak, &c.

Near relations of some who at court now do thrive,

The Pretender did join in the year forty-five;

And many in favour, disguised with foul arts,

While they roar out for George, are for James in their hearts.
Firm as oak, &c.

Of such men as these let us scorn to be tools

Dirty work to perform—Do they take us for fools?

Brave sailors are wiser than thus to be bamm’d:

Let them turn out themselves, lads, and fight and be damn’d.
Firm as oaks, &c.

To the ground may disputes with our colonies fall,

And George long, in splendour, reign king of us all:

And may those who would set the two lands by the ears,

Be put in the bilboes, and brought to the jears.
Firm as oak, &c.