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

Hull’s Naval Victory

Tune—“Paul Jones’s Victory”

YE true sons of Freedom, give ear to my song,

While the praise of brave Hull I attempt to prolong,

Let each bold-hearted hero now fill up his glass,

And our favourite sentiment rapidly pass.

With our brave noble captain, we’ll still plough the main;

We’ll fight and we’ll conquer again and again.

With a fine springing breeze, our sails we soon bent,

And with hearts full of joy to the ocean we went,

In the famed Constitution, a tight and stanch boat

As ever was seen on the water afloat.

With our brave noble captain we plough’d the deep main;

And when he commands we are ready again.

On the nineteenth of August, a sail we espied,

We hove too, and soon she came up alongside;

The drum beat to quarters, to quarters we run,

And each tar bravely swore to stand fast to his gun.

Our captain so brave as we sail’d on the main,

Now bids us a harvest of glory to gain.

A broadside the foe quickly into us pour’d,

We return’d ’em the favour direct on the word,

Each heart was undaunted, no bosom knew fear,

And we cared not a snap for the saucy Guerriere.

With our noble commander we fought on the main,

And we’ll conquer with him when he bids us again.

The balls now flew thick, and quite warm was the play,

Their masts and their rigging were soon shot away;

We shatter’d their hull with all possible speed,

With our good spunky “bull-dogs” of true Yankee breed.

’Twas thus with our captain we fought on the main,

With him a rich harvest of glory to gain.

The blood from the enemy’s scuppers ran fast,

All hopes of subduing us now were quite past:

So they wisely concluded by “hob or by nob,

That ’twas best to give o’er what they thought a bad job.”

With our true noble captain we’ll fight on the main,

And we hope that with him we’ll soon conquer again.

The Britons had seldom before seen the like,

For we raked them so clean they’d no colours to strike;

So a gun from the lea they were forced to let fly,

To inform us they didn’t quite all wish to die.

’Twas thus with our captain we fought on the main,

And we’re ready, brave boys, to fight with him again.

In twenty-five minutes the business was done,

For they didn’t quite relish such true Yankee fun;

So we kindly received them on board our good ship,

Many cursing the day when they took their last trip.

With our brave noble captain we’ll still plough the main,

We’ll fight and we’ll conquer again and again.

Now homeward we’re bound, with a favouring breeze,

As full of good humour and mirth as you please,

Each true-hearted sailor partakes of the glass,

And drinks off a health to his favourite lass.

With our brave noble captain we’ve plough’d the deep main,

With him we the laurels of glory did gain.

Now success to the good Constitution, a boat,

Which her crew will defend while a plank is afloat,

Who never will flinch or in duty e’er lag,

But will stick to the last by the American flag.

So true to our colours we’ll ever remain,

And we’ll conquer for freedom again and again.

When again we shall plough o’er Neptune’s blue wave,

May honour still circle the brows of the brave,

And should our bold foe wish to give us a pull,

We’ll show them the good Constitution and Hull.

And now with three cheers, ere we sail to the main,

We’ll greet our brave captain again and again.