Naval songs and ballads

Great Britain -- History, Naval -- Poetry; Sea songs -- Great Britain

He broke their line of battle,
      And struck the fatal blow;
    He blew some up into the air,
      And some he sent below.
    But then, with victory on his side,
    A fatal ball his life destroyed,
    He in the midst of glory died.
        O brave Nelson!

    When the hero brave was dying,
      And with his parting breath,
    He pray’d for England’s glory
      Till the moment of his death.
    ‘Farewell, my lads! My glass is run,
    This day must be my setting sun;
    But, Providence, thy will be done.’
        O brave Nelson!

    The battle being over,
      Which was a bloody fray,
    We twenty of their finest ships
      From them did take away.
    Now, Bonaparte! boast no more
    To land upon our native shore,
    Lest you in pieces should be tore,
        Through brave Nelson.

    May Collingwood’s and Hardy’s
      Like Nelson’s fame resound,
    And all our force by land and sea
      With good success be crowned;
    May Britain’s trade and wealth increase,
    And wars and tumults ever cease,
    And may we have a lasting peace,
        Through brave Nelson.




_A NEW SONG COMPOSED ON THE DEATH OF LORD NELSON._


    Come all you gallant seamen that unite a meeting,
      Attend to these lines I am going to relate,
    And when you’ve heard them ’twill move you with pity,
      To hear how Lord Nelson he met with his fate;
    For he was a bold and undaunted commander,
      As ever did sail on the ocean so wide,
    He made both the French and the Spaniards surrender,
      By pouring always into them a broadside.
              _Mourn, England, mourn, mourn and complain,
              For the loss of Lord Nelson who died on the main._

    One hundred engagements he had been in, sir,
      And ne’er in his life was he known to be beat,
    Tho’ he’d lost an arm, likewise a right eye, sir,
      No power on earth ever could him defeat.
    His age at his death it was forty and seven,
      And as long as I breathe his great praises I’ll sing,
    For the whole navigation to him was given,
      Because he was loyal and true to his king.
              _Mourn, England, mourn, etc._

    Like an undaunted hero, exposed to the fire,
      He gave his command, on the quarter-deck stood,
    To hear of his actions you would much admire,
      To see the decks covered all with human blood.
    From aloft to below where he was commanding,
      All by a French gun he received a ball,
    And by the contents he got mortally wounded,
      And that was the cause of Lord Nelson’s fall.
              _Mourn, England, mourn, etc._

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

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History

Naval songs and ballads

Great Britain -- History, Naval -- Poetry; Sea songs -- Great Britain

He broke their line of battle,
      And struck the fatal blow;
    He blew some up into the air,
      And some he sent below.
    But then, with victory on his side,
    A fatal ball his life destroyed,
    He in the midst of glory died.
        O brave Nelson!

    When the hero brave was dying,
      And with his parting breath,
    He pray’d for England’s glory
      Till the moment of his death.
    ‘Farewell, my lads! My glass is run,
    This day must be my setting sun;
    But, Providence, thy will be done.’
        O brave Nelson!

    The battle being over,
      Which was a bloody fray,
    We twenty of their finest ships
      From them did take away.
    Now, Bonaparte! boast no more
    To land upon our native shore,
    Lest you in pieces should be tore,
        Through brave Nelson.

    May Collingwood’s and Hardy’s
      Like Nelson’s fame resound,
    And all our force by land and sea
      With good success be crowned;
    May Britain’s trade and wealth increase,
    And wars and tumults ever cease,
    And may we have a lasting peace,
        Through brave Nelson.




_A NEW SONG COMPOSED ON THE DEATH OF LORD NELSON._


    Come all you gallant seamen that unite a meeting,
      Attend to these lines I am going to relate,
    And when you’ve heard them ’twill move you with pity,
      To hear how Lord Nelson he met with his fate;
    For he was a bold and undaunted commander,
      As ever did sail on the ocean so wide,
    He made both the French and the Spaniards surrender,
      By pouring always into them a broadside.
              _Mourn, England, mourn, mourn and complain,
              For the loss of Lord Nelson who died on the main._

    One hundred engagements he had been in, sir,
      And ne’er in his life was he known to be beat,
    Tho’ he’d lost an arm, likewise a right eye, sir,
      No power on earth ever could him defeat.
    His age at his death it was forty and seven,
      And as long as I breathe his great praises I’ll sing,
    For the whole navigation to him was given,
      Because he was loyal and true to his king.
              _Mourn, England, mourn, etc._

    Like an undaunted hero, exposed to the fire,
      He gave his command, on the quarter-deck stood,
    To hear of his actions you would much admire,
      To see the decks covered all with human blood.
    From aloft to below where he was commanding,
      All by a French gun he received a ball,
    And by the contents he got mortally wounded,
      And that was the cause of Lord Nelson’s fall.
              _Mourn, England, mourn, etc._

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Naval songs and ballads

Naval songs and ballads

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