O Columbia The Gem Of The Ocean
Traditional:
courtesy of www.SailorSongs.com Written by David T. Shaw - 1843
Oh Columbia! the gem of the ocean,
The home of the brave and the free,
The shrine of each patriot's devotion,
A world offers homage to thee.
Thy mandates make heroes assemble
When Liberty's form stands in view;
Thy banners make tyranny tremble
When borne by the Red, White and Blue,
When borne by the Red, White and Blue,
When borne by the Red, White and Blue,
Thy banners make tyranny tremble
When borne by the red, white and blue.
When war winged its wide desolation,
And threatened the land to deform,
The ark then of freedom's foundation,
Columbia, rode safe through the storm:
With her garlands of vict'ry around her,
When so proudly she bore her brave crew,
With her flag proudly floating before her,
The boast of the Red, White and Blue,
The boast of the Red, White and Blue,
The boast of the Red, White and Blue,
With her flag proudly floating before her,
The boast of the Red, White and Blue.
The Union, the Union forever,
Our glorious nation's sweet hymn,
May the wreaths it has won never wither,
Nor the stars of its glory grow dim,
The wine cup, the wine cup bring hither,
And fill you it true to the brim!
May the wreaths they have won never wither,
Nor the star of their glory grow dim!
The star-spangled banner bring hither,
O'er Columbia's true sons let it wave;
May the wreaths they have won never wither,
Nor its stars cease to shine on the brace:
Old Glory to greet, now come hither,
With eyes full of love to the brim,
May the wreaths of the heroes ne'er wither,
Nor a star of our banner grow dim,
May the service, united, ne'er sever,
But they to their colours prove true;
The Army and Navy forever,
Three cheers for the Red, White and Blue,
Three cheers for the Red, White and Blue,
Three cheers for the Red, White and Blue,
The Army and Navy forever.
Three cheers for the Red, White and Blue.
The author of this website has put a lot of time and effort into gathering the greatest collection of sea shanties for the world to enjoy - There are songs that have been to sung to a job of work at sea for many, many years and collecting them has been a great endeavour. - Roger Chartier has made the effort out of his own interest and the requests that he has gotten to do this work from fellow musicians who wanted a good source of sea shanties to draw on and learn from. He has been told that for this effort he is a remarkable man.
