Admirals All

Effingham, Grenville, Raleigh, Drake
Here's to the bold and free!
Benbow, Collingwood, Byron, Blake
Hail to the Kings of the Sea!
Admirals all, for England's sake
Honour be yours and fame!
And honour, as long as waves shall break
To Nelson's peerless name!

Admirals all, for England's sake
Honour be yours and fame!
And honour, as long as waves shall break
To Nelson's peerless name!

Essex was fretting in Cadiz Bay
With the galleons fair in sight;
Howard at last must give him his way
And the word was passed to fight
Never was schoolboy gayer than he
Since holidays first began:
He tossed his bonnet to wind and sea
And under the guns he ran

Drake nor devil nor Spaniard feared
Their cities he put to the sack;
He singed his Catholic Majesty's beard
And harried his ships to wrack
He was playing at Plymouth a rubber of bowls
When the great Armada came;
But he said, "They must wait their turn, good souls,"
And he stooped and finished the game

Fifteen sail were the Dutchmen bold
Duncan he had but two;
But he anchored them fast where the Texel shoaled
And his colours aloft he flew
"I've taken the depth to a fathom," he cried
"And I'll sink with a right good will:
For I know when we're all of us under the tide
My flag will be fluttering still."

Splinters were flying above, below
When Nelson sailed the Sound:
"Mark you, I wouldn't be elsewhere now,"
Said he, "for a thousand pound!"
The Admiral's signal bade him fly
But he wickedly wagged his head:
He clapped the glass to his sightless eye
And "I'm damned if I see it!" he said

Admirals all, they said their say
(The echoes are ringing still)
Admirals all, they went their way
To the haven under the hill
But they left us a kingdom none can take
The realm of the circling sea
To be ruled by the rightful sons of Blake
And the Rodneys yet to be

Admirals all, for England's sake
Honour be yours and fame!
And honour, as long as waves shall break
To Nelson's peerless name!