The Riverside song book/Old Ironsides

For other versions of this work, see Old Ironsides (Holmes).

OLD IRONSIDES.

Maestoso. (Air: Andreas Hofer.)

1. Ay, tear the tat - tered en - sign down! Long has it waved on high,

2. Her deck, once red with he - roes' blood, Where knelt the vanquished foe,

3. O bet - ter that her shat-tered hulk Should sink beneath the wave;

And many an eye has danced to see That ban - ner in the sky;

When winds were hurrying o'er the flood, And waves were white be - low,

Her thun - ders shook the might- y deep, And there should be her grave.

Be - neath it rung the bat - tle shout, And burst the can - non's roar;—

No more shall feel the vic - tor's tread. Or know the conquered knee;—

Nail to the mast her ho - ly flag, Set ev - 'ry thread-bare sail,

The me - teor of the o - cean air Shall sweep the clouds no more!

The har - pies of the shore shall pluck The ea - gle of the sea!

And give her to the god of storms, The light - ning and the gale!

The me - teor of the o - cean air Shall sweep the clouds no more!

The har - pies of the shore shall pluck The ea - gle of the sea!

And give the god of storms, The light - ning and the gale!

This work was published before January 1, 1927, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.

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