Page:The Riverside song book.djvu/35

 OLD IRONSIDES. Oliver Wendell Holmes.

Maestoso.

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;&mdash;

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

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!