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Stand By Your Guns

[ Roud V396 ; VWML FK/20/14/2 ; words trad. / Seth Lakeman; music Seth Lakeman]

Seth Lakeman sang Stand By Your Guns (printed by H. Such in London; collected in the Frank Kidson Broadside Collection Vol. 12) on the Full English’s eponymous 2013 Topic CD, The Full English.

Lyrics

The Full English sing Stand By Your Guns

Stand by your guns my hearts of oak,
Let not a word on board be spoke,
Victory will soon crown the joke,
    Be silent, boys, be ready.

Ram home the guns and sponge them well,
Let us be sure the balls will tell.
Cannons will roar and sound the bell,
    Be steady, boys, be steady.

Not yet, not yet, reserve your fire,
Up to the front with full desire,
Wait for the call, come let’s fire,
    Be ready, boys, be ready.

See her broadside blasted wide,
See the blood in the purple tide
Trinckeling down her battered side,
    Be steady boys, be steady.

Chorus:
Into the battle we’ll go!
All hands on deck let’s show!
Into the blue our guns will blow!

Winged with fate the bullets fly,
Conquer boys, or gravely die,
Hurl destruction on your foes,
    She sinks to the bottom and down she goes.

(Chorus)