Official Song of The U.S. Maritime Service
Song of the Merchant Marine
Heave Ho! My Lads! Heave Ho!
Words and Music by Lieut. (jg) Jack Lawrence, USMS, 1943

SO THAT SHIPS MIGHT GO TO SEA WITH ABLE HANDS

They come-from every point of the compass-from the 48 states -- thousands of them-- of all colors and creeds, to man the ever-growing fleet of Liberty ships that carry the goods to the men of the fighting fronts of this global war.

At the world's largest United States Maritime Service Training Station at Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York, more than 10,000 are studying the elements of seamanship, are acquiring knowledge about lifeboats and life saving that will protect them along the sea lanes menaced by Axis U-boats, are learning to be clerks, pharmacist's mates, deck hands, engine room hands, ship's cooks or messmen.

At similar shore schools and training ships, thousands more are being trained throughout the nation. At advanced cadet schools, men with previous sea experience or specialized civilian backgrounds are being prepared for places as officers and radio operators.

Today, these trained men are going out from these schools to win the battle of the seven seas against the submarine, the dive bomber and the surface raider. Upon these men rests the task of passing the ammunition.

To all these men, this song, written by one of their number at the United States Maritime Service Training Station, Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York, is dedicated. (From the Music Jacket)

Heave Ho! My Lads! Heave Ho!

VERSE
Give us the oil, give us the gas
Give us the shells, give us the guns.
We'll be the ones to see them thru.
Give us the tanks, give us the planes.
Give us the parts, give us a ship.
Give us a hip hoo-ray!
And we'll be on our way.

CHORUS
Heave Ho! My Lads, Heave Ho!
It's a long, long way to go.
It's a long, long pull with our hatches full,
Braving the wind, braving the sea,
Fighting the treacherous foe;
Heave Ho! My lads, Heave Ho!
Let the sea roll high or low,
We can cross any ocean, sail any river.
Give us the goods and we'll deliver,
Damn the submarine!
We're the men of the Merchant Marine!

© Leeds Music Corporation

Please send a donation ($10 minimum for piano music $20 minimum for 33 piece band music) to obtain a copy of the Sheet Music.

T. Horodysky
27 Westbrook Way
Eugene, OR 97405

Jack Lawrence (composer of Heave Ho) was born in New York City in 1912, died in 2009. He donated the copyright to Heave Ho! to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, a government agency. He composed his first song "Play Fiddle Play" in 1933. His compositions include: Tenderly, Ciribiribin, What Will I Tell My Heart?, With The Wind & The Rain In Your Hair, Yes My Darling Daughter, Poor People Of Paris, Sleepy Lagoon, Hold My Hand, Sunrise Serenade, All Or Nothing At All.

U.S. Maritime Service
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12/03/13