Anchors Aweigh

For other uses, see Anchors Aweigh (disambiguation).

Anchors Aweigh

"Anchors Aweigh" is the fight song of the United States Naval Academy, and as a result, the song is strongly associated with the United States Navy. It was composed in 1906 by Charles A. Zimmerman with lyrics by Alfred Hart Miles. At the time he composed "Anchors Aweigh", Zimmerman was a Lieutenant, and had been bandmaster of the United States Naval Academy Band since 1887. Miles was Midshipman First Class at the Academy, in the class of 1907, and asked Zimmerman to assist him in composing a song for that class, to be used as a football march. Another Academy Midshipman, Royal Lovell (class of 1926) later wrote what would be adopted into the song as its third verse.

Etymology

To "weigh anchor" is to bring it aboard a vessel in preparation for departure. The phrase "anchor's aweigh" is a report that the anchor is clear of the sea bottom and, therefore, the ship is officially underway.

"Weigh" as a verb means to "bear" or "move", thus giving it several shades of meaning and derivation, including "weight" or heaviness. This lends itself to obvious plays on words, as with Flip Wilson's old routine about Christopher Columbus. "Columbus cried, 'Weigh anchor'. A few minutes later, a crewman reported, 'Two thousand, one hundred thirty six pounds'."

"Anchors Aweigh" is often misspelled as "Anchors Away," leading to confusion of the terms and a belief by the ignorant that it mean 'to drop anchor' i.e 'away.'

History

The song was first played during the Army–Navy football game on December 1, 1906, at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Before a crowd in excess of 30,000 Navy won the game 10-0, their first win in the match up since 1900.

The song was gradually adopted as the song of the U.S. Navy; although there is a pending proposal to make it the official song, and to incorporate protocol into Navy regulations for its performance, its status remains unofficial. Its lyrics were considered too specific to the Academy and not representative of the Navy at large, and so were rewritten by George D. Lottman (note the reference to "farewell to college joys"). Its melody was also slightly rewritten by Domenico Savino.

The song is also used by the U.S. Navy's Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois, in where recruits when passing through an underground tunnel heading away from the barracks sing the first verse and sing the second verse on the way back.

Lyrics

The original lyrics, in two verses by Miles, were:

Stand Navy down the field, sails set to the sky.

We'll never change our course, so Army you steer shy-y-y-y.

Roll up the score, Navy, Anchors Aweigh.

Sail Navy down the field and sink the Army, sink the Army Grey.

Get underway, Navy, Decks cleared for the fray,

We'll hoist true Navy Blue So Army down your Grey-y-y-y.

Full speed ahead, Navy; Army heave to,

Furl Black and Grey and Gold and hoist the Navy, hoist the Navy Blue

Blue of the Seven Seas; Gold of God's great sun

Let these our colors be till all of time be done-n-n-ne,

By Severn's shore we learn Navy's stern call:

Faith, courage, service true with honor over, honor over all.

The Lottman-Savino version published around 1950 in London by Francis, Day & Hunter is:

Verse 1

Anchors Aweigh, my boys

Anchors Aweigh

Farewell to college joys

We sail at break of day, 'ay 'ay 'ay

Thou our last night ashore

Hail to the foam

Until we meet once more

Here's wishing you a happy voyage home!

Bridge

Heave a ho there! sailor

Ev'rybody drink up while you may

Heave a ho there! sailor

For you're gonna sail at break of day

Drink a-way, Drink a-way,

For you sail at break of day, Hey!

Verse 2

Stand Navy, down the field, sails set to the sky.

We'll never change our course, so Army you steer shy-y-y-y.

Roll up the score, Navy, Anchors Aweigh

Sail, Navy, down the field and sink the Army, sink the Army Grey.

The current lyrics include three verses and two bridges; the second verse is the one most commonly sung.

Verse 1 (la la la tune)

Stand Navy out to sea

Fight our battle cry:

We'll never change our course

So vicious foes steer shy-y-y-y

Roll out the T. N. T.

Anchors Aweigh

Sail on to victory

And sink their bones to Davy Jones, hooray!

Bridge

Yo ho there shipmate

Take the fighting to the far off seas

Yo ho there messmate

Hear the wailing of the wild banshees

All hands, fire brands

Let's Blast them as we go. So

Verse 2

Anchors Aweigh my boys

Anchors Aweigh

Farewell to foreign shores (or "Farewell to college joys")

We sail at break of day 'ay 'ay 'ay

O'er our last night ashore

Hail to the foam

Until we meet once more

Here's wishing you a happy voyage home!

Bridge

Heave a ho there sailor

Everybody drink up while you may

Heave a ho there sailor

For your gonna sail at break of day

Drink away, Drink away,

For you sail at break of day, Hey!

Verse 3

Blue of the Mighty Deep

Gold of God’s Sun

Let these our colors be

Till all time be done

By Severn Shore we learn

Navy’s stern call

Faith, Courage, Service True

With Honor Over, Honor Over All.

As of the Summer of 2004, the verses taught at Navy Boot Camp are:

Verse 1

Stand, Navy, out to sea, Fight our battle cry;

We'll never change our course, So vicious foe steer shy-y-y-y.

Roll out the TNT , Anchors Aweigh. Sail on to victory

And sink their bones to Davy Jones, hooray!

Verse 2 (most widely sung)

Anchors Aweigh, my boys, Anchors Aweigh.

Farewell to foreign shores, We sail at break of day, of day.

Through our last night on shore, Hail to the foam,

Until we meet once more. Here's wishing you a happy voyage home!

The bridge is kept, and that the references to college are completely dropped.

Another widely sung version of the lyrics was published in the children's songbook Wee Sing America:

Anchors aweigh, my boys, anchors aweigh.

Farewell to college joys, we sail at break of day-ay-ay-ay.

Stand Navy out to sea, through swirling foam.

Until we meet once more, here's wishing you a happy voyage home!

The current version of the song taught by the U.S. Navy Recruit Training Command is as follows:

Stand Navy out to sea, fight out battle cry.

We'll never change our course so vicious foe steer shy-y-y-y.

Roll out the TNT, anchors aweigh.

Sail on to victory and sink their bones to Davy Jones hooray!

Anchors aweigh my boys, anchors aweigh.

Farewell to foreign shores we sail at break of day-ay-ay-ay.

Through our last night ashore, drink to the foam!

Until we meet once more here's wishing you a happy voyage home.

As of October 2012, the verses taught at Officer Candidate School (OCS) are:

Verse I

Stand, Navy, out to sea, Fight our battle cry;

We'll never change our course, So vicious foe steer shy-y-y-y.

Roll out the TNT, Anchors Aweigh. Sail on to victory

And sink their bones to Davy Jones, hooray!

Verse II

Anchors Aweigh, my boys, Anchors Aweigh.

Farewell to foreign shores, we sail at break of day-ay-ay-ay.

Through our last night on shore, drink to the foam,

Until we meet once more. Here's wishing you a happy voyage home.

Verse III

Blue of the Mighty Deep; Gold of God's great sun

Let these our colors be till all of time be done, done, done, done,

On Seven Seas we learn Navy's stern call:

Faith, courage, service true with honor over, honor over all.

Usage internationally

Australian Rules football club songs

The tune of "Anchors Aweigh" (with changed lyrics) is used by the following Australian Rules Football clubs as their theme song.

• East Perth Football Club (East Perth Forever Boys)
• Hobart Football Club

In popular culture

• In an episode of Garfield and Friends, Garfield sings "Anchors Aweigh" in anticipation of going on a cruise ship with lots of food (after originally refusing to go until hearing about the food).
• "Anchors Aweigh" is featured in the 1945 MGM musical Anchors Aweigh, performed by the U.S. Navy Band.
• It is frequently quoted in Warner Bros. Cartoons to indicate nautical themes.
• A short instrumental clip of "Anchors Aweigh" is featured in the "Baby June And Her News Boys" number in the stage musical Gypsy.
• A band plays "Anchors Aweigh" in Batman during the film's "bomb scene."
• In an episode of Three's Company, Jack Tripper sings part of "Anchors Aweigh" when leaving a phone message for a woman.
• "Anchors Aweigh" is used on The Colbert Report during the X Did It! segments.
• "Anchors Aweigh" is used in the Kelsey Grammer submarine comedy Down Periscope, (sung by the men of USC Concert Chorale) as the diesel submarine USS Stingray is initially launched.
• "Anchors Aweigh" has been used in TV spots for Carnival Cruise Lines.
• A version of "Anchors Aweigh" with Swedish lyrics and works as a fighting-spirit-song for the soccer club IFK Norrköping, called "Härliga IFK" ("Lovely IFK").
• A instrumental version of "Anchors Aweigh" plays in the 10th episode of School House airing in 1949 on DuMont Television Network.

See also

• "The U.S. Air Force"
• "The Marines' Hymn"
• "The Army Goes Rolling Along"
• "Semper Paratus"

External links

• "Anchors Aweigh" by the U.S. Navy Band (mp3 file)
• "Anchors Aweigh" (mp3 file; part II of medley)
• "Anchors Aweigh" done as instrumental band march (.wav file)