A World War I song from 1917
Words by John O’Brien
Music by Theodore Morse
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by Denese Coulbeck:
Lyrics
- The bo’sn blew and a Yankee crew
Had stopped to hear him say
“My lads, get underway
We’er leaving port today, Hooray
We’re going to meet the German fleet
And blow them inside out”
Each sailor boy was filled with joy
And all began to shout
Chorus
“We’re on our way to Heligoland
To get the Kaiser’s goat
In a good old Yankee boat
Up the Keil canal we’ll float
I’m a son-of-a-gun if I see a Hun
I’ll make him understand
We’ll knock the Heligo, into Heligo
Out of Heligoland, Yip!”
- The anchor’s hauled as the captain called
The crew are standing by
Each man to do or die
When shells begin to fly, Goodbye
“We’re going to go and let them know
We hit with all our might
I’d like to bet when we have met
They’ll know they had a fight”
Sung here by Laurence Rubenstein: