With the U.S. Navy’s birthday this 13th of October we bring you The Unites States Naval Academy’s fight song “Anchors Aweigh” which was composed in 1906 by Charles A. Zimmerman with lyrics by Alfred Hart Miles. A lieutenant at the time, Zimmerman had been bandmaster of the US Naval Academy Band since 1887. Miles was Midshipman First Class at the Academy, in the class of 1907, where both he and Zimmerman teamed up to compose a song for the class and use it as a football march. Another Academy Midshipman, Royal Lovell (class of 1926) would later write the revised third verse to the lyrics. The song was gradually adopted as the song of the U.S. Navy although it has not yet been made official.
The word “weigh” in this sense comes from the archaic word meaning to heave, hoist or raise. “Aweigh” means that that action has been completed. The anchor is aweigh when it is pulled from the bottom. This event is duly noted in the ship’s log.
Though the song has been revised a few times, it is still much a part of the U.S. Navy and the verses are taught at Navy Boot Camp. As of the Summer of 2004, the lyrics sung by many a sailor 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, Drink to the foam,
Until we meet once more. Here’s wishing you a happy voyage home!
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