Songs of the RCN

This page is for songs about the RCN and its sailors.  Sailors can be quite creative when it comes to creating words to songs - though thankfully none have been sued for copyright infringement as the tune was usually that of another song.

The Second World War songs on this page that are marked with an * were submitted by Eric Hanbury along with additional information on the writer(s) or the subject of the song. Primary source: Anthony Hopkins - Songs from the Front and Rear, Hurtig Publishers 1979.

Other renditions of songs will be added as they are stumbled across.

Index

Admiralty House Supper Song *

Beneath the Barber Pole *

Bless 'Em All *

Girls of the King's Navy *

HMCS St John's Commissioning Song

K-240

Roll Along Wavy Navy *

The Battle of Halifax *

The King's Navy *

The Maple Leaf Squadron *

The Saguenay Song *

The song of the "Saguenay"

Roll Along Wavy Navy - to the tune of "Roll Along Covered Wagon"

The original verses  were written in 1936 on the destroyer HMCS SAGUENAY by Gunner Patrick D. Budge (later Rear-Admiral) and Sub-Lieutenant Rufus C. Pope, who later survived the sinking of HMCS FRASER but was lost at sea on 22 Oct 1940, at the rank of Lieutenant, when HMCS MARGAREE sank after a collision with a freighter in her convoy.

The melody "Roll Along Covered Wagon" was written in 1934 by James (Jimmy) Kennedy, an Ulsterman, who served in the Royal Artillery in the Second World War. The melody was transcribed from a recording by HMCS YORK band, which was provided by Joe Cullen, CD, CPO2, Naval Reserve, ret'd, HMCS YORK.

On January 1, 1946 the RCNR and the RCNVR were merged to form the RCN(R). With the merger, the distinctive Volunteer Reserve Officers’ wavy lace was exchanged for the regular force braid. The song "Roll along, Wavy Navy, roll along" was seldom sung in HMCS establishments anymore. It was relegated to reunions of Volunteer Reserve veterans and in service clubs and passed from active use in the new Reserve.

Almost as quickly and seamlessly, a Reservist addressed the void. That summer by Lieutenant Martin Shubik, RCN(R), composed new lyrics to the old tune:

Look away, Wavy Navy, look away
At the phantom fleets we sailed in yesterday
Which were manned from near and far by the RCNVR
Look away, Wavy Navy, look away

Spin your dip, civvy sailor, spin your dip
On the men and the soul that made your ship
On the Newfie–Derry run and your fight against the Hun
Spin your dip, Wavy Navy, spin your dip

Changed our lace, civvy sailor, changed our name
But our soul and our spirit stay the same
In the service that we serve as the RCN (Reserve)
Roll along, Wavy Navy, roll along

Based ashore, Wavy Navy, based ashore
Many hundred miles from where the breakers roar
Though we may be on the street, were still the North Atlantic Fleet
Roll along, civvy sailor, roll along

Set the course, Brackets "R" – Men set the course
When danger comes we greet it with our force
From a Brackets "R" to "V" makes no difference when at sea
Roll along, Wavy Navy, roll along

Source/Credit for the post war lyrics: Rybak, Stephen (2011)

The Canadian Naval Reserve From War to War (Nauticapedia.ca 2011)

The Battle of Halifax - to the tune of Sweet Betsy from Pike

Unlike St. John's, which was always very welcoming to sailors, Halifax was notorious for providing very little entertainment or facilities for any armed forces personnel.  This song describes the riot that took place in Halifax (Slackers) on VE Day, -8 May 1945.

Beneath the Barber Pole - to the tune of Road to the Isles

Escort Group C-5 had a distinctive red and white striped "barber pole" band on the funnels of their ships.

The words were written by then Surg-Lt W.A. Paddon in the summer of 1943, in Londonderry, while HMCS KITCHENER was refueling and taking on stores.  Dr. Paddon, OC, became the Lieutenant-Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador in 1981.

The Saguenay Song - To the tune of the Ryans and the Pittmans

HMCS SAGUENAY was an original member of the Barber Pole Brigade. This song tells of her being torpedoed by an Italian submarine and losing her bow.  She survived the attack and steamed 300 miles - stern first - to Barrow-in-Furness for repairs.

Oh, the Saguenay sailed through the blue Caribbean,
The Saguenay sailed o’er the old Spanish Main,
From Dutch Curacao to misty Balboa
Through the Yucatan passage and right back again.

Chorus: We’ll zig and we’ll zag all over the ocean,
We’ll zig and we’ll zag all over the sea,
Until we strike soundings in Halifax Harbour;
From Sambro to Sable in thirty-five leagues.

And then one dark night, while out on the ocean,
A speeding torpedo crashed into our bow,
Through luck and fair weather she held us together,
And kept us all safe till we got alongside.

Chorus: We’ll zig and we’ll zag all over the ocean,
We’ll zig and we’ll zag all over the sea,
Until we strike soundings in Halifax Harbour;
From Sambro to Sable in thirty-five leagues.

The Song of the "Saguenay"

This song is from the collection of Charles Branch, RCN and tells of the torpedoing of HMCS SAGUENAY. While it contains a few historical inaccuracies such as as it was an Italian submarine that torpedoed her, not a German U-boat - we shall not drop him in the rattle for it.

The composer's name is written on the song, but it is not legible.

Bless 'Em All -- Corvettes

Bless 'em all

Bless'em all

These bloody corvettes are too small

In a rough sea they'll heave and they'll pitch,

They'll make you sick as a son of a bitch.

And it's up to the railing you'll sprawl

And spew up that good alcohol

You'll finish the war on this one funneled whore,

So cheer up my lads, bless them all

Webmaster's note: This song probably has as many versions as sailors that sung it.... below is another set of lyrics

There's a convoy just leaving St. John's

Bound for old England's shores

Heavily laden with tired old men

and empty shelves in the stores

There's many an old man who just signed off

And many young man signing on

You'll get no secure on this one funneled whore

So cheer up my lads bless them all.

Bless 'em all

Bless 'em all

The Captain the Jimmy and all

Bless all the seamen and gunner's mates too

Bless all the stokers and their dirty crew

We're saying goodbye to them all

As over the billows we sail

You'll get no promotion

You're on the wrong ocean

So cheer up my lads bless 'em all

And what's a song sung by a sailor without profanity.... other versions replace "Bless" with "Fuck".

The King's Navy - to the tune of "The Old Gray Mare"

Girls of the King's  Navy - A rare example of the Second World War song that was written by women, for women and from a woman's point of view

The Maple Leaf Squadron - to the tune of "The Ryans and the Pittmans"

Then here's to the lads of the Maple Leaf Squadron,
At hunting the U-Boat it's seldom they fail;
Though they've come from the mine and the farm and the workshop
The bank and the college and maybe from jail.

Chorus: We'll zig and we'll zag all over the ocean,
Ride herd on our convoy by night and by day.
Till we take up our soundings on the shores of old Ireland,
From Newfy to Derry's a bloody long way.

We're out from grey Newfy and off for green Derry,
Or swinging back westward while tall waters climb;
The grey seas roll round us, but never confound us;
We'll be soon making port and there'll be a high time.

So we're off to the wars where there's death in the making,
Survival or sacrifice, fortune or fame;
And our eyes go ahead to the next wave that's breaking,
It's the luck that's before us adds zest to the game.

Admiralty House Supper Song (A Bite With Me) - to the tune of Abide with me

During the Second World War, Admiralty House was the Officer's Mess at HMCS STADACONA and is now the Naval Museum of Halifax.

Prince Henry Song

HMCS PRINCE HENRY was a CNR passenger ship and with her two sisters, PRINCE DAVID and PRINCE ROBERT, was converted to an armed merchant cruiser in 1940. PRINCE HENRY saw service in the Pacific and Atlantic theatres.  In 1943 she was converted to a troop landing ship and participated in D-Day landings.

Sing, side, Prince Henry's side

The Jimmy looks on her with Pride

And he'd have a fit if he saw any shit

On the side of the Old Henry's side

Sing merry, sing merry sing merry are we.

We are the boys of the Prince Henry

She's a tiddley ship o'er the ocean she slips

We sail her by night and by day

For when she's in motion

she's the pride of the ocean

You can't see her arsehole for spray

HMCS ST JOHN'S Commissioning song

K-240 - to the tune of Bless 'em

There's a Corvette just leaving for Sea,

Away for a lengthy patrol

Nobody knows just where we are bound,

Pitching and tossing and rolling around,

And her pendants are K-240

The smartest of ships on the go.

For when she's in motion, she's the pride of the ocean.

Three cheers for the K-240

Chorus

Bless 'em all, bless 'em all,

These ships that are always on call.

Bless all the men and the officers too,

They all go together to make up the crew,

And they're ready to fight at all times,

For the cause that is both yours and mine,

And the day is soon coming

When the Japs will go running,

From the crew of the K-240

Written by R. Collins and J. Harris

This song is from "Up Spirits" 2nd Edition (re-commissioning issue) for HMCS VANCOUVER K240

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