Leave It To The Boys In The Navy Poem by George Ade

I
From the rousing times of old Paul Jones
Down to the present day,
There's one good toast we all can boast
If we live in the U. S. A.
When the lights are up and the music swells
And the waxen floor it gleams,
Each maiden fair says, ' Where, oh where
Is the hero of my dreams?'
Up steps the neat little middy,
Up steps the gay cadet,
Broad of shoulder, he can hold her
In a way she won't forget.
The Annapolis style of dancing
Is the one the girls all like
With partners in demand
Civilians cannot land —
Leave it to the boys in the navy.

II
Decatur kept the flag on high
And Farragut never quit;
Old Fighting Bob while on the job
Was full of nerve and grit.
At the present day we've heroes still,
They're never known to stop,
When cold champagne comes down like rain
They never miss a drop.
Up come the men from the squadron,
Up to the banquet hall;
Meet all comers — they are hummers;
Never a one will fall.
Off in the foreign countries,
Where they are wined and dined,
They answer each request
And finish with the rest —
Leave it to the boys in the navy.

III
When Teddy told the navy boys
To sail around the world,
Till every land would understand
Our flag was still unfurled;
The weaklings were beset by fear,
But not the boys in blue.
Through stormy straits they braved the fates
And brought each vessel through.
Here's to the men who are sailing
Far in the distant seas;
They're not boasting—simply coasting,
Learning their A, B, C's.
A cheer for the men on the flag-ship,
For the little gun-boat, too.
When work is to be done,
Or when there's any fun,
Leave it to the boys in the navy.
We don't go looking for a scrap;
We're friendly as can be,
But we sleep each night with hearts more light
When we count our ships at sea.
There have been wars, there may be wars,
When the crowding nations meet:
We'll sit back tight — be sure we're right,
And then turn loose the fleet.
Trust to the men in the navy,
Commodore to cadet;
Strong and steady, always ready,
Never have failed us yet.
They shoot very straight in the navy
And they don't know how to run
From any sort of fellow, whether white or whether
yellow — Leave it to the boys in the navy.