Columbia the Gem of the Ocean (U.S. Navy Band)

Composer:
Performer: U.S. Navy Band, Great Lakes, IL
Type of Material: sound recording-musical
Publisher: MENC
Notes: Taken from CD entitled: "Sing America."
O, Columbia, the gem of the ocean, The home of the brave and the free...

"Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean" received an American copyright in 1843 and is credited to the name of David T. Shaw. Yet to understand the true origins of Shaw's song one must follow two threads. One thread leads to Thomas a'Beckett who claimed to have rewritten Shaw's lyrics before the song was copyrighted. The other thread leads to Stephen Joseph Meany who wrote the poem "Britannia, the Pride of the Ocean," from which, in turn, a'Beckett may have taken his lyrics.

Columbia the Gem of the Ocean (U.S. Navy Band)

  Listen -- MP3 (U.S. Navy)
  Listen -- MP3 (Florence Hayward, 1899)

"Columbia" was a common poetic nickname for the United States of America during the nineteenth century. In illustrations and cartoons, the United States was often represented by a heroic female figure named Columbia, dressed in a flag-like bunting. Other nations used similar figures, notably the French Marianne, and the British Britannia.

Lyrics:

O, Columbia! the gem of the ocean,
The home of the brave and the free,
The shrine of each patriot's devotion,
A world offers homage to thee.
Thy mandates make heroes assemble
When Liberty's form stands in view;
Thy banners make tyranny tremble
When borne by the Red, White and Blue!

When born by the red, white and blue,
When born by the red, white and blue,
Thy Banners make tyranny tremble,
When born by the red, white and blue.



When war wing'd it's wide desolation,
And threaten'd our land to deform,
The ark then of freedom's foundation,
Columbia rode safe through the storm;
With her garlands of vict'ry around her,
When so proudly she bore her brave crew,
With her flag proudly floating before her,
The boast of the red, white and blue.

The boast of the red, white and blue,
The boast of the red, white and blue,
With her flag proudly floating before her,
The boast of the red, white and blue.



The wine-cup the wine-cup bring hither,
And fill you it true to the brim,
May the wreath's that have won ne'er wither,
Nor the star of their glory grow dim,
May the service united ne'er sever,
But they to their colors prove true,
The army and navy forever,
Three cheers for the red, white and blue.

Three cheers for the red, white and blue,
Three cheers for the red, white and blue,
The army and navy forever,
Three cheers for the red, white and blue.
Red, white and blue!


Columbia the Gem of the Ocean
O, Columbia! the Gem of the Ocean




Credit for some: Library of Congress, Music Division.