Naval Reserve and was paid one dollar per month to organize the young musicians recruited into the service. entered WWI but his counterpart, John Philip Sousa, enlisted in the U.S. Through our last night on shore, drink to the foam,Ĭharles Zimmermann died just before the U.S.

It is Lottman's final verse that is particularly well known.įarewell to college joys, we sail at break of day-ay-ay-ay. And in the 1920s the lyrics were revised by George D. We'll hoist true Navy Blue So Army down your Grey-y-y-y.įurl Black the Grey and Gold and hoist the Navy, hoist the Navy BlueĪ third stanza for 'Anchors Aweigh' was written by Midshipman Royal Lovell. Get underway, Navy, Decks cleared for the fray, Sail Navy down the field and sink the Army, sink the Army Grey. We'll never change our course, so Army you steer shy-y-y-y. Stand Navy down the field, sails set to the sky. Miles got his title, 'Anchors Aweigh,' from an expression meaning the ship's hoisted anchor has just cleared the sea's bottom and, by implication, the voyage is underway. In the days just prior to the Army-Navy football game, Zimmermann composed the music while Miles developed the words and the title. Navy lore has it that Zimmermann and Miles worked out the song together, sitting at the organ in the Naval Academy Chapel. The maestro had a tradition of composing a song for each graduating class and Miles and the class of '07 wanted a lively football marching song that would 'live forever.' Each of the sons, both at age 26, assumed leadership of those respective bands and both committed their lives to music and the promotion of music education.Īt the Naval Academy, Zimmermann was approached by Midshipman First Class Alfred Hart Miles with a request from his classmates. Zimmermann's father was a member of the Navy Academy Band during the Civil War just as Sousa's father was of the Marine Band.

To a remarkable degree Charles Zimmermann's career paralleled that of the bandleader John Philip Sousa. Miles supplied its words.Īnchors aweigh (United States Navy Band) Listen - MP3 (United States Navy Band) Listen - MP3 (United States Marine Band) Zimmermann, a graduate of the Peabody Conservatory and director of the Naval Academy Band, composed the song's music, and Midshipman Alfred H. The rousing song helped the Midshipmen shut out the Cadets with a 10 to 0 victory. 'Anchors Aweigh,' the official song of the Navy, was first sung publicly in Philadelphia's Franklin Field at the DecemArmy-Navy football game. Taken from CD titled 'From the Sea: Music of the U.S.

Navy hymn music and lyrics