"Our Home's on the Dancing Wave" (8 Oct 1857)
Written, Composed & Inscribed to
Lieut. Winfield Scott Bell
of the U.S. Revenue Service,
by John Hill Hewitt, 1801-1890

Baltimore, MD: MILLER & BEECHAM
Plate No. 3118
Engraver: Webb
[Source: 621820@LoC]

1.
Our home's on the dancing wave
That laughs as we cleave it through;
We love the wild storm-kings stave
And echo his wild haloo!
There's a wreck lying on our lee,
And perishing souls are aboard;
Right bravely we skim o'er the sea,
The welcome relief to afford
Up helm, my boys she wears away,
Right merrily o'er the wave;
Her prow now cleaves the diamond sea,
The shrieking crew to save.

REFRAIN [sung after each verse]
Ho! for the heaving sea,
A life on the mountain waves for me,
Ho! for the heaving sea,
A life on the mountain waves for me.

2.
The smuggler's craft heaves in sight,
She's hugging the misty shore,
To creep under shade of night,
With steady sad muffled oar.
To quarters all hands now fly,
For action the deck is clear'd,
Her sails shiver in the wind's eye,
The dark rakish craft is now near'd.
Now, man the guns! the match prepare,
Hark! thundering echo roars!
That music makes the smuggler stare,
The contraband craft is ours!