[from
HENRY RUSSELL'S
Copyright Songs,
with symphonies and accompaniments for the piano forte]
[Book 2, pages 53-54]
[Dedicated to Mrs. James Davis]
"Strike, Men, Strike!" [1856]
[Words by
S. J. MEANY]
Music by
Henry Russell [1812-1900]

London: The Musical Bouquet, [Nos. 898-899]
[Source: digital copy from Mervyn Statter;
from pages 53-4, "Henry Russell's Copyright Songs", Bk II]

1. Strike, men, strike!
  Each one alike;
Strike boys for freedom and gladness over earth,
  Our cause is right and just,
  In Providence we trust;
Strike for the glory of the land that gave us birth.

CHORUS 1 (2 times)
  On, on, on,
  The right is to be won;
Smite still the pow’r which hath trampled freedom long,
  ’Tilll the trumpet peal afar,
  Sounds the downfall of the Czar,
Amd proclaims a great revenge for cruel wrong

2.  On, then on!
  Where glory’s to be won,
And the wrong to be made right, our place is in the van,
  In the battlefield of life,
  ’MId ambition’s reckless strife,
Our swords are needed for freedom and for man.  

CHORUSA 2 (2 times)
  On, still on,
  The deeds of greatness done,
By our fathers of old, shed a glory on the past;
  In the present then be men
  To do these deeds again,
And uphold our island’s empire to the last.

3. Shout! men, shout!
  Our island home throughout!
Shout for the victors in this war for human right,
  And while they still advance,
  With our brave allies of France,
Pray Providence to shield them in the fight.

CHORUS 3 (2 times)
  And other claims there are
  That are higher, holier far,
The dear ones and the little ones they’ve left;
  We’ll calm the widow’s fears,
  And dry the orphan’s tears,
And bring comfort to the sadden’d and bereft.

4.  Down, then down!
  Strike the despot’s crown!
TIll his pow’r by land and sea, a mem’ry will be!
  Full fifty fathoms deep,
  His vanquished navies sleep,
O’er his citadels and tow’rs float our flags of victory.

CHORUS 4 (2 times)
  Ev’ry drop of blood we shed,
  Shall fall like molten lead,
On the brow of the tyrant who hath raised destruction’s brand,
  And we with bounding soul
  Shall feel our pulses roll,
As we cheer for peace again, boys, our Queen and native land!