A doppelgänger of Captain Picard, singing drinking songs with his men
"Heart of Oak" is a Human song originating from the 18th century on Earth. The song speaks of a sailing ship crew who are looking forward to an exciting adventure at sea.
The main lyrics of "Heart of Oak" are as follows:
- Come, cheer up, my lads, 'tis to glory we steer,
- To find something new in this wonderful year;
- To honor we call you, as freemen not slaves,
- For who are so free as the sons of the waves?
The chorus of the song is as follows:
- Heart of oak are our ships, jolly tars are our men,
- we always are ready; Steady, boy, steady!
- We'll fight and we'll conquer again and again!
In the 2320s, "Heart of Oak" was a popular song at Starfleet Academy and was often sung after toasts. In 2366, an alien copy of Jean-Luc Picard sung "Heart of Oak" in Ten Forward of the USS Enterprise as part of a bizarre experiment to observe the various aspects of leadership among humanoid cultures. (TNG: "Allegiance")It appears that this song has been passed down through time as a naval theme, as it is the official march of the Royal Navy, and the navies of several other commonwealth nations.