You probably think you know the US Coast Guard song if you’ve spent any time near a pier on the Fourth of July or watched a grainy World War II movie. It’s that jaunty, brass-heavy tune that sounds like it belongs on a battleship. But honestly? Most people—including a fair amount of folks in the other military branches—don't actually know the words beyond the first two lines. They hum along to the "Always Ready" part and then kind of mumble through the rest.
It’s called "Semper Paratus." That’s Latin for "Always Ready," which is also the official motto of the service.
While the Navy has "Anchors Aweigh" and the Marines have their "Hymn," the Coast Guard's anthem has a weirdly specific history. It wasn’t written by a famous composer in a high-rise studio. It was written by a captain on a boat. Captain Francis Saltus Van Boskerck scrawled the original lyrics down in 1922 while he was stationed on the cutter Yamacraw in Savannah, Georgia. He didn't even write the music until five years later when he was up in the Bering Sea. Think about that for a second. The definitive song for an entire branch of the US military was composed by a guy staring at the icy waves of Alaska, probably freezing his tail off.
Why the US Coast Guard Song is Actually Kind of Metal
When you look at the lyrics, they aren't just about sailing. They are about survival. The song is a laundry list of every terrible thing the ocean can throw at you. It mentions "ice and snow" and "howling gale." It talks about "surging hills of white." It’s basically a three-minute warning that the sea wants to kill you, but the Coast Guard is going to be there anyway.
The first verse—the one everyone actually sings—sets the stage:
"From Aztec Shore to Arctic Zone, / To Europe and Far East, / The Flag is carried by our ships / In times of war and peace; / And never have we struck it yet, / In spite of foemen's might, / Whoe'er our enemies and whereso'er / We have held the cause of right."
That "Aztec Shore" line confuses people. It’s a callback to the Mexican-American War. The Coast Guard (or the Revenue Cutter Service, as it was then) was right there in the thick of it. The song serves as a history lesson that people usually ignore because they’re too busy trying to stay in key.
The Mystery of the Missing Verses
Most people only know the chorus. You’ve heard it: "We’re always ready for the call, we place our trust in Thee." But the full US Coast Guard song has multiple verses that track the evolution of the service.
There is a version from the 1940s that gets much more aggressive. During World War II, the Coast Guard wasn't just doing search and rescue; they were manning landing craft at Normandy and Iwo Jima. The lyrics shifted to reflect that. It’s one of the few military songs that has undergone significant lyrical "DLC" updates over the decades to stay relevant.
Van Boskerck’s original 1922 lyrics were a bit more flowery. He was a poet at heart. But the service realized that if you're going to march to something, it needs to have some teeth. Over time, the rhythm was tightened up, and the arrangement became the driving, rhythmic anthem we hear at Coast Guard Academy graduations today.
The Bering Sea Connection
Captain Van Boskerck was a fascinating character. He didn't just write a song; he lived the life. He spent years patrolling the "Rum Line" during Prohibition, chasing down smugglers. When he finally sat down to write the music for "Semper Paratus" in 1927, he was on a piano in a small town in Alaska.
There's something deeply authentic about that. It wasn't commissioned by a PR department. It was born out of the isolation and the specific culture of the "Coasties."
In the modern era, the song has become a bit of a point of contention for those who want to modernize it further. Some people think the language is too archaic. Others argue that the "Aztec Shore" reference is confusing for 21st-century listeners. But if you talk to a veteran, they’ll tell you the archaic nature is the point. It links a kid graduating from Cape May today to a guy on a wooden cutter in the 1800s.
How to Sing It Without Looking Like a Tourist
If you ever find yourself at a formal Coast Guard event, there is a specific etiquette.
- Stand up. This isn't optional.
- Don't clap. It’s a march, not a pop song.
- Learn the chorus. If you don't know the verses, just stay silent during them. Mumbling "watermelon" repeatedly is disrespectful.
The chorus is the meat of the US Coast Guard song:
"Aye! We’re 'Semper Paratus,' we’re ready for the call. / We lean on Thee already, and we shall never fall. / On land or sea or in the air, / We’ve stood the test before. / First to fight for the right and to build the shore. / We’re always ready for the Coast Guard, / We’re always ready for the Corps."
Wait, "the Corps"? Yeah, that trips people up. In this context, "the Corps" refers to the Coast Guard as a body of individuals, not the Marine Corps.
The Cultural Impact and Modern Usage
You’ll hear "Semper Paratus" in movies like The Guardian or The Finest Hours. It’s usually used during a montage of people training in cold water or jumping out of helicopters.
But it’s also played at funerals at Arlington National Cemetery. That’s where the song takes on a different weight. The upbeat tempo slows down, and the words about being "ready for the call" stop being about adventure and start being about sacrifice. It’s a dual-purpose anthem. It’s for the party and the wake.
The music itself is in a standard 6/8 time signature, which gives it that "swinging" march feel. It’s designed to be played by a brass band. If you try to play it on an acoustic guitar, it sounds... weird. It needs the tubas. It needs the percussion. It needs the weight of the wind section to really feel like the Coast Guard.
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Common Misconceptions About the Anthem
- Myth: It was written during the Revolutionary War.
- Fact: No. Alexander Hamilton founded the service in 1790, but they didn't get a "hit song" until the 1920s. They spent over 130 years just working in silence.
- Myth: The song is the same as the Navy's.
- Fact: Absolutely not. Coasties are very protective of their identity. Don't mix them up.
- Myth: There is only one official version.
- Fact: There are several "official" arrangements, including versions for concert bands, jazz ensembles, and even a choral arrangement.
Real-World Action Steps for the Interested
If you actually want to respect the history of the US Coast Guard song, don't just read the lyrics on a screen.
Listen to the Coast Guard Band. Go to the official US Coast Guard Band website or their YouTube channel. They are one of the premier musical organizations in the world. Their recording of "Semper Paratus" is the "gold standard." Pay attention to the counter-melodies in the woodwinds—it’s much more complex than a simple campfire tune.
Visit the Coast Guard Museum. If you’re ever in New London, Connecticut, the museum at the Academy has artifacts from Van Boskerck’s career. Seeing the actual environment where these officers served puts the "howling gale" lyrics into perspective.
Understand the Motto. Being "Semper Paratus" isn't just a catchy phrase for a song. It’s a lifestyle. The Coast Guard is the only branch that is simultaneously a military service, a law enforcement agency, and a regulatory body. They do everything from icebreaking in the Great Lakes to stopping drug subs in the Pacific. The song is the thread that ties all those disparate missions together.
The next time you hear those opening notes, remember the guy on the Yamacraw. Remember the Bering Sea. And for heaven's sake, remember that it's "Semper Paratus," not "Semper Fi." That’s the other guys.
The most effective way to appreciate the anthem is to recognize its dual nature: it's a celebration of the service's history and a solemn promise to the public. When the Coast Guard sings about being "first to fight," they aren't just talking about combat; they’re talking about being the first ones into the water when everyone else is trying to get out. That's what "Always Ready" actually means.
Next Steps for Deepening Your Knowledge:
- Listen to the 1927 arrangement: Find a recording that uses the original orchestration to hear how Captain Van Boskerck intended the melody to sound before modern polish was added.
- Compare the lyrics: Look up the "War Version" of the lyrics used during the 1940s to see how the service shifted its identity during global conflict.
- Study the "Semper Paratus" Motto: Research the legal authorities of the Coast Guard under Title 14 and Title 10 of the U.S. Code to understand why the song claims they operate in both "war and peace."