Following the end of the Harvest Campaign and humanity’s first significant victory against the Covenant in 2531, the brave sailors of the UNSC Navy wrote a sea shanty to celebrate the Second Battle of Harvest in 2526, the retaking of the planet five years later, and their battle group commander, Admiral Preston J. Cole. Having risen in stature to mythical levels due to his Battle Group’s early victories against Covenant fleets, Admiral Cole was looked at by most in the UNSC at the time as a demi-god. This shanty honors the unwavering bravery and determination of Cole and all the sailors under his command.
Sailors in orbit as well as the Marines on the ground were known to have sung this throughout much of the 2530s, with a resurgence following the loss of Admiral Cole in 2543. Though the song is not as well-known in the post-war years due to the passage of time and the loss of so many of those servicepeople to the war, it is said that this tune can still be heard in the winds blowing over the glasslands of Harvest to this very day.
While there are no known recordings of The Admiral from the period of its original writing, we are looking for a gifted singer to record their own version for posterity. If you are interested in giving the shanty your own flair, record yourself singing the song and send it to Podcast Evolved. The best recordings will be featured on an upcoming episode and/or on our YouTube channel!
The Admiral (circa 2531)
Planet Harvest, prior to the Human-Covenant War, circa 2524.
There once was a ship set for Harvest,
The name of the ship, was the Everest.
The MAC was charged, the ship did slip,
March forward unto dawn.
Soon may the Admiral come,
To bring us word humanity has won.
One day, when the fighting is done,
On Earth, we'll rest upon.
She had not been two weeks from Reach,
When on the comms the fleet beseeched.
The plasma fired, the hull did breach,
Their lives nearly forgone.
Soon may the Admiral come,
To bring us word humanity has won.
One day, when the fighting is done,
On Earth, we'll rest upon.
Before the ship could break from orbit,
The fissures sealed, so crew inhabit.
The admiral pondered his gambit,
Archers go fly on.
Battle Group 4, consisting of the CMA Heracles, CMA Arabia, and CMA Vostok, sent to Harvest in October 2525.
Soon may the Admiral come,
To bring us word humanity has won.
One day, when the fighting is done,
On Earth, we'll rest upon.
The odds were low, but no regret,
Vostok they would not soon forget.
The order made, fix bayonets,
Their fates agreed upon.
Soon may the Admiral come,
To bring us word humanity has won.
One day, when the fighting is done,
On Earth, we'll rest upon.
Thirteen corpses strewn asunder,
The battlefield but blood and thunder.
Planet surface left a cinder,
Still they all fought on.
Soon may the Admiral come,
To bring us word humanity has won.
One day, when the fighting is done,
On Earth, we'll rest upon.
UNSC Marines celebrate victory over the Covenant at Harvest, circa February 2531.
Command summoned for Mahadeva,
We pray to you, our savior Shiva.
One-hundred lights of blinding nova,
Fade to battle won.
Soon may the Admiral come,
To bring us word humanity has won.
One day, when the fighting is done,
On Earth, we'll rest upon.
The aftermath, endless detritus,
Five long years, we reap the Harvest.
Never forget those that were lost,
The fight continues on.
Soon may the Admiral come,
To bring us word humanity has won.
One day, when the fighting is done,
On Earth, we'll rest upon.
Soon may the Admiral come,
To bring us word humanity has won.
One day, when the fighting is done,
On Earth, we'll rest upon.
