Lyrics

[Verse 1] December the seventh we heard about Pearl We knew we'd be next on the list The men of our Corps, four fifty, no more All swore to the death to resist [Chorus] Wake Island (Wake Island), Wake Island (Wake Island) It's not even marked on the maps Our Corps raised her name to honor and fame When we stopped the advance of the Japs [Verse 2] Cut off from supplies with no hope of aid Wе sighted the first Japanesе With thousands of troops and a task force of ships They thought they would take us with ease [Chorus] Wake Island (Wake Island), Wake Island (Wake Island) It's not even marked on the maps Our Corps raised her name to honor and fame When we stopped the advance of the Japs [Verse 3] They sent in their subs, their ships and their planes They shelled us by day and by night Surrender they said, we laughed at their threats We're only beginning to fight [Chorus] Wake Island (Wake Island), Wake Island (Wake Island) It's not even marked on the maps Our Corps raised her name to honor and fame When we stopped the advance of the Japs [Verse 4] Our four hundred fifty cost six thousand Japs Our fighters downed twenty-eight planes We sank two destroyers and one submarine Six others got shelled for their pains [Chorus] Wake Island (Wake Island), Wake Island (Wake Island) It's not even marked on the maps Our Corps raised her name to honor and fame When we stopped the advance of the Japs [Verse 5] Our plan was to fight to the very last man But Deveraux gave this command There's a thousand civilians I can't sacrifice We'll have to surrender our band [Chorus] Wake Island (Wake Island), Wake Island (Wake Island) It's not even marked on the maps Our Corps raised her name to honor and fame When we stopped the advance of the Japs [Verse 6] Yes, we lay down our arms on the twenty-third day The Japs cheered the news of defeat But they could not believe a few crummy Marines Had stopped the whole Japanese fleet [Chorus] Wake Island (Wake Island), Wake Island (Wake Island) It's not even marked on the maps Our Corps raised her name to honor and fame When we stopped the advance of the Japs