Sussex By The Sea

Sussex by The Sea is a military marching song composed by W Ward-Higgs for the Sussex Regiment in World War 1.  The tune can be downloaded through this website link.

The most recent version is one that came from Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club which has transferred over to the cricket crowd.  It is a rousing short verse that gets the crowd and the team going and it has now become tradition for the Sussex squad to sing this very loudly back in the dressing room after every victory.  The honour of leading the song goes to the player nominated by coach or captain who has contributed most to the game.

Good Old Sussex By the Sea
Good Old Sussex By the Sea
And we’re going up to win the cup
For Sussex by the Sea

Then there is a two verse version from 1957 dedicated to Sussex cricket by Joe Haddon.

Sussex by the Sea by W Ward-Higgs

Now is the time for marching, 
Now let your hearts be gay, 
Hark to the merry bugles 
Sounding along our way. 
So let your voices ring my boys, 
And take the time from me, 
And I'll sing you a song as we march along, 
Of Sussex by the Sea! 

For Sussex by the Sea ! 
Oh Sussex, Sussex by the Sea ! 
Good old Sussex by the Sea ! 
You may tell them all that we stand or fall, 
For Sussex by the Sea 

We're the men from Sussex, 
Sussex by the Sea. 
We plough and sow and reap and mow, 
And useful men are we; 
And when you go to Sussex, 
Whoever you may be, 
You may tell them all that we stand or fall 
For Sussex by the Sea! 

(chorus) 
Up in the morning early, 
Start at the break of day; 
March till the evening shadows 
Tell us it's time to stay. 
We're always moving on my boys, 
So take the time from me, 
And sing this song as we march along, Of Sussex by the Sea. 

(chorus) 
Sometimes your feet are weary 
Sometimes the way is long, 
Sometimes the day is dreary, 
Sometimes the world goes wrong; 
But if you let your voices ring, 
Your care will fly away, 
So we'll sing a song as we march along, Of Sussex by the Sea. 

(chorus) 
Light is the love of a soldier, 
That's what the ladies say, 
Lightly he goes a wooing, 
Lightly he rides away. 
In love and war we always are 
As fair as fair can be, 
And a soldier boy is a lady's joy In Sussex by the Sea! 

(chorus)
Far o'er the seas we wander, 
Wide thro' the world we roam; 
Far from the kind hearts yonder, 
Far from our dear old home; 
But ne'er shall we forget my boys, 
And true we'll ever be 
To the girls so kind that we left behind 
In Sussex by the Sea 

Joe Haddon 1957

Now is the time for playing
Now let your hearts be gay
List what your captain is saying
While off the field of play
So put your best leg forward, my lads
And time each ball you see
If you sing the old song
Well you can’t go wrong
Of Sussex By The Sea

Chorus:
Good Old Sussex by the Sea, Good Old Sussex By the Sea
You can tell them all that we stand or fall
For Sussex by the Sea.

Good Old Sussex By the Sea
Their cricket is a pleasure to see
They will give you a show
For they don’t play slow
And useful men are they
So when you go to Sussex
Six Martlets men to see
They will delight you all
With the bat and the ball
In the County Ground by the Sea.