Military cadence

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A drill sergeant drills privates in the U.S. Army.
A drill sergeant drills privates in the U.S. Army.

In the armed services, a military cadence or cadence call is a traditional call-and-response work song sung by military personnel while running or marching. In the United States, these cadences are sometimes called jody calls or jodies, after Jody, a recurring character who figures in some traditional cadences.

Requiring no instruments to play, they are counterparts in oral military folklore of the military march. As a sort of work song, military cadences take their rhythms from the work being done (compare sea shanty). Many cadences have a call and response structure; one soldier initiates a line, and the remaining soldiers complete it.


Contents

[edit] History

The mythical Jodie refers to a civilian who remains at home instead of joining the military service. Jodie is often presumed to be medically unfit for service, a 4F in WWII parlance. Jodie also lacks the desirable attributes of military men. He is neither brave nor squared-away. As Jodie calls often point out with ironic humor, Jodie will take advantage of your girl friend in your absence. Jodie Calls are initiated as the left foot strikes the ground, whether marching at normal speed (quick time) or running in formation (double time). This serves to purpose of keep the formation in step, and maintain the correct beat or cadence.

The word "cadence" was applied to these chants because of an earlier meaning, in which it meant the number of steps a marcher or runner took per minute. The cadence was set by a drummer or sergeant, and discipline was extremely important as keeping the cadence directly affected the travel speed of infantry. There were other purposes: the close-order drill was a particular cadence count for the complex sequence of loading and firing a musket. In the Revolutionary War, Baron von Steuben notably imported European battlefield techniques which persist, greatly modified, to this day. Cadences also instill teamwork and camaraderie.

[edit] The Duckworth Chant (or Sound Off!)

A V-Disc  (help·info) issued in 1944 credits the origin of Sound Off (The Duckworth Chant) to Private Willie Duckworth; according to this story, in May of 1944, while returning to base with his exhausted unit, he began singing or chanting the first cadence, "Sound Off:"

Sound-off; 1 - 2; Sound-off; 3 - 4; Count cadence; 1 - 2 - 3 - 4; 1 - 2 — 3 - 4.


This cadence, known as the "Duckworth Chant," exists with some variations in many different branches of the U.S. military. Duckworth's simple chant soon was elaborated by folk tradition among drill sergeants and the soldiers under their command, and the tradition of creating elaborate marching chants or songs spread to other branches of the military.

[edit] Some cadences

Some commonly cadences collected at the Naval Academy[1] include:

As soon as 1952, the U.S. Army adopted The Army Goes Rolling Along as its service theme song, with the lyric "count off the cadence loud and strong" a reference to Duckworth's cadence. Its melody and lyrics derive from the traditional When the Caissons Go Rolling Along.


A common US Marine Corps cadence goes:

Way back when at the dawn of time.
In the heart of Death Valley where the sun don't shine.
The roughest toughest fighter ever known was made.
From an M16 and a live grenade.
He was a lean mean green fighting machine.
He proudly bore the title of US Marine.


Another well-loved and well-used U.S. Navy SEALs cadence goes:

Up from a sub 60 feet below,
When we hit the surface, we'll be ready to go.
Side-stroke, back-stroke, swim to the shore,
When we hit the beach, we're ready for war.
Grease gun, KA-BAR by my side,
These are the tools that make men die.


Another well-loved and well-used US Marine Corps cadence goes:

I wish all the ladies were pies on a shelf
and I was a baker I'd eat em all myself.
I wish all the ladies were bricks in a pile
and I was a mason I'd lay em all with style.
I wish all the ladies were bells in a tower
and I was a bell boy I'd bang em every hour.
I wish all the ladies were holes in a road
and I was a dump truck I'd fill em with my load.

With the Company Repeating after the Lead "I wish all the Ladies", "Were (Item) in/on a (Place)", "And I was a (Occupation)", "I'd (Action)". There is also a chorus:

Barooba, Barooba
Barooba, Barooba

(Rhymes with Hoo-ah)


A U.S. Navy cadence goes:

I'm a battleship baby
Just a blastin' down the line
I'm a battleship baby
Just a blastin' down the line
So you better get out of my way now
before I blast all over you
It's just a little uh, a little uh, a little rock and roll
It's the kinda uh, the kinda uh, the kind to soothe your soul
So you better get out of my way now
Before I blast all over you

Each verse a different object is put in and a different action. (ex. Jackhamer/Jack, Steamroller/roll, screwdriver/screw)


A common US Army cadence goes:

C-130 rolling down the strip.
Airborne ranger gonna take a little trip.
Mission top secret, destination unknown.
Don't even know if I'm going home.
Stand up, hook up, shuffle to the door.
Jump right out and count to four.
One thousand, two thousand, three thousand, four.
If my chute don't open wide,
I've got a reserve by my side.
If that one should fail me too,
Look out below I'm coming through


Another from the U.S. Army:

C-130 running down the strip
Airborne ranger on a one way trip
Mission top secret, destination unknown
Don't even know if I'm going home
Stand-up, hook-up, shuffle to the door
Jump right out and count to four
If my main don't open wide
I got a reserve on my side
If that one should fail me too
Look out ground there's a ranger comin' through
I said hey all the way
I say hey every day
If I die on the old drop zone
Then box me up and send me home
Pin my wings up on my chest
Tell my girl I've done my best
I said hey all the way
I say hey every day


And:

I wanna be in the in-fan-try
Fighting in wars is the thing for me
M16 running down the street
Not the people you wanna meet


And:

1, 2, 3, 4
Run a little, run a little, run some more
Sittin' on the hill top beatin' my drum
I beat so hard till the MPs come
I cry MP, MP don't arrest me
Arrest that man behind the tree
He stole whiskey, I stole wine
And all I ever do is double time


One from the U.S. Marine Corps:

Whiskey Whiskey Jack Jack
Meet me down by the rail road track track
With a 40 in your hand
I'm gonna be a drinkin' man
Whiskey whiskey jack jack
Meet me down by the rail road track track
With my girlfriend in my hand
I'm gonna be a lovin' man.


A cadence common in the U.S. Navy:

They say that in the Navy, the coffee's mighty fine
It looks like muddy water and tastes like turpentine
(Refrain)
Oh lord, I wanna go
But they won't let me go.
Ho-oo-oo-oo-me.
They say that in the Navy, the pay is mighty fine
They give you a hundred dollars, and take back ninety-nine
Refrain
They say that in the Navy, the chow is mighty fine
A biscuit rolled off the table, and killed a friend of mine
Refrain

Numerous variations exist for these verses and others.


A more traditional U.S. Navy cadence:

The Navy colors
The colors are red
To show the world
The blood we've shed
The Navy colors
The colors are blue
To show the world
That we are true
The Navy colors
The colors are white
To show the world
That we will fight
The Navy colors
The colors are gold
To show the world
That we are bold


Another from the U.S. Marine Corps, easily adapted to other branches:

If I die in a combat zone
Box me up and ship me home
Put me in a set of dress blues
Comb my hair and shine my shoes
Pin my medals upon my chest
Tell my mama I done my best
Ma, mama don't you cry
In the Marine Corps you either do or die

[edit] "Jody calls"

In the United States, these songs get the name jody call or jody (also jodie) from a recurring character, a civilian named "Jody" whose luxurious lifestyle is contrasted with military deprivations in a number of traditional calls. Jody is the person who stays at home, drives the soldier's car, and gets the soldier's sweetheart while the soldier is in boot camp or in country. (Serendipitously, the name works just as well for female soldiers.)

The name derives from a stock character in African-American oral traditions. The character's name has been transcribed as "Joady," "Jody," "Jodie," "Joe D.", or even "Joe the ____" (in dialect, "Joe de ____") with Joe then identified by occupation. He was a stock anti-hero who maliciously took advantage of another man's absence. Enlisted African-American soldiers incorporated this character into cadence songs during the Second World War. When the military desegregated, these cadence songs spread service-wide.

Common themes in jodies include:

  • Homesickness.
  • Quotidian complaints about military life.
  • Boasts (of one's own unit) and insults (of one's competitor, which may be another unit, another service branch, or the enemy.)
  • Humorous and topical references.


One example used in the U.S. Army:

My honey heard me comin' on my left right on left
I saw Jody runnin' on his left right on left
I chased after Jody and I ran him down
Poor ol' boy doesn't feel good now
M.P.s came a runnin on their left right on left
The medics came a runnin' on their left right on left
He felt a little better with a few I.V.s
Son I told you not to mess with them ELEVEN Bs (the designation for infantry in the Army)


One from the U.S. Marine Corps:

Jody, Jody six feet four
Jody never had his ass kicked before.
I'm gonna take a three-day pass
And really slap a beating on Jody's ass!


[edit] Politically incorrect

Obscene, scatological, politically incorrect and violent jody calls exist, and were typical, especially during and before the Vietnam War. The use of such calls is now discouraged by the U.S. military, which instead emphasizes "clean" versions of traditional jodies. The flexibility of jodies is nearly unlimited, and old jodies have always been revived or rewritten as times and wars change.


An example of one such call is the first stanza of Yellow Bird:

A yellow bird with a yellow bill
Was perched upon my window sill
I lured him in with a piece of bread
And then I smashed his little head
(REPEAT)

In the last line, the word 'little' is frequently used to replace profanity. This is an example of the minor tweaks that frequently occur in cadences depending on the particular military unit or installation they are used at. A particular cadence, when used by an infantry or other combat arms unit may include explicit profanity, while the same cadence, when used by a training or medical unit, may be censored to a degree, as above.

The second verse to the preceding cadence:

The moral of,
The story is,
To get some head -
You need some bread

{REPEAT}

And that's an example of a more politically incorrect verse. Differences in politeness vary from unit to unit. In the US Army, the general rule is as follows: The more "hardcore" of a unit, the less PC the verses shall be. Of course, they also change to extoll the virtues of whichever unit is singing.


One from the U.S. Navy:

I wanna be a Navy pilot
I wanna fly an F-14
I wanna fly with the cockpit open
I wanna hear those commies scream


An excerpt from the popular "When I Go to Heaven", also known as "How'd Ya Earn Your Living" or "When I Get to Heaven"

When I go to bars
The girls they will say
How did you earn your living
How did you earn your pay
And my reply was with a cold kind of nod
I earn my living killing commies for my God
When I go home
The hippies they will say
How did you earn your living
How did you earn your pay
And I replied as I pulled out my knife
Get out of my way before I take yo' life


Another, more modern example of a politically incorrect cadence popular through the US Navy:

Running through the desert with my M-16,
I'm a mean Seabee from the green machine!
Osama bin Laden, where you at?
I'm going to stick my bayonet in your ass!
I'm gonna twist it turn it and watch you cry,
I'm gonna twist it turn it until you die!


[edit] Friendly competition between different departments of U.S. military

Ever since the creation of the different departments of the United States military, there has been a historic competition albeit friendly, good spirited banter. The Marine Corps and the Army often exchange playful comments, typically through their cadences. Since the two divisions often perform similar tasks on the battlefield, this would likely lead to the source of the light-hearted rivalry. The Navy (specifically the pilots) and the Air Force share a similar contention with each other.


Here's an example:

I don't know, but it's been said
Air Force wings are made of lead
I don't know, but I've been told
Navy wings are made of gold


From the US Marine Corps:

He-ey Ar-rmy
Ba-ack packing Ar-my
Put on your packs and follow me
I am Marine Corps Infantry
He-ey Air Force
Lo-ow flying Air Force
Get in your planes and follow me
I am Marine Corps Infantry
He-ey Na-vy
Se-ea sailing Na-vy
Get in your ships and follow me
I am Marine Corps Infantry
He-ey Coast Guard
Pud-dle pirate Coast Guard
Get in your boats and follow me
I am Marine Corps Infantry
He-ey Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
Pick up your rifles and follow me
I am Marine Corps Infantry


Another from the U.S. Navy:

Everywhere we go-o
People wanna know-o
Who we a-are
So we tell them
We are the Nav-y
The mighty, mighty Navy



We're not the Army
The back-packing Army
We're not the Airforce
Always on the golf course
We're not the Marines
They don't even hygiene
We're not the Coast Guard
They don't even work hard
We are the Navy
World's finest Navy
Blue and gold Navy


From the U.S. Air Force:

Everywhere we go-o
People wanna know-o
Who we a-are
So we tell them
We're not the Army
The back-packing Army
We're not the Navy
Deck swabbing Navy
We're not the Marine Corps
Jar headed Marine Corps
We're not the Coast Guard
They don't even work hard
We are the Air Force
Mighty Mighty Air Force
High Flying Air Force


Each of the department's specialist groups have "grudges" against one another. For example, U.S. Navy SEALs are seen as rivals to the U.S. Army Special Forces (known to public and media as Green Berets).

One such US Navy SEALs cadence:

I don't wanna be no Green Beret
They only PT once a day
I don't wanna be no Airborne Ranger
I wanna live a life of danger
I don't wanna be no bag recon
I wanna stay till the job is done
I wanna be a Seal Team member
I wanna swim the deep blue sea
I wanna live a life of danger
Pick up your slip-ins and run with me

[edit] Non-military cadences

[edit] Police

Police personnel who train in para-military fashion also have acquired the tradition for its recruits in the police academy. However, the "lyrics" are changed for law enforcement, for example:

A six gun a tin star a horse named Blue.
In 1890 a cop held these true.
In 1930 the tommy gun.
It made police work a lot more fun.
A big block Dodge Polara it's true.
In sixty six it came out of the chute.
We got night vision on our M14's.
We're the ones they call to secure the scene
In 20 years, who knows what it will be.
Phaser guns mounted on my HumVee.
From a horse named Blue to a big HumVee
We'll still PT in the Academy!
(Last line yelled)

[edit] Fire academy

Fire academies in the U.S. often train in a para-military style. The following is a common cadence heard in the Fire Academy.

When my great granny was 91
She did PT just for fun
When my great granny was 92
She did PT better than you
When my great granny was 93
She did PT better than me
When my great granny was 94
She did PT more and more
When my great granny was 95
She did PT to stay alive
When my great granny was 96
She did PT just for kicks
When my great granny was 97
She up, she died, she went to heaven
When my great granny was 98
She meet St. Peter at the Pearly Gate
She said St. Peter, St. Peter, sorry I'm late

[edit] External links


[edit] References

  • Burke, Carol. 1989. "Marching to Vietnam," Journal of American Folklore 102(406): 424-441.


  1. ^ Burke, Carol. 1989. "Marching to Vietnam," Journal of American Folklore 102(406): 424-441.
  2. ^ Burke. pg. 439.
  3. ^ Burk. pg. 425
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