Military cadence

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A drill sergeant drills recruits in the U.S. Army.
A drill sergeant drills recruits 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 of which one soldier initiates a line, and the remaining soldiers complete it, thus instilling teamwork and camaraderie for completion. The cadence calls move to the beat and rhythm of the normal speed (quick time) march or running-in-formation (double time) march. This serves the purpose of keeping soldiers "dressed", moving in step as a unit and in formation, whilst maintaining the correct beat or cadence.

The word "cadence" was applied to these work songs 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.

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[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; Cadence count; 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] Collected Cadences

Some common 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.

[edit] "Jody calls"

In the United States, what are now known as cadences were called 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. The mythical Jody refers to a civilian who remains at home instead of joining the military service. Jody is often presumed to be medically unfit for service, a 4F in World War II parlance. Jody also lacks the desirable attributes of military men. He is neither brave nor squared-away. Jody calls often make points with ironic humor. Jody will take advantage of your girlfriend in your absence. Jody stays at home, drives the soldier's car, and gets the soldier's sweetheart (often called "Susie") 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] Reverent

Reverent calls are a growing effort by conservative personnel in armed forces to rebuild the tradition of oratory recounting of military history in the convention of cadences. The effect this instills is a greater reverence in the squad performing and for the force whose story is retold in honorable PT. Each branch of an armed force has its stories, and an example of the base used is the 101st Infantry's "Airborne Ranger" in which references to Bataan for example are included to complement the story.

Airborne
Rangers lead the way
Lead in
Airborne
Rangers lead the way
Deep in the battlefield covered in blood
Lies an Airborne Ranger dying in the mud
Airborne
Rangers lead the way
With those silver wings upon his chest
Tell America that he's one of their best
Airborne
Rangers lead the way
Lead out
Airborne
Rangers lead the way
Another vietnam era one "deep in the jungle late last night"
deep in the jungle late last night
the army and the navy got into a fight
well the army beat em and they beat em real good
and now they think they are the best in the west
and now they think they are the best in the west
deep in the jungle late last night
the army and the air force got into a fight
well the army beat em and they beat em real good
and now they think they are the best in the west
and now they think they are the best in the west
deep in the jungle late last night
the army and charlie got into a fight
well the army beat em and they beat em real good
and now they think they are the best in the west
and now they think they are the best in the west
deep in the jungle late last night
the army and the devildogs got into a fight
well the devildogs beat em and they beat em real good
and now and now we know who's the best in the west
and now and now we know who's the best in the west

[edit] Comedic

Comedic calls are often born of reverent calls but sung for comedic value using clean calls, pop-culture references, and jokes to make PT more fun and entertaining. A popular example from the film Stripes was "Why did the chicken cross the road?" "To get from the left to the right." "Stepped out of rank, got hit by a tank." "He ain't a chicken no more."

[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}

Politeness varies 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 Marine 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!
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
He-ey Ar-rmy
Ba-ack packing Ar-my
Put on your packs and follow me
I'm in the U.S. Navy
He-ey Air Force
Lo-ow flying Air Force
Get in your planes and follow me
I'm in the U.S. Navy
He-ey Coast Guard
Pud-dle pirate Coast Guard
Get in your boats and follow me
I'm in the U.S. Navy
He-ey Marines
They don't even hygiene
Pick up your rifles and follow me
I'm in the U.S. Navy

The following verses are from "Napalm Sticks to Kids." One of the most politically incorrect cadences of Vietnam, these verses are selected as being more politically correct than the others.

[edit] Controversy of themes used in some Cadences

Some cadences used by the U.S. military have created controversy about the theme of their content. Critics have claimed that some are used as part of a methodical program designed to turn recruits into reflexive killers. The messages chanted by recruits may promote brutal treatment of civilians and the themes even suggest that troops should aspire to kill civilians gathered in public areas. The following is a cadence sometimes used in the training program of recruits:

Bomb the village
Kill the people
Throw some napalm in the square
Do it on a Sunday morning
Kill them on their way to prayer
Ring the bell inside the schoolhouse
Watch the kiddies gather round
Lock and load with your 240
Mow them little motherfuckers down

The controversy originated in part due to numerous reports that U.S. troops have acted violently towards civilians and prisoners starting almost immediately after the U.S. invasion of Iraq. [4] [5] [6] [7] A number of Iraq War veterans now speak publicly that they have felt uncomfortable reciting cadences with such violent themes. [8] [9] These cadences in fact have nothing to do with the military oath which officers have pledged to honor, which is to support and defend the Constitution of the United States.

[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 grand mama was 91
She did PT just for fun
When my grand mama was 92
She did PT better than you
When my grand mama was 93
She did PT better than me
When my grand mama was 94
She did PT more and more
When my grand mama was 95
She did PT to stay alive
When my grand mama was 96
She did PT just for kicks
When my grand mama was 97
She up, she died, she went to heaven
When my grand mama was 98
She meet St. Peter at the Pearly Gate
She said St. Peter, sorry I'm late
when my grand mama was 99
She did PT mighty-fine

[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
  4. ^ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haditha_killings" (Haditha Killings)
  5. ^ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Ghraib_prisoner_abuse" (Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse)
  6. ^ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahmoudiyah%2C_Iraq" (Mahmoudiyah incident)
  7. ^ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishaqi_incident" (Ishaqi incident)
  8. ^ The Ground Truth (2006), directed by Patricia Foulkrod. Running time 80 minutes (available on DVD).
  9. ^ "http://movies.nytimes.com/2006/09/15/movies/15trut.html" (review: The Ground Truth)