The U.S. Air Force (song)
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"The U.S. Air Force" is the official song of the United States Air Force. It is informally known as "The Air Force Song," and is often informally referred to as "Into the Wild Blue Yonder", "Off We Go Into the Wild Blue Yonder," or simply "Wild Blue Yonder."
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[edit] History
Originally, the song was known as the 'Army Air Corps Song.' The lyrics and music were written by Capt. Robert Crawford in 1939. In 1947, the words "U.S. Air Force" in the title and lyrics replaced the original "Army Air Corps". On September 27, 1979, General Lew Allen, Jr., Chief of Staff of the Air Force, adopted it as the official song for the service.
In 1937, Army Air Corps second-in-command Hap Arnold persuaded his superior, Oscar Westover, that airmen needed a song reflecting their unique identity, and proposed a song competition with a prize to the winner. However, the Air Corps had no control over its budget, and could not give a prize. Liberty magazine stepped in, offering a purse of $1,000 to the winner.
Around 757 compositions were entered, and evaluated by a volunteer committee chaired by Mildred Yount, the wife of a senior Air Corps officer, and also featuring several distinguished musicians. The committee had until July 1939 to make a final choice. However, word eventually spread that the committee found no songs that satisfied them, despite the massive number of entries. Arnold, who took over command of the Air Corps in 1938 after Westover was killed in a plane crash, solicited direct inquiries from contestants, including Irving Berlin, but not even Berlin's creations proved satisfactory. Just before the deadline, Crawford entered his song, which proved to be a unanimous winner.
The song did not catch favor with everyone. At a dinner in September 1939, committee chair Yount played a recording of the song for Charles Lindbergh and asked his opinion of the song. He responded politely to Yount, but years later remarked in a diary, "I think it is mediocre at best. Neither the music nor the words appealed to me." Arnold did not share Lindbergh's opinion; he sought to fund publication of band and ensemble arrangements of the song for nationwide distribution. However, the Air Corps did not have enough money to widely publish the piece, so Crawford arranged a transfer of the song's copyright to New York music publisher Carl Fischer Inc., including a perpetual performance release in favor of the U.S. Air Force.
[edit] Lyrics
USAF Heritage of America band, "The U.S. Air Force"
The full lyrics of the song are as follows:
Off we go into the wild blue yonder,
Climbing high into the sun;
Here they come zooming to meet our thunder,
At 'em boys, Give 'er the gun! (Give 'er the gun hey!)
Down we dive, spouting our flame from under,
Off with one hell of a roar!*
We live in fame or go down in flame. Hey!
Nothing can stop the U.S. Air Force!
Minds of men fashioned a crate of thunder,
Sent it high into the blue;
Hands of men blasted the world asunder;
How they lived God only knew! (God only knew then!)
Souls of men dreaming of skies to conquer
Gave us wings, ever to soar!
With scouts before And bombers galore. Hey!
Nothing can stop the U.S. Air Force!
Bridge: "A Toast to the Host"
Here's a toast to the host
Of those who love the vastness of the sky,
To a friend we send a message of his brother men who fly.
We drink to those who gave their all of old,
Then down we roar to score the rainbow's pot of gold.
A toast to the host of men we boast, the U.S. Air Force!
Off we go into the wild sky yonder,
Keep the wings level and true;
If you'd live to be a grey-haired wonder
Keep the nose out of the blue! (Out of the blue, boy!)
Flying men, guarding the nation's border,
We'll be there, followed by more!
In echelon we carry on. Hey!
Nothing can stop the U.S. Air Force!
- * - Some contemporary sheet music often contained a footnote advising the substitution of "terrible roar" for "hell of a roar", for radio performances, in accordance with public airwaves rules of the day. "Hell of a roar" is heard much more often nowadays, in the more relaxed modern standards of decorum. Other versions, since 1947, have replaced "Army Air Corps" (which ceased to exist as a military entity under that name on June 20, 1941) with "U.S. Air Force", as the U.S. Air Force was founded that same year.
[edit] Performance of the song
Most commonly only the first verse is performed, though in professional performances all four verses may be presented. The third verse ("Here's a toast...") has a different melody, and a more reverent mood than the rest of the song to commemorate those who have fallen in the service of the Air Force and the United States. This verse is sometimes performed independently of the other verses. It is sung by all the flights, in unison, at the beginning of the duty day at Air Force basic training.
Although not the Academy's official fight song, the first verse of the song is frequently played at United States Air Force Academy sporting events. The third verse of the song ("Here's a toast") is sung by itself as the Academy's alma mater after most sporting events. Most notably, it it is sung after games against rivals Army and Navy, when the teams combine to participate in the singing of both Academies' alma maters. The third verse is also traditionally sung by all Academy cadets and graduates to honor the passing of a fellow cadet or graduate.
The song is also sung by basic trainees at Lackland Air Force Base prior to going into the chow hall for supper on weeknights.
[edit] Alternate Song
Another, though unofficial song, surfaced in 1957. This unofficial song is titled "U.S. Air Force Blue".
They took the blue from the skies and a pretty girl's eyes
and a touch of Old Glory's hue,
And gave it to the men who proudly wear the U.S. Air Force blue.
The U.S. Air Force Blue!
Oh, they are men with a dream on America's team,
They're a rugged and ready crew.
And you can bet your boots the world looks up to U.S. Air Force Blue.
To U.S. Air Force Blue!
They know where they're goin', they've set their course,
the sky's no limit in the Air Force.
They took the blue from the skies and a pretty girl's eyes
and a touch of Old Glory's hue,
And gave it to the men who proudly wear the U.S. Air Force Blue.
And you can wear it too!
The U.S... Air Force... Blue!
The video can be found on Youtube.[1]
By the 1990s, "U.S. Air Force Blue" had fallen into disfavor with some Air Force personnel, due to the potentially chauvinistic lyrics, and considering the high number of women serving in the USAF. The lyrics were changed at that time to eliminate the issue, or the song was played without the accompanying vocal line.[citation needed]
[edit] References
[edit] See also
- Anchors Aweigh
- The Army Goes Rolling Along
- Eternal Father, Strong to Save
- Marines' hymn
- Semper Paratus (march)
- Royal Air Force March Past
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