The Army Goes Rolling Along

"The Army Goes Rolling Along" is the official song of the United States Army[1] and is typically called "The Army Song."

Contents

The Caisson Song

The song is based on the "Caisson Song" written by field artillery First Lieutenant (later Brigadier General) Edmund L. Gruber, Lieutenant William Bryden, and Lieutenant (later Major General) Robert Danford while stationed at Fort Stotsenburg in the Philippines in March 1908.[2] The tune quickly became popular in field artillery units. In 1917 the Secretary of the Navy and Army Lieutenant George Friedlander of the 306th Field Artillery asked John Philip Sousa to create a march using the "Caisson Song." Sousa changed the key, harmony, and rhythm and renamed it "U.S. Field Artillery."[3] The recording sold 750,000 copies.[4] Sousa didn't know who had written the song and had been told that it dated back to the Civil War. Although an Army magazine claims that Sousa passed on his royalties to Gruber,[5] other sources state that Gruber became involved in a prolonged legal battle to recover the rights to music he had written and that had been lifted (unknowingly or not) by Sousa and widely sold by sheet music publishers who reaped profits while Gruber received nothing. The music became so popular that it was also used in radio ads by firms such as the Hoover Vacuum Company. Gruber lost his battle in the courts. They ruled that he had waited too long to complain and that his music was by that time in the public domain.

"The Caisson Song" was never designated as the official U.S.Army song likely because the lyrics were too closely identified with the field artillery and not the entire army. The official song retains Gruber's music, but with re-written lyrics.

Search for an Official Song

As the Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard had already adopted official songs, the Army was anxious to find a song of its own. In 1948, the Army conducted a contest to find an official song (Tom Lehrer claims to have submitted "It Makes a Fellow Proud to Be a Soldier" in this contest), but no entry received much popular support. In 1952, Secretary of the Army Frank Pace asked the music industry to submit songs and received over 800 submissions. "The Army's Always There" by Sam Stept won the contest,[6] and an Army band performed it at President Dwight D. Eisenhower's inaugural parade on January 20, 1953. However, many thought that the tune was too similar to "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts," so the Army decided to keep Gruber's melody from the "Caisson Song" but with new lyrics. A submission of lyrics by Harold W. Arberg, a music advisor to the Adjutant General, was accepted.[7] Secretary of the Army Wilber Marion Brucker dedicated the music on Veterans Day, November 11, 1956.[8] The song is played at the conclusion of most U.S. Army ceremonies, and all soldiers are expected to stand at attention and sing. When more than one service song is played, they are played in the order specified by Army regulations: Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard.[1]

Caisson Song (1908, original version) [9]

Over hill over dale we will hit the dusty trail
As the caissons go rolling along.
Up and down, in and out, Countermarch and right about,
And our caissons go rolling along.

For it's hi-hi-hee in the Field Artillery, Shout out the number loud and strong.

Till our final ride, It will always be our pride
To keep those caissons a rolling along.
(Keep them rolling - keep them rolling)*
Keep those caissons a rolling along.
(B-a-t-t-e-r-y H-a-l-t!)*

U.S. Field Artillery (1917) [4]

(by Gruber, arranged by Sousa, copyright and published by Carl Fischer)

Verse:

Over hill, over dale
We have hit the dusty trail,
And the Caissons go rolling along.
In and out, hear them shout,
Counter marching and right about,
And those Caissons go rolling along.

Refrain:

For it's hi! hi! hee!
In the field artillery,
count out your numbers loud and strong,two three for hut two three
And where e'er you go,
You will always know
That the Caissons go rolling along.

Verse:

In the storm, in the night,
Action left or action right
See those Caissons go rolling along
Limber front, limber rear,
Prepare to mount your cannoneer
And those Caissons go rolling along.

Refrain:

For it's hi! hi! hee!
In the field artillery,
Shout out your numbers loud and strong,
And where e'er you go,
You will always know
That the Caissons go rolling along.

Verse:

Was it high, was it low,
Tell me where did that one go?
As those Caissons go rolling along
Was it left, was it right,
Now we won't get home tonight
And those Caissons go rolling along.

Refrain:

For it's hi! hi! hee!
In the field artillery,
Shout out your numbers loud and strong,
And where e'er you go,
You will always know
That the Caissons go rolling along.

The Army Goes Rolling Along (1956, current official version)[10]

typically only the first verse and refrain are sung (not including the intro)

Intro:

March along, sing our song, with the Army of the free
Count the brave, count the true, who have fought to victory
We're the Army and proud of our name
We're the Army and proudly proclaim

Verse:

First to fight for the right,
And to build the Nation’s might,
And The Army Goes Rolling Along
Proud of all we have done,
Fighting till the battle’s won,
And the Army Goes Rolling Along.

Refrain:

Then it's Hi! Hi! Hey!
The Army's on its way.
Count off the cadence loud and strong*
* "Two! Three!" is typically sung here but is not an official part of the song
For where e’er we go,
You will always know
That The Army Goes Rolling Along.

Verse:

Valley Forge, Custer's ranks,
San Juan Hill and Patton's tanks,
And the Army went rolling along
Minute men, from the start,
Always fighting from the heart,
And the Army keeps rolling along.
(Refrain)

Verse:

Men in rags, men who froze,
Still that Army met its foes,
And the Army went rolling along.
Faith in God, then we're right,
And we'll fight with all our might,
As the Army keeps rolling along.
(Refrain)

References in popular culture

The Australian A-League Club, Adelaide United FC, have their Club Song "United is rolling along" sung to this tune.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Army Regulation 220-90, Army Bands, 14 December 2007, para 2-5f, g
  2. ^ The Field Artillery Journal, July–August 1926, pp. 337 and 443-444, background and original lyrics
  3. ^ Marshall's Civic Band
  4. ^ a b Fort Bragg article
  5. ^ a b Wigginton, F. Peter, Soldiers magazine, July 1994, p. 45
  6. ^ Time magazine, January 19, 1953
  7. ^ Dorr, Robert, Westchester Chordsmen, December 2004, p. 4
  8. ^ Army Field Manual 3-21.5, Drill and Ceremonies, 12 April 2006, para. 1-2h
  9. ^ United States Field Artillery Association
  10. ^ U.S. Army Bands information and recordings
  11. ^ Internet Movie Database, entry for Gruber
  12. ^ North Carolina State University. Retrieved on February 22, 2007.
  13. ^ Heinlein, Robert A. "The Roads Must Roll." The Science Fiction Hall of Fame: Volume One, 1929-1964. Ed. Robert Silverberg. New York: Tom Doherty Associates, 1998. 53-87.
  14. ^ http://www.bcdb.com/cartoon/4610-Good_Little_Scouts.html

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