Marching Cadences
Wake up to a mortar attack Hit the ground, I'm out of the rack My sergeant rushes me off to chow But I don't eat it anyhow Refrain: Oh hail, Oh hail, Oh infantry Queen of battle, follow me Oh, airborne ranger's the life for me For nothing in this world is free From a big bird in the sky All will jump and some will die Off to battle we will go To live or die, hell I don't know. Refrain Hit the ground with American pride A bullet through a commie's eye He ought to be damn glad he died He'd hate for me to take him alive It's true that some of us will die Airborne rangers learn to fly But not today as I hit the ground Lock and load another round Over the hill, some men I've seen Head to toe in Army green Moving tactically, not a sound Infantry soldiers on the ground Assault, support are all in place The enemy unaware of his fate Claymores blast and 60's roar Again, the airborne ranger scores Its true that someday I'll be dead Before I go I'll take more heads Before us enemies all will flee 'Cause we're the airborne infantry
Somewhere there's a woman She's crying for her man He's an airborne ranger He does the best he can Refrain: Don't cry for me I don't need your sympathy 'Cause I'm an airborne ranger And that's all I want to be Somewhere there's a mother She's praying for her son He's an airborne ranger And his work is never done Somewhere there's a father His head is bowed in grief His son was an airborne ranger And he died for his beliefs Somewhere there's a mother Flag folded in her hands Her son was an airborne ranger And he died for his land
I hear the choppers coming They're flying overhead They've come to get the wounded They've come to get the dead Refrain: Airborne (shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot to kill) Ranger (shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot to kill) * My buddy's in a foxhole A bullet in his head The Army says he's living But I know that he's dead I ran to tell the C-O About my buddy's head But when I got there The C-O was dead And now the battle's over The smoke is all around We wanted to go home But we're six feet underground * In this refrain, the unit sings the words in parentheses at the same time that the leader sings the words in italics. The unit then repeats the leader's words in the normal manner.
Airborne ranger, airborne ranger, where have you been Around the world and back again Airborne ranger, airborne ranger, how did you go In a C-130, flying low Airborne ranger, airborne ranger, how did you get down In a T-10 charlie, big and round Airborne ranger, airborne ranger, what did you do I killed a commie for me and you Airborne ranger, airborne ranger, how did you get back In a black and gold body sack
Eighty-second All-American Pick up your 'chutes and follow me I'm the airborne infantry One-oh-one Screaming eagles Pick up your ropes and follow me I'm the air assault infantry Twenty-fifth Tropic lightning Pick up your rucks and follow me I'm the light infantry First division Big red one Jump on your tracks and follow me I'm the mechanized infantry Seventy-fifth Black beret Pick up your weapon and follow me I'm the ranger infantry Sixth ID Patch on my shoulder Pick up your snowshoes, follow me Arctic Light Infantry ROTC Patch on my shoulder Pick up your books and follow me I'm the wanna-be infantry
I don't know why I left But I must've done wrong Refrain: And it won't be long 'Till I get on back home Got a letter in the mail Go to war or go to jail Sat me in that barber's chair Spun me around, I had no hair Used to drive a Cadillac Now I pack it on my back Used to drive a limousine Now I'm wearing Army green Dress it right and cover down Forty inches all around Nine to the front and six to the rear That's the way we do it here Used to date a beauty queen Now I date my M-16 Ain't no use in lookin' down Ain't no discharge on the ground Ain't no use in going back Jody's got your Cadillac Ain't no use in calling home Jody's got your girl and gone Ain't no use in feeling blue Jody's got your sister too Took away my faded jeans Now I'm wearing Army greens They took away my gin and rum Now I'm up before the sun Mama Mama can't you see What this Army's done for me Mama Mama can't you see This Army life is killing me
Old King Cole was a merry old soul and a merry old soul was he He called for his pipe and called for his bowl and he called for his privates, three Beer, beer, beer said the privates Merry men are we But none so fair that they can compare to the airborne infantry Old King Cole was a merry old soul and a merry old soul was he He called for his pipe and called for his bowl and he called for his corporals, three I need a three-day pass said the corporals Beer, beer, beer said the privates Merry men are we But none so fair that they can compare to the airborne infantry * The cadence continues on in this manner, with a verse about a higher rank and repeating all of the ranks before. Eight verses are sung with these lyrics: (the cadet is added only if you want to)
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privates three corporals three sergeants three lieuies three (pronounced loo-ee) captains three majors three colonels three generals three cadets three |
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_________________________________________________ In fourteen hundred and ninety-two a beggar bound for college was roaming in the streets of Spain and selling hot tamales Refrain: He said the world was round-oh He said it could be found-of The hypothetical navigating son-of-a-gun Colombo Said Isabel to Ferdinand his plan sounds mighty hazy said Ferdinand to Isabel I think the sucker's crazy!
Let 'em blow let 'em blow Let the four winds blow Let 'em blow from east to west The US Army is the best Standing tall and looking good Ought to march in Hollywood Hold your head and hold it high ___ Platoon is marching by Close your eyes and hang your head We are marching by the dead Look to your right and whadta see? A whole bunch of legs looking at me Dress it right and cover down Forty inches all around Nine to the front, six to the rear That's the way we do it here
Around her hair she wore a yellow ribbon She wore it in the springtime, in the merry month of May And if you asked her why the heck she wore it She wore it for that soldier who was far, far away Refrain: Far away! Far away! She wore it for that soldier who was far, far away. Around the block she pushed a baby carriage... Around her thigh she wore a yellow garter... Behind the door her daddy kept his shotgun... In the church the preacher kept a license...
Everywhere I go There's a Black Hat there (or Drill Sergeant) Every where I go There's a Black Hat there Black Hat Black Hat Why don't you leave me alone And let me go back home When I eat my chow... (sub in for Everywhere I go) When I comb my hair... When I brush my teeth... When I get my shots... When I do PT... When I see my girl... When I get out of bed... On an FTX...
Count cadence Delay cadence Skip cadence Count (one) All you soldiers (two) You better do your best (three) Before you find yourself (four) In the leaning rest (one) Hit it (two) Kick it (three) Stab it (four) Kill it (one, two, three, four, one, two, three, four we like it here we love it here we've finally found a home a home a home a home away from home Hey!)
See that man in the black beret Ask him how he earns his pay See that man in the black beret Killings how he earns his pay He's the best the world will see Airborne Ranger Infantry See that man in the maroon beret Ask him how he earns his pay See that man in the maroon beret Jumping how he earns his pay He's the best the world will see US Airborne Infantry See that man in the green beret Ask him how he earns his pay See that man in the green beret Teaching how he earns his pay He's the best the world will see Special Forces Infantry See that man with the steel pot on Ask him how he earns his pay See that man with the steel pot on Hand to hand he earns his pay He's the best the world will see US Army Infantry
Tiny bubbles In my beer Makes me happy And full of cheer Tiny bubbles In my wine Makes me happy All the time
Everywhere we go - oh People wanna know - oh Who we are Where we come from So we tell them We are _______ (Alpha, Bravo, etc...) (Alpha used for example) Mighty Mighty Alpha Rough - n - tough Alpha Straight shooting Alpha Better than Bravo Big baby Bravo Better than Charlie Chicken chicken Charlie Better than Delta Dumb-dumb Delta Better than Echo Icky icky Echo We are Alpha Mighty mighty alpha
Hey hey Captain Jack Meet me down by the railroad track With that bottle in my hand I wanna be a drinking man For Uncle Sam Hey hey Captain Jack Meet me down by the railroad track With that rifle in my hand I wanna be a shooting man A drinking man For Uncle Sam With that bayonet in my hand I wanna be a cutting man With that woman in my hand I wanna be a loving man With that suitcase in my hand I wanna be a traveling man With that pistol in my hand I wanna be a killing man
The Army colors the color is red to show the world the blood we've shed blue...that we are true white...that we are right black...that we are back gold...that we are bold green...that we are mean brown...that we get down gray...that you will pay
We are ____ platoon and we like to party party hardy party hardy all night long Your left, your left, your left, right, get on down \ This part is Your left, your left, your left, right, get on down \ by the group, Now drop, and beat your face \ they start it ___ platoon's gonna rock this place \ as soon as they Boom, check it out, check it out \ finish the last Boom, check it out, check it out \ line of the \ repeated stuff. My rifle, my rucksack, my bayonet, now get on down \ This top part My rifle, my rucksack, my bayonet, now get on down \ can be sung or Say one, twwwoooo, \ the part on the three, four, \ bottom, only Eleven Bravo, hey \ depends on Eleven Bravo, hey \ which one
Pebbles and Bam-Bam on a Friday night Trying to get to heaven on a paper kite Lightning struck (BOOM) and down they fell (AHHH) Instead of getting to heaven, they went straight to hell Dino the dog (RUFF RUFF) was on the bone (CHOMP CHOMP) While Fred and Barney rocked the microphone There was nothing that Fred or Barney could do 'cept sing "Yabba daba daba daba daba daaaaaba do!"
Here we go again Same old stuff (shit) again Marching down the avenue Few more days and we'll be through I won't have to look at you So, I'll be glad and so will you
Through the desert and across the plains Steaming jungles and tropic rains No mortal foe can stop me now This is gonna be my solemn vow I have honor and I have pride Winning serves me as my guide This Army shocks our enemies Brings them crashing to their knees Basic Training is plenty rough To make it through you must be tough Hey, Squad Leader, don't be blue They're gonna make you a soldier, too
These boots were made for walkin' And that's just what they'll do If all you're doing is markin' time They'll walk all over you These guns were made for shootin' And that's just what they'll do And if we get a mission We'll drill a hole in you This Army's trained for fightin' And that's just what we'll do If you pick a fight with us We'll walk all over you
They say that in the Army, the chicken's mighty fine One jumped off the table and started marking time Refrain: Oh, Lord I wanna go But they won't let me go (group ends this line with home, stretched out over 8 paces, and a "Hey" on the right foot to end the refrain) They say that in the Army, the pay is mighty fine They give you a hundred dollars and take back ninety-nine They say that in the Army, the coffee's mighty fine It looks like muddy water, and tastes like turpentine They say that in the Army, the biscuits are mighty fine One rolled off the table and killed a friend of mine They say that in the Army, the meat is mighty fine Last night we had ten puppies, this morning only nine They say that in the Army, the shoes are mighty fine You ask for size eleven, they give you size nine They say that in the Army, the pancakes are mighty fine You can try to chew them, but you're only wasting time They say that in the Army, the bed's are mighty fine But how the hell would I know, I've never slept in mine They say that in the Army, the mail is so great Today I got a letter dated 1948 They say that in the Army, the hours are just right Start early in the morning and work on through the night They say that in the Army, the buses are mighty fine One went round the corner, and left three wheels behind They say that in the Army, the coffee's mighty fine It's good for cuts and bruises and tastes like iodine They say that in the Army, the chicken's mighty fine One jumped off the table and killed a friend of mine They say that in the army, the toilets are mighty fine You flush them up at seven, they come back up at nine. They say that in the army, the tents are waterproof You wake up in the morning and you're floating on the roof.
This one doesn't follow the normal call and echo of most cadences. The cadence caller says the CC lines, and the group replies with the G lines, instead of echoing the CC lines, then all call the ALL lines, with no echoing. Any ???, ask your cadre. You get a line and I'll get a pole ) CC Honey, honey ) G You get a line and I'll get a pole ) CC Baby, baby ) G You get a line and I'll get a pole ) ALL We'll go down to the fishin' hole ) ALL Refrain: Honey, oh baby, be mine ) ALL Go to your left, your right, your left ) ALL Go to your left, your right, your left, hey! ) ALL I had a girl who lived on a creek Honey, honey I had a girl who lived on a creek Baby, baby I had a girl who lived on a creek She was cute and she was sweet I had a girl, looked good in blue Honey, honey I had a girl, looked good in blue Baby, baby I had a girl, looked good in blue She could make a fool out of you