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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)
privates three
corporals three
sergeants three
lieuies three (pronounced loo-ee)
captains three
majors three
colonels three
generals three
cadets three
see above
see above
"file from the left, column right said Sgts"
"I'll lead the way said the lieuies"
"take that hill said the captains"
"who's gonna shine my boots said the majors"
"where's my star said the colonels"
"war, war, war"
"when do I get my check?"
_________________________________________________
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
Return to Training Aids page.
Department of Military Science
Box 90752
Durham, NC 27708-0752
(919) 660-3090 or 1-800-222-9184
06 West Duke Building | East Campus
