The reason I added a cadence page is because in my line of work ( I was a Drill Instructor for juvenile boot camp) I call cadences all day long. I have a large collection of cadences and tried to find some more over the internet but was surprised to see that the pickin's were slim, so I decided to add my own. I am putting them into two different categories: Army/Airborne,Marine.

Now having been in the Army myself, I know that most cadences are used throughout all the branches of the service but with different variations. I tried to include as many variations as I could. If you have some that I don't have please feel free to e-mail them to me.

ARMY/AIRBORNE CADENCES

THEY SAY THAT IN THE ARMY

Chorus: Oh Lord I want to go

but they won't let me go

home, home, I want to go home hey!

They say that in the Army the chow is mighty fine.

A chicken jumped off the table and started marking time.

-chorus-

They say that in the Army the pay is mighty fine.

They give you a hundred dollars and take back 99.

-chorus-

They say that in the Army the women are might fine.

They look like Phyllis Diller and walk like frankenstein.

-chorus-

They say that in the Army the coffee is mighty fine.

It looks like muddy water and taste like terpentine.

-chorus-

They say that in the Army the biscuits are mighty fine.

One rolled off the table and broke a toe of mine.

RANGER (Double time)

Airborne Ranger raving mad,

he's got a tab I wish I had.

Black and Gold half moon in shape,

this Airborne Ranger has gone ape.

Jumpin' from the airplane runnin' through the swamp,

Uncle Sam's in trouble the battalion's gonna stomp.

I can push up all day till my muscles are like rocks,

I can run to Arizona before I wear out a pair of socks.

My mind is a computer, my fists are like steel.

If my mind don't get ya then the other one will.

SWEAT..MUSCLE..JUNGLE..WORK..(double time)

Sweat! Muscle! Jungle! Work! (Twice)

Sweat and muscle and jungle work (four times)

Once a man and twice a child,

I swam through the river with the crocodiles.

Spend my nights in the river and my days in the mud,

all I drink is a Russian Blood.

Sweat and muscle and jungle work (twice)

WHAT THE ARMY'S DONE FOR ME

chorus: Whoa oh oh oh

Mama mama can't you see

what this Army's done for me

--

They took away my faded jeans,

and now I'm wearing army greens.

-chorus-

They took away my gin and rum,

and now I'm up before the sun.

--

Thought I'd get to have some fun,

now all I do is run, run, run.

-chorus-

Joined the army to get in shape,

now all I do is hurry and wait.

--

Used to drive a chevrolet,

now I'm walking all the way.

-chorus-

I used to drive a cadillac,

now I'm humping with a pack.

--

Captain Captain can't you see,

what the army's done for me.

RUNNING CADENCE

Here come Rangers over the hill

rolling like a wagon wheel.

Hey Hey you can't stop the mean and green

hey hey you can't stop a fighting machine.

Here come rangers around the bend,

doing that thing they're doing again.

Hey hey you can't stop the mean and green

hey hey you can't stop a fighting machine.

Here come Rangers over the hill

rolling like a wagon wheel.

Hey hey you can't stop the lean and mean,

hey hey you can't stop a fighting machine.

Airborne Infantry

Your left your right now get on up,

your left your right now get on down.

Your left your right now get on up,

your left your right that funky sound.

We hear you callin'

calling to me.

The queen of battle

Airborne infantry-y-y

Your left your right now get on up,

your left your right now get on down.

Your left your right now get on up,

your left your right that funky sound.

We hear you calling

calling to me

the best in battle

Airborne infantry-y-y.

Everywhere I Go

Chorus: Drill Instructor

Drill Instructor

why don't you leave me alone

let me go back home

Everywhere I go

there's a drill instructor there

everywhere I go

there's a drill instructor there

-chorus-

When I get out of bed

there's a drill instructor there

-repeat two lines-

-chorus-

When I go to chow

there's a drill instructor there

-repeat two lines-

-chorus-

When I go to class

there's a drill instructor there

-repeat two lines-

-chorus-

When I take a poop

there's a drill instructor there

-repeat two lines-

-chorus-

MP Boogie

Chorus: O re o ye o re o

O re o ye o re o

I sung this song a many times,

with an old friend of mine

-chorus-

that's the way this song goes,

a for the young and the old

for the brave and the bold

-chorus-

That's the MP boogie

oh what a crazy sound

Hidy hidy hidy ho

up the hill and down we go

That's the MP boogie

oh what a crazy sound

Dress to the right and cover down

forty inches all around

That's the MP boogie

oh what a crazy sound

Feeling good

looking good

ought to be

in Hollywood

-chorus-

That's the way the sound the goes

for the young and the old

for the brave and the bold

-chorus-

looking good

looking mean

I want to be

a lean machine

Army Colors

The Army colors

the color is red

to show the world

the blood we shed

The Army colors

the color is white

to show the world

that we could fight

The Army colors

the color is blue

to show the world

we're loyal too

The Army colors

they are striped wide

to show the world

we're by her side.

The Army colors

the color's striped long

we're marching on

a singing a song

The Army colors

the color strikes deep

to show the world we'll never be beat.

NOTE: This can be repeated using the Marines, Navy and Airforce

Rangers

The Rangers are moving

they're moving through the night

the rangers are looking

they're looking for a fight

and if you see one

a ranger standing tall

well listen well

you'll hear that ranger call

Airborne (drawn out)

Ranger (drawn out)

Well charlie is moving

he's moving through the night

Charlie Charlie

he thinks that he can fight

well up from behind him

a ranger standing tall

he cuts charlie's throat

and whatch that charlie fall

Airborne (drawn out)

Ranger (drawn out)

Men at War

Chorus: (Cadets/boots sing)

Men at war (drawn out)

men at war (drawn out)

late at night when your sleeping

D.I.'s come a creeping all around (around is drawn out)

Men at Warrrrrrrr

Sittin' in my foxhole

I thought I had it made

and all of a sudden

my buddy yelled grenade

-chorus-

Sittin' on a hilltop

eating beans and franks

when all of a sudden

the bullets started to crank

-chorus-

I went to wake the captain

I found him in his bed

but when I rolled him over

I found he had no head

-chorus-

I went to wake the sergeant

I found him in his bed

but when I rolled him over

he smacked me in my head

-chorus-

Flintstone Cadence

Pebbles and Bam Bam on a Friday night

trying to get to Heaven on a paper kite.

Lightning struck (cadets yell BOOM!!)

And down they fell (Cadets yell AAAHHH!!!)

Instead of going to Heaven they went straight to Hell.

Singing Yabba..dabba..dabba do

yabba dabba dabba dabba dabba do.

Dino the dog (woof woof)

was on the bone (aargh aaragh)

while Fred and Barney rocked the microphone.

I heard a scream (aaaaaaahhhh!!!)

I heard a shout (aaahhhh!!)

It was Mr. S late a taken' Wilma out.

He was singing Yabba...Dabba dabba do

yabba dabba dabba dabba dabba do.

Well Fred and Superman they had a fight

ole Fred hit him in the head with some kryptonite.

He hit him so hard

he busted his brain.

Now Fred's goin' out with ole Lois Lane

Singing yabba dabba dabba do

yabba dabba dabba dabba dabba do.

Little Old Lady (double time)

A little old lady walking down the street,

she had a pack on her back and jungle boots on her feet.

I said hey old lady where you going to?

She said U.S. Army Ranger school.

I said hey old lady haven't you been told

said that school is for the brave and the bold.

She said hey young punk who you talkin' to

she said I'm an instructor at the ranger school

she was hardcore

airborne

ranger

fit to fight

dynamite

day and night

hoorah!

Captain Jack

Hey hey Captain Jack,

meet me down by the railroad track.

With that suitcase in my hand,

I'm gonna be a traveling man....a traveling man.

Hey hey captain Jack

meet me down by the railroad track

with those car keys in my hand

I'm gonna be driving man....a driving man.

Hey hey Capt. Jack

meet me down by the railroad track

with those ribs in my hand

i'm gonna be an eatin' man....an eatin' man.

NOTE: THIS ONE WAS CHANGED FROM THE ORIGINAL

DUE TO THE FACT THAT I AM CALLING CADENCES FOR

JUVENILES WHO ARE ASSOCIATED WITH A GANG. THUS IT

WOULDN'T BE APPROPRIATE TO USE CADENCES USING THE TERM

"WITH THAT GUN IN MY HAND, I'M GONNA BE A KILLIN' MAN."

IF YOU WOULD LIKE THE ORIGINAL JUST E-MAIL ME AND

I'LL GET IT TO YOU AS QUICK AS I CAN

We are Airborne (double time)

We are Airborne yeah

mighty mighty ranger yeah

we can fly higher than superman yeah

We are airborne yeah

mighty mighty ranger yeah

we are stronger than all your mean yeah

We are airborne yeah

mighty mighty ranger yeah

we can swim faster than aquaman yeah

we are airborne yeah

mighty mighty ranger yeah

we can climb higher than spiderman yeah

My Girl is a Pretty Girl

Chorus: But I'd buy her anything

to keep her in style.

My girl's a pretty girl

she is a city girl.

-chorus-

she has a head of hair

just like a grizzly bear

-chorus-

she has a pair of eyes

just like two custard pies

-chorus-

she has a long long noes

just like a garden hose

-chorus-

she has a pair of lips

just like potato chips

-chips-

she has a pointed chin

just like a safety pin

-chorus-

she has a pair of thighs

as big as two railroad ties

-chorus-

she has a pair of hips

just like two battleships

-chorus-

she has a pair of knees

just like two blocks of cheese

-chorus-

she has a pair of feet

just like a parakeet

-chorus-

I Don't know why I left

I don't know why I left

guess I thought it was the best

But it won't be long

Till I get on back home

oh sweet young thing I'm begging please

Just 3 more months, please wait for me

But It won't be long

Till I get back home

Oh sweet young thing I know its wrong

Asking you to hold on.

But it won't be long

Till I get on back home

Your left your right, your left your right

Your left your right you're out of sight

Oh it won't be long

Till I get on back home

Oh baby girl I love you so

And I just wanted you to know

That it won't be long

Till I get on back home

Well baby girl I'm begging please

Just 2 more weeks just wait for me

Cause it won't be long

Till I get on back home

Oh sweet young thing I know its wrong

Asking you to hold on

Granny (double time)

When my Granny was 91

she did P.T. just for fun.

When my Granny was 92

she did PT better than you

When my granny was 93

she did PT in a tree

When my granny was 94

get out of her way or she'd knock you to the floor

When my Granny was 95

she did PT and that's no jive

When my Granny was 96

she did PT just for kicks

When my Granny was 97

she up and died and went straight to Heaven

She met St. Peter at the Pearly Gate

she said, "St. Peter I hope I'm not late"

St. Peter looked at her with a grin,

and said get down Granny and knock out ten.

She was hard core

dedicated

motivated

Rosie (double time)

chorus: Hey hey Rosie

hey Rosie girl

Hey hey Rosie girl

hey rosie girl

I've got a gal

mighty mighty sweet

got the big brown eyes

and itty bitty feet.

Her name is Rosie

sweet as she can be,

till she tips those scales

'bout a 303.

-chorus-

This little girl

she's so so fat

when I put my arms around her

I don't know where they're at

Got to take a piece of chalk

and you put it your hand

star to hugin' and a chalkin'

just to see where you began.

-chorus-

I get a little limp

and I get a little weak

every time I lay a kiss on her

on my baby the blimp.

-chorus-

C-130 (double time)

C-130 rolling down the strip

mission top secret destination unknown

don't even know if they're ever comin' home

stand up hook up shuffle to the door

jump right out and count to four

and if that main don't open wide

I've got a reserve by my side

If that one should fail me too

look out below cause I'm coming through

hit the ground in the middle of the night

spring right up into a fire fight.

Yellow Bird

A yellow bird with a yellow bill

was sitting on my window sill

I lured him in with a piece of bread

and then I smashed his little head

the doctor came and checked his head

indeed he said the bird is dead.

Marine Cadences

-chorus-

Return to Table of Contents