Military Cadence - Controversial

Controversial

Obscene, scatological, or controversial jody calls exist, and were typical, especially during and before the Vietnam War. The use of such calls is now discouraged by the US military, which instead emphasizes "clean" versions of traditional jodies. The flexibility of jodies is nearly unlimited, and old jodies have always been revived or rewritten as times and wars change.

Your left
Your left
Your left right left
My back aches
My belts too tight
My balls shake
From left to right
I don't know but I've been told
Eskimo Pussy is mighty cold
Sound off 1, 2
Sound off 3, 4

Airborne Ranger:

Two old ladies lying in bed
One rolled over to the other and said,
"I wanna be an Airborne Ranger
Live a life of sex and danger
Blood, guts, sex, and danger
That's the life of an Airborne Ranger!"
I wanna be an airborne ranger
I wanna live the life of danger
Airborne Ranger
Life of Danger
I wanna be a scuba diver
Swimmin' those oceans wider and wider
Scuba Diver, wider and wider
Airborne Ranger, life of danger
Paramedic, shoot that funky anesthetic
Paramedic, anesthetic
Mountain climber, climb those mountains higher and higher
Mountain climber, higher and higher
Navy Pilot, if it's got wings then I can fly it
Navy pilot, I can fly it
I wanna be an airborne ranger,
Live the life of guts and danger.
Airborne ranger,
Life of danger.
I wanna be a scuba diver,
Swim around in the muddy water.
Scuba diver, muddy water.
Airborne ranger, life of danger.
I wanna be an S.F. medic,
Shoot some funky anesthetic.
S.F.medic, anesthetic.
Scuba diver, muddy water.
Airborne ranger, guts and danger.
And when I retire.
I'm gonna be a Texas ranger,
Drive around in skin-tight wranglers!
Texas ranger, skin-tight wranglers.
I'm gonna be a UPS man,
Drive around in a ugly brown van.
UPS man, ugly brown van
Texas ranger, skin-tight wranglers.
I'm gonna be a forest ranger.
Chipmunks are my greatest danger.
Forest ranger, chipmunk danger.
UPS man, ugly brown van.
Forest ranger, chipmunk danger.

My Drill Instructor

The Army calls 'em drill sergeants,
The Navy calls 'em RDC's,
The Air Force calls 'em their TI's;
But mine is strictly a DI:
"Drill Instructor," then his rank
Unless you want to play games,
Never "sir" or something more
Or my face is on the floor.
If I called him "Drill Sergeant,"
He'd take me out to the pit.
If I called him a TI,
He'd make me feel like I would die.
If I called him RDC,
He'd make an example out of me.
So make sure you get it right,
Or you'll end up in his sights.

An example of one such call is the first stanza of Yellow Bird:

A yellow bird with a yellow bill
Was sittin' on my window sill
I lured him in with a piece of bread
And then I smashed his little head
(REPEAT)

In the last line, the word 'little' is frequently used to replace profanity. This is an example of the minor tweaks that frequently occur in cadences depending on the particular military unit or installation they are used at. A particular cadence, when used by an infantry or other combat arms unit may include explicit profanity, while the same cadence, when used by a training or medical unit, or especially if officers are present, may be censored to a degree, as above.

The second verse to the preceding cadence:

The moral of
The story is,
To get some head
You need some bread

{REPEAT}

One from the U.S. Navy:

I wanna be a Navy pilot
I wanna fly an F-14
I wanna fly with the cockpit open
I wanna hear those commies scream

An excerpt from the popular "When I Go to Heaven", also known as "How'd Ya Earn Your Living" or "When I Get to Heaven"

When I go to bars
The girls they will say
How did you earn your living
How did you earn your pay
And my reply was with a cold kind of nod
I earn my living killing commies for my God
When I go home
The hippies they will say
How did you earn your living
How did you earn your pay
And I replied as I pulled out my knife
Get out of my way before I take yo' life

Another, more modern example of a Controversial cadence popular through the US Navy:

I don't know, but it's been said
Air Force wings are made of lead
I don't know, but I've been told
Navy wings are made of gold
He-ey Ar-rmy
Ba-ack packing Ar-my
Put on your packs and follow me
I'm in the U.S. Navy
He-ey Air Force
Lo-ow flying Air Force
Get in your planes and follow me
I'm in the U.S. Navy
He-ey Coast Guard
Pud-dle pirate Coast Guard
Get in your boats and follow me
I'm in the U.S. Navy
He-ey Marines
bullet-sponge marine corps
Pick up your rifles and follow me
I'm in the U.S. Navy

The Marine cadence "I Went to the Market" is another vulgar cadence.

I went to the market
Where all the families shop
I pulled out my Ka-bar
And started to chop
To the left right left right left right kill
Left right left right you know I will
I went to the church
Where all the families pray
I pulled out my machine gun
And started to spray
To the left right left right left right kill
Left right left right you know I will

The following verses are from "Napalm Sticks to Kids." One of the most notorious cadences of Vietnam, its use by the U.S. military created controversy about the theme.

Bomb the village
Kill the people
Throw some napalm in the square
Do it on a Sunday morning
Kill them on their way to prayer
Ring the bell inside the schoolhouse
Watch the kiddies gather round
Lock and load with your 240
Mow them little motherfuckers down

The messages chanted by recruits may promote brutal treatment of civilians and the themes even suggest that troops should aspire to kill civilians gathered in public areas. A number of Iraq War veterans now speak publicly that they have felt uncomfortable reciting cadences with such violent themes.

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