Posted on 07/03/2020 8:08:44 AM PDT by Kaslin
This Independence Day, read the unexpected history of the songs that have led our nation's soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen into battle.
Armies have used music to rally troops in battle since biblical days. During the American War for Independence, boys too young and men too old to fight often played the fife and drum for the Continental Army, using music to signal commands as well as to boost soldiers’ morale.
A particular tune might direct troops to cease fire, or to reload their rifles. While music rarely has such a practical use on the battlefield today, each branch of the U.S. armed forces proudly maintains its own anthem. As Independence Day approaches, the fascinating stories behind each military anthem are worth knowing.
The official song of the U.S. Army, “The Army Goes Rolling Along,” wasn’t officially adopted until 1956, but it was written in 1908 by an artilleryman in the Philippines. First Lt. Edmund Gruber (whose relative wrote “Silent Night”) wrote it as the “Cassion Song,” and the original lyrics were reflective of his artillery position.
Before it became the official song of the Army, it was the anthem of U.S. Field Artillery Corps. In 1917, famous military composer John Philip Sousa turned the song into a march. The famous chorus goes:
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.
Listen to the full anthem here:
The Army Song (with lyrics) performed by The United States Army Band w scrolling
The official song of the Navy, “Anchors Aweigh,” was originally written to cheer on the Naval Academy’s football team. Lt. Charles A. Zimmerman became the bandmaster of the Naval Academy band in 1887, and started a tradition of writing a march for each graduating class.
In 1906, a few members of the class of ’07 approached Zimmerman and asked him to write a “football marching song.” At the organ in the Academy’s chapel, Zimmerman and Midshipman First Class Alfred Hart Miles wrote the song, which was played at the 1906 Army-Navy football game. The Naval Academy’s team won for the first time in several years.
Midshipman Royal Lovell later wrote the song’s final stanza. The second stanza, beginning with the title verse “Anchors Aweigh,” is the most famous:
The official song of the Navy, “Anchors Aweigh,” was originally written to cheer on the Naval Academy’s football team. Lt. Charles A. Zimmerman became the bandmaster of the Naval Academy band in 1887, and started a tradition of writing a march for each graduating class.
In 1906, a few members of the class of ’07 approached Zimmerman and asked him to write a “football marching song.” At the organ in the Academy’s chapel, Zimmerman and Midshipman First Class Alfred Hart Miles wrote the song, which was played at the 1906 Army-Navy football game. The Naval Academy’s team won for the first time in several years.
Midshipman Royal Lovell later wrote the song’s final stanza. The second stanza, beginning with the title verse “Anchors Aweigh,” is the most famous:
The lyrics have been updated over the years, but you can listen to the original 1906 lyrics here:
Anchors Aweigh (1906 Lyrics) Song of the US Navy
Guess the US Calvary ditty, Gary Owens, an Irish tune, is probably racist...
I was a professional soldier for 32 years, both Regular Army and Army National Guard, serving as an enlisted man, NCO, and officer. I was an Infantryman, Quartermaster Corps, and finally a Field Artillery Officer.
I detest the Army Song with the white hot hatred usually saved for the murderer of a close family member. Headquarters, Department of the Army, made one of their more mindbogglingly stupid decisions (of which it made many in the 1950s, see the Army Green Service Uniform and the Pentomic Division concept). The bureaucrats decided that they were getting an inferiority complex because the Army cannot find a song to compete with the songs of the other services. So they stole the tune of a beloved historic song, and added on idiotic lyrics that scream written by bureaucratic committee.
Never mind that the Army has managed to fight and win the nations wars (aside from the Seminole War) without a song. The bureaucratic beast must have their showpiece.
I wish they would choke on it.
Rant off.
bflr
The article is missing the US Merchant Marine.
“Heave Ho”
Jack Lawrence (composer of Heave Ho) was born in New York City in 1912, died in 2009. He donated the copyright to Heave Ho! to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, a government agency. He composed his first song “Play Fiddle Play” in 1933. His compositions include: Tenderly, Ciribiribin, What Will I Tell My Heart?, With The Wind & The Rain In Your Hair, Yes My Darling Daughter, Poor People Of Paris, Sleepy Lagoon, Hold My Hand, Sunrise Serenade, All Or Nothing At All.
http://www.usmm.org/heaveho.html
Official Song of The U.S. Maritime Service
Song of the Merchant Marine
Heave Ho! My Lads! Heave Ho!
Words and Music by Lieut. (jg) Jack Lawrence, USMS, 1943
Merchant Marine song Heave Ho My LadsSO THAT SHIPS MIGHT GO TO SEA WITH ABLE HANDS
They come-from every point of the compass-from the 48 states — thousands of them— of all colors and creeds, to man the ever-growing fleet of Liberty ships that carry the goods to the men of the fighting fronts of this global war.
At the world’s largest United States Maritime Service Training Station at Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York, more than 10,000 are studying the elements of seamanship, are acquiring knowledge about lifeboats and life saving that will protect them along the sea lanes menaced by Axis U-boats, are learning to be clerks, pharmacist’s mates, deck hands, engine room hands, ship’s cooks or messmen.
At similar shore schools and training ships, thousands more are being trained throughout the nation. At advanced cadet schools, men with previous sea experience or specialized civilian backgrounds are being prepared for places as officers and radio operators.
Today, these trained men are going out from these schools to win the battle of the seven seas against the submarine, the dive bomber and the surface raider. Upon these men rests the task of passing the ammunition.
To all these men, this song, written by one of their number at the United States Maritime Service Training Station, Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York, is dedicated. (From the Music Jacket)
Heave Ho! My Lads! Heave Ho!
VERSE
Give us the oil, give us the gas
Give us the shells, give us the guns.
We’ll be the ones to see them thru.
Give us the tanks, give us the planes.
Give us the parts, give us a ship.
Give us a hip hoo-ray!
And we’ll be on our way.
CHORUS
Heave Ho! My Lads, Heave Ho!
It’s a long, long way to go.
It’s a long, long pull with our hatches full,
Braving the wind, braving the sea,
Fighting the treacherous foe;
Heave Ho! My lads, Heave Ho!
Let the sea roll high or low,
We can cross any ocean, sail any river.
Give us the goods and we’ll deliver,
Damn the submarine!
We’re the men of the Merchant Marine!
© Leeds Music Corporation
That song is still used for the Merchant Marine Academy.
Bump
I thought it was:
“We joined the Navy
to see the world.
And what we see?
We saw the sea!”
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