Title: Army Marching Cadence
Informant info: Informant name is Jason Laackmann. Jason is twenty-eight years old and attends Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH as a United States Army Veteran. Jason served in the Army for five years in active duty and continues to serve in the Minnesota National Guard. The locations in which he has served are Fort Bend, Georgia, Fort Riley, Kansas, and overseas in Eastern Afghanistan.
Type of lore: Verbal Folklore, Songs
Language: English
Country of Origin: USA
Social / Cultural Context: Jason was interviewed at Dartmouth College. Jason was asked if he remembered any songs that they would sing during his training or time in the Army. He was asked to sing these songs out loud, but was too shy and sent the lyrics to me via email instead.
Associated File: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6KcnEdk7Q4
Transcript: [I have recorded the item exactly how it was sent to me in the email]:
Below are a few running/marching cadences.
I don’t know but I think I might
Jump from an airplane while in flight
Soldier, soldier, have you heard
I’m gonna jump from a big iron bird
Up in the morning in the drizzlin’ rain
Packed my chute and boarded the plane
C-130 rollin’ down the strip
64 Rangers on a one-way trip
Mission Top Secret, destination unknown
They don’t know if their ever coming home
When my plane gets up so high
Airborne troopers gonna dance in the sky
Stand up, hook up, shuffle to the door
Jump right out and count to four
If my main don’t open wide
I got a reserve by my side
If that one should fail me too
Look out ground, I’m a-coming through
If I die on the old drop zone
Box me up and ship me home
When I get to heaven
St. Peter’s gonna say,
“How’d you earn your livin’ boy,
How’d you earn your pay?”
I’ll reply with a whole lot of anger,
“Made my living as an Airborne Ranger!
Blood, guts, sex, and danger
That’s the life of an Airborne Ranger!”
When I get to Hell
Satan’s gonna say,
“How’d you earn your livin’ boy,
How’d you earn your pay?”
I’ll reply with a fist to his face,
“Made my living laying SOULS to waste!”
Momma told Johnny not to go downtown
There’s too many Rangers hanging around
Johnny didn’t listen and he went anyway
To hear what the Rangers had to say
Johnny got a ticket to Afghanistan
To fight the people call the taliban
Johnny fought hard and Johnny fought brave
Johnny jumped on a hand grenade
Momma momma now don’t you cry
AIRBORNE RANGERS ARE BORN TO DIE!
Informant’s comments: Jason has sung these songs multiple times during his time serving, but decided that singing out loud during the interview was too far out of place.
Collector’s comments: Though Jason was too shy to sing the songs out loud, he was more than willing to share the lyrics to the songs and had emailed them to me right after the interview.