A military cadence or cadence call is a call-and-response
work song sung by military personnel while running or marching. They are counterparts of the military
march
March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of March. The March equinox on the 20 or 2 ...
. Military cadences often take their rhythms from the work being done, much like the
sea shanty
A sea shanty, shanty, chantey, or chanty () is a genre of traditional Folk music, folk song that was once commonly sung as a work song to accompany rhythmical labor aboard large Merchant vessel, merchant Sailing ship, sailing vessels. The term ...
. Cadences usually have a
call and response structure in which one servicemember initiates a line, and the remaining servicemembers complete it, instilling teamwork and camaraderie.
United States Military
The Duckworth Chant
A
V-Disc issued in 1944 credits the origin of "The Duckworth Chant" (also known as "Sound Off") to Private Willie Lee Duckworth of Sandersville, Georgia, an African-American soldier serving in the United States Army.
This original cadence was recorded as "Sound Off":
This cadence, known as the "Duckworth Chant", still exists with variations in the different branches of the U.S. military. Duckworth's simple chant was elaborated on by Army
drill sergeants and their trainees, and the practice of creating elaborate marching chants spread to the Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy.
A musical version of the chant was recorded by
Vaughn Monroe
Vaughn Wilton Monroe (October 7, 1911 – May 21, 1973) was an American baritone singer, trumpeter and big band leader who was most popular in the 1940s and 1950s. He has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for recording and another f ...
and His Orchestra (Voc.: Vaughn Monroe & Chorus in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
) on March 7, 1951. It was released by
RCA Victor Records as catalog number 20-4113A (in USA) and by
EMI on their
His Master's Voice
His Master's Voice is an entertainment trademark featuring a dog named Nipper, curiously peering into the horn of a wind-up gramophone. Painted by Francis Barraud in 1898, the image has since become a global symbol used across consumer elect ...
label as catalog number B 10086.
A variant of that cadence was used in the 1949 film ''
Battleground
A battlefield, battleground, or field of battle is the location of a present or historic battle involving ground warfare. It is commonly understood to be limited to the point of contact between opposing forces, though battles may involve troop ...
'' and in the 1981 film ''
Taps'', filmed at
Valley Forge Military Academy and College in
Wayne, Pennsylvania
Wayne is an unincorporated community centered in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, on the Main Line, a series of highly affluent Philadelphia suburbs located along the railroad tracks of the Pennsylvania Railroad and one of the ...
. It appears in two versions in the film, both ending in the same cadence.
Jody calls
In the United States, ''jody calls'' (also spelled ''jodie'') are named for "Jody", a mythical civilian whose comfortable lifestyle is contrasted with the austerity of military life.
Common themes of jody calls include homesickness, the difficulties of military life, personal boasts, and loyalty.
In other countries
During the
2017 Venezuelan protests, a cadence sung by
Bolivarian Intelligence Service (SEBIN) officers which expresses wanting to kill protesters went viral: "Quisiera tener un puñal de acero para degollar a un maldito
guarimbero" ().
Collected cadences
Some common cadences include:
* "
Blood on the Risers"
* "I Wish All the Girls Were"
* "Captain Jack" (Army cadence)
* "Yellow Ribbon" (Army cadence)
As soon as 1952, the U.S. Army adopted "
The Army Goes Rolling Along" as its service
theme song
Theme music is a musical composition which is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at ...
, with the lyric "count off the cadence loud and strong" a reference to Duckworth's cadence. Its melody and lyrics derive from the traditional "When the
Caissons Go Rolling Along".
The United States Marine Corps and US Naval Academy use a modified version of the rhyme "
Old King Cole
"Old King Cole" is a British nursery rhyme first attested in 1709. Though there is much speculation about the identity of King Cole, it is unlikely that he can be identified reliably as any historical figure. It has a Roud Folk Song Index numbe ...
", referencing
Chesty Puller: "Chesty Puller was a good Marine and a good Marine was he".
See also
*
Drum cadence
*
March (music)
A march, as a musical genre, is a piece of music with a strong regular rhythm which in origin was expressly written for marching to and most frequently performed by a military band. In mood, marches range from the moving death march in Wagne ...
*
Military parade
A military parade is a formation of military personnels whose movement is restricted by close-order manoeuvering known as Drill team, drilling or marching. Large military parades are today held on major holidays and military events around the ...
*
Fiddler's Green
References
Bibliography
* "ADA cadence calls." 1988. Source: Air Defense Artillery. May–June, 1988, pp. 33–40.
* Casey, Ryan. 2002. Cadences of the U.S. Marine Corps. San Diego, CA: Documentary Recordings. "Cadence calling directions; U.S. Marine Corps running cadences; Recon Marines; U.S. Marine Corps pride; Service rivalries; U.S. Marine drill instructors; Humorous cadences; From WWII to the War on Terror; 'Shorties'; U.S. Marine Corps marching cadences." ; 9780972428101.
Deutsche Bundeswehr 2008. German Army morning running cadence. "This is our own style and not a copy. Running cadences have to be faster than marching cadences. When marching, we're chanting "Infanterie, du bist die Krone aller Waffen", "Hätt ich nur eine Krone", "Grün ist unser Fallschirm", "Oh du schöner Westerwald", "Grüne Teufel" etc. Every branch has their own traditional cadences."
* Dunnigan, Timothy P. 1997. Modern military cadence. Alexandria, Va: Byrd Enterprises.
* Engstrom, John, and P. C. Butler. 1987. Count cadence count. Fallbrook, Calif: Best Military Publications.
* Frary, Joel. 2006. Army cadences. "Frary discusses the origin and importance of cadences in both a historical and moral context. Also, a brief background of the purposes of cadences, including their emotional, artistic and traditional attributes are discussed."
* Jody calls, armor cavalry. 1976.
ort Knox, Ky.? Army. "Armor cavalry jody calls".
* Johnson, Sandee Shaffer. 1900. Cadences: the Jody call book. Canton, Ohio: Daring Press. ; 9780938936114.
* United States Army Infantry Center. 1984. Jody calls. Ft. Benning, Ga: The Center.
External links
The Cadence Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Military Cadence
American folklore
Folk songs
Military traditions
Military slang and jargon
Military music
Articles containing video clips