Do you find yourself being the cadence caller at your platoon’s fun runs? Sometimes you just need a little inspiration to get your fellow soldiers fired up to continue running and pushing themselves. From my time in the Air Force, I have trained with the joint services and found some great military cadences for you to use whether you are a drill sergeant or the cadence caller.
SKIP TO:
- They Say That In the Army
- Everywhere We Go
- Seen Some Old Ladies
- When I Get to Heaven
- My Granny Does PT
- The Bearded Ninja
- C-130 Rollin Down the Strip
- Yellow Ribbon
- Left Foot Freestyle
- I Wanna Be an Airborne Ranger
They Say That In the Army
They say that in the Army the coffee’s mighty fine
It looks like muddy water and tastes like turpentine
Oh no, I wanna go
But they won’t let me go
Oh no, I wanna go hoo-hoo-hoooome EH!
They say that in the Army the chow is mighty fine
a chicken jumped off the table and started marking time
Oh no, I wanna go
But they won’t let me go
Oh no, I wanna go hoo-hoo-hoooome EH!
They say that in the Army the biscuits are mighty fine
one rolled off the table and killed a friend of mine
Oh no, I wanna go
But they won’t let me go
Oh no, I wanna go hoo-hoo-hoooome EH!
They say that in the Army the training’s might fine
last night there were ten of us, now there’s only nine
Oh no, I wanna go
But they won’t let me go
Oh no, I wanna go hoo-hoo-hoooome EH!
They say that in the Army the pay is mighty fine
they give you a hundred dollars and take back ninety-nine
Oh no, I wanna go
But they won’t let me go
Oh no, I wanna go hoo-hoo-hoooome EH!
Everywhere We Go
Everywhere we go
People wanna know
Who we are
Where we come from
So we tell them
We are the ______
The mighty mighty ______
Rough n tough ______
Straight shooting ______
Better than the ______ “Rival Platoon”
Big baby ______ “Rival Platoon”
Better than the ______ “Rival Platoon”
Chicken shit ______ “Rival Platoon”
Better than ______ “Rival Platoon”
Dumb Dumb ______ “Rival Platoon”
Better than ______ “Rival Platoon”
Sticky Icky ______ “Rival Platoon”
We are the ______
Mighty mighty ______
Seen Some Old Ladies
I Seen an old lady walkin down the street
She had a ruck on her back, jump boots on her feet.
I said hey old lady where you going to
She said US Army Airborne school
I said hey old lady don’t you think you’re too old
You better leave that jumpin to the young and the bold
She said hey young punk who you talkin to
I’m a Jumpmaster from Airborne school.
Then I seen an old lady walkin down the street
She had ropes in her hand, jump boots on her feet.
I said hey old lady where you going to
She said US Army Air Assault school
I said hey old lady don’t you think you’re too old
You better leave that slidin to the young and the bold
She said hey young punk who you talkin to
I’m an instructor from Air Assault school
Then I seen an old lady walkin down the street
She had a tank on her back, and fins on her feet
I said hey old lady where you going’ to
She said US Army scuba school
I said hey old lady don’t you think you’re too old
You better leave that divin to the young and the bold
She said hey young punk who you talkin to
I’m an instructor from scuba school
When I Get To Heaven
When I get to Heaven,
St. Peter’s gonna say
“How’d you earn your livin’?
How’d you earn your pay?”
And I’ll reply
With a little bit of anger
“Made my livin’
as an Airborne Ranger.”
Airborne Ranger.
Ranger Danger.
Airborne Ranger.
Black beret danger.
When I get to Heaven,
St. Peter’s gonna say
“How’d you earn your livin’?
How’d you earn your pay?”
And I’ll reply
with a whole lot of anger
“Made my livin’
blood, guts, and danger.”
Blood, guts, danger.
Ranger danger.
Blood, guts, and danger.
Black beret danger.
My Granny Does PT
When my granny was 91
She did PT just for fun
When my granny was 92
She did PT better than you
When my granny was 93
She did PT better than me
When my granny was 94
She did PT more and more
When my granny was 95
She did PT to stay alive
When my granny was 96
She kept on doing flutter-kicks
When my granny was 97
She up and died and went to heaven
She met St. Peter at the pearly gates
Said, “St. Peter, St. Peter, hope I’m not late”
St. Peter said with a big ol’ grin
“Get down granny, and knock out ten”
She replied with a big ol’ smile
“Sorry, St. Peter, I’m on profile!
The Bearded Ninja
I see the bearded ninja
Alone upon the hi-ill
His name is Chuck Norris
And kill I know he wi-ill
Chuck No – orr – rr – iss
Round hou-ou-ou-ou-se kick!
Now, Chuck’s not a surgeon
But he knows some tri-icks
The quickest way to a man’s heart
Is with Chuck Norris’ fi-ists
Chuck No – orr – rr – iss
Round hou-ou-ou-ou-se kick!
If you get out of li-ine
Chuck will put you in your pla-ace
The power of a roundhouse kick
Can be seen from outer spa-ace
Chuck No – orr – rr – iss
Round hou-ou-ou-ou-se kick!
If you can see Chuck Norris
Then he can see you-ou
If you can not see-ee him
He’s prob’ly right behind you
Chuck No – orr – rr – iss
Round hou-ou-ou-ou-se kick!
Don’t break the law in Texas
You’ll put yourself in danger
Chuck Norris’ twin brother
Is Walker Texas Ranger
Chuck No – orr – rr – iss
Round hou-ou-ou-ou-se kick!
He doesn’t have a chin
But should still be fear-ed
Legend tells of a third fist
Behind his magnificent be-eard
Chuck No – orr – rr – iss
Round hou-ou-ou-ou-se kick!
C-130 Rollin’ Down the Strip
C-130 rollin’ down the strip
Airborne Rangers on a one-way trip
Mission Top Secret, destination unknown
Don’t even know if we’re ever coming home
When this plane gets up so high
Paratroopers take to the skies
Stand up, hook up, shuffle to the door
My knees got weak and I hit the floor
Jumpmaster picked me up with ease
Tossed my knees into the breeze
Count one-thousand, two-thousand, three-thousand, four
My main opened with a mighty roar
But if my main don’t open wide
I got a reserve by my side
But if that one should fail me too
Look out below I’m a-comin’ through
If I die on the old drop zone
Box me up and ship me home
Pin my wings upon my chest
And then bury me in the leaning rest
Well if I die on a Chinese hill
Take my watch or the commies will
But if I die in the Korean mud
Bury me deep with a case of Bud
If I die In the Spanish Moors
Bury me deep with a case of Coors
If I die in a firefight
Bury me deep with a case of Lite
If I die in a German blitz
Bury me deep with a case of Schlitz
If I die, don’t bring me back
Just bury me with a bottle of Jack
Yellow Ribbon
Around her hair she wore a yellow ribbon
She wore it in the springtime, in the early month of May
And if you asked her why the heck she wore it
She’d say she wore it for her soldier who was far, far away
Far away
Far away
She wore it for her soldier who was far, far away
Around the block she pushed a baby carriage
She pushed it in the springtime, in the early month of May
And if you asked her why the heck she pushed it
She’d say she pushed it for her soldier who was far, far away
Far away
Far away
She pushed it for her soldier who was far, far away
Behind the door, her father kept a shotgun
She kept it in the springtime, in the early month of May
And if you asked her why the heck she kept it
She’d say she kept it for her soldier who was far, far away
Far away
Far away
She kept it for her soldier who was far, far away
Around his grave she laid the pretty flowers
She laid them in the springtime, in the early month of May
And if you asked her why the heck she laid them
She’d say she laid them for her soldier who was far, far away
Far away
Far away
She laid them for her soldier who was far, far away
Left Foot Freestyle
When that left foot hits the ground
all I wanna hear is that _____ sound. (Make up a one syllable word to yell.)
I suggest using “YUP!” (YUP!)
We train
(YUP!)
In the rain
(YUP!)
We’ll fight
(YUP!)
Day or night
(YUP!)
We’ll go
(YUP!)
Through the snow
(YUP!)
We’ll run
(YUP!)
To the sun
(YUP!)
We’ll run
(YUP!)
THROUGH the sun
(YUP!)
Terrorist!
(YUP!)
You better pray
(YUP!)
You don’t see my
(YUP!)
Maroon beret
(YUP!)
Got that vodka
(YUP!)
In my wall locker
(YUP!)
Got that 100 proof
(YUP!)
Up on the roof
(YUP!)
Got that cogniac
(YUP!)
Right in my backpack
(YUP!)
Gonna have some fun
(YUP!)
With that spiced rum
*This cadence can go on forever if you have rhythm and you’re creative.
I Wanna Be an Airborne Ranger
I wanna be an Airborne Ranger
Live the life of guts and danger
Blood, guts, lies and danger
That is the life of an Airborne Ranger
I wanna be a Scuba Diver
Dive right in to that murky water
Scuba Diver
Murky water
Airborne Ranger
Guts and danger
I wanna be a Mountain Climber
Climb those mountains higher and higher
Mountain Climber
Higher and higher
Scuba Diver
Murky water
Airborne Ranger
Guts and danger
I wanna be a paramedic
Give me some of that funky anesthetic
Paramedic
Funky anesthetic
Mountain Climber
Higher and higher
Scuba Diver
Murky water
Airborne Ranger
Guts and danger
Whether you are a drill sergeant at basic combat training or an army cadet, these popular cadences can make a long run feel a lot shorter. They can even be used in a long march to keep up the esprit de corps.
Next time that you are leading PT, give these Army inspired running cadences a try and have some fun.
-The NCO You Never Had