10 Best Army Running and Marching Cadences 

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

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 

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