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. Military cadences often take their rhythms from the work being done, much like the sea shanty. 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 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 and His Orchestra (Voc.: Vaughn Monroe & Chorus in New York City) on March 7, 1951. It was released by RCA Victor Records as catalog number 20-4113A (in USA)[ RCA Victor Records in the 20-4000 to 20-4999 series] and by EMI on their His Master's Voice label as catalog number B 10086.
A variant of that cadence was used in the 1949 film Battleground and in the 1981 film Taps, filmed at Valley Forge Military Academy and College in Wayne, Pennsylvania. 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
Guarimba" ().
Collected cadences
Some common cadences include:
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"Blood on the Risers"
[Burke. p. 439.]
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"I Wish All the Girls Were"
[Burke, p. 425]
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"Captain Jack" (Army cadence)
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"Yellow Ribbon" (Army cadence)
As soon as 1952, the U.S. Army adopted "The Army Goes Rolling Along" as its service theme song, 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", referencing Chesty Puller: "Chesty Puller was a good Marine and a good Marine was he".
See also
Bibliography
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"ADA cadence calls." 1988. Source: Air Defense Artillery. May–June, 1988, pp. 33–40.
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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.
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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."
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Dunnigan, Timothy P. 1997. Modern military cadence. Alexandria, Va: Byrd Enterprises.
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Engstrom, John, and P. C. Butler. 1987. Count cadence count. Fallbrook, Calif: Best Military Publications.
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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."
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Jody calls, armor cavalry. 1976. Fort: Army. "Armor cavalry jody calls".
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Johnson, Sandee Shaffer. 1900. Cadences: the Jody call book. Canton, Ohio: Daring Press. ; 9780938936114.
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United States Army Infantry Center. 1984. Jody calls. Ft. Benning, Ga: The Center.
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