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" Reveille" ( , ), called in French "Le Réveil" is a bugle call, trumpet call, drum, fife-and-drum or pipes call most often associated with the military; it is chiefly used to wake military personnel at sunrise. The name comes from réveille (or réveil), the French language word for "wake up".
The U.S. Reveille is in fact the French one. In modern times, the U.S. military plays (or sounds) "Reveille" in the morning, generally near sunrise, though its exact time varies from base to base. On U.S. Army posts and Air Force bases, "Reveille" is played by itself or followed by the bugle call "To the Colors" at which time the national flag is raised and all U.S. military personnel outdoors are required to come to attention and present a salute in uniform, either to the flag or in the direction of the music if the flag is not visible. While in formation, soldiers are brought to the position of parade rest while "Reveille" plays then called to attention and present arms as the national flag is raised. When in a vehicle, personnel are expected to stop and render honors. On board U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard facilities, "Reveille" is generally sounded separately from morning colors. "Reveille" is sounded at an earlier time such as 06:00 (6 am), and then the flag is generally raised at 08:00 (8 am) while "The Star-Spangled Banner" or the bugle call "To the Colors" is played. On some U.S. military bases, "Reveille" is accompanied by a cannon shot.
In Commonwealth Remembrance Day and Remembrance Sunday services, and ANZAC Day services, "Last Post" begins the period of silent reflection, and "Reveille" ends it. The two tunes symbolize sunset and sunrise respectively, and therefore, death and resurrection. ("Reveille" is often replaced by "The Rouse", a bugle call commonly mistaken for "Reveille", although these are actually two different tunes.) Winston Churchill had "Last Post" sounded at his funeral, followed by "Reveille", as did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and Queen Elizabeth II.
"To Reveille" or "to sound Reveille" is often used among military personnel as a term meaning "to notify personnel that it is time to wake up", whether the bugle call is actually sounded or not. Units lacking the personnel or equipment necessary to play the tune will often assign the duty to "sound Reveille" to the last watch of the night, who must ensure that others are roused at the proper time, by any appropriate means (often by actually shouting the word reveille until everyone is awake).
The "Reveille" is still played in all the Australian Defence Forces. It was originally played by drums.
The infantry and general "Rouse" ran:
The "Reveille" and "Rouse" are two separate calls which are often confused. The "Reveille" is the first bugle sound of the day to awaken the troops. See the words above, in the Australian section (it is the same as British). The "Rouse" is the second call and, shorter call, sounded after "Reveille" to remind people that they should now be well up and about. On ceremonial occasions, "Rouse" is often sounded instead of "Reveille" because it is shorter and much easier to play. The Goon Show featured as the introduction of 'Bloodnok's Rock and Roll', the first four bars of the Revelle in time, followed by Secombe: "Company 'shun! Shoulder Arms! From the right...Number!"...
In the Royal Navy, "Reveille" was usually verbalized, preceded by a blast from the bo'sun's call as: Often, even in modern times, this was extended with other bits and pieces, often a weather report, and sometimes even comical rhymes thought up by the quartermaster. An example heard onboard the frigate in 1979 went thus: "Wakey, wakey, rise and shine, get up, get up, the day is fine, the birds are singing, so why don't you? And if you can't sing then you know what you can do! Don't turn over...Turn Out!" (The quartermaster in question was admonished severely by the officer of the day!!)
Another set of lyrics to the U.S. tune above:
Still another U.S. version goes:
Most famous is Irving Berlin's comic adaption of the tune and the lyrics in his 1918 song "Oh! How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning", inspired by his experience as a draftee in the First World War. Recast from the original military time to a more swinging rhythm, the words
are set to the initial notes of the bugle call, followed by
Both the Commonwealth and United States "Reveilles" can be played with any combination of valves (or all open valves), because they were first played on a bugle, which lacks valves and plays only notes from the harmonic series.
Troop Bugler is a position of leadership in some troops.
An instrumental rock version of the melody was recorded as "Reveille Rock" in 1959 by Johnny and the Hurricanes and released on Warwick Records, catalog number M-513. The record charted Billboard number 25 and number 14 in the UK.
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