# Cadence Count!! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 28, 2012, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cadence-count/614273 "2012-02-28T19:05:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cadence-count/614273/1 "2012-02-28T19:05:26Z")
I’d like to hear from former or current military Dopers about the cadence counts they used in basic or advanced training. I’ll start off with a few: “I don’t know but I’ve been told the WACS on Gordon are mighty cold Yo’ Left (pause) yo’ left (pause) yo’ left,right, left!” Gotoyour left, etc. (Left was pronounced LAY-EFT) (For the following use the same cadence as above) “I don’t know but I’ve heard rumors, Charlie company’s wearing bloomers” “If you want a 3 day pass, you gotta kiss the first sticks ass” (I caught hell for this one!) More here: [http://mudcat.org/mudcatorg.gif](http://mudcat.org/mudcatorg.gif) Vets? ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cadence-count/614273/2 "2012-02-28T19:15:42Z")
None of ours were either PC or appropriate. Seriously. The Camp Commandant actually said to our course officer “Glad to hear your troops know how to swear.” In short: “Three German Soldiers” “She’s my Lady in Red” (which we, as the seven women in our troop re-wrote for all of the guys, using names from our own troop) “The Flying Fortress” and then two PC ones - “Do Wah Diddy” “Iko Iko”… And one we had specifically for our troop. We were very musical 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Tamarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@Tamarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamarin)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cadence-count/614273/3 "2012-02-28T19:19:36Z")
When I was in basic, my (all female) company was K009. Our CC got a lot of flack about leading a group of female “K9s” so in our cadence, we added the occasional “Woof” and got away with it even though we were only supposed to use “Left-right-left” cadence. ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cadence-count/614273/4 "2012-02-28T19:31:22Z")
I went to a party and what did we do We took off our socks We took off our shoes We took off our shirts We took off our pants I had a hunch We weren’t going to dance ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cadence-count/614273/5 "2012-02-28T19:43:19Z")
Thanks for the replies! Keep 'em coming… ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cadence-count/614273/6 "2012-02-28T19:59:49Z")
C-130 rolling down the strip. Airborne daddies gonna take a little trip. If that chute don’t open wide. I got another one by side. Then a typical “Sound off!” sequence. One more which I don’t think I can here capture the actual rhythm of was: Here we go again. Company: Here we go again. Same old song again. Company: Same old song again (etc.) Marching down the avenue x more days ‘til we are through. Left, your left. Your left, right, left. Your military left. Your left your right don’t get outta step your left your right your le-e-eft! That last lined had to be done with precision else it came across as a jumbled mess. Source: Navy Basic Training, Great Lakes, IL, summer of 1985. ---
**Author:** ![bobkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cadence-count/614273/7 "2012-02-28T21:11:52Z")
The Marine boyfriend loves him some cadence. He has one in particular that I refuse to let him do in my presence because it gets STUCK in my head. I’ll see if he’ll stop in here later to share it with you. ---
**Author:** ![hdc\_bst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/9f8e36/32.png) [@hdc\_bst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hdc_bst)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cadence-count/614273/8 "2012-02-28T22:39:06Z")
Basic training circa 2002, cadences were very much cleaned up. Some of my favorites: I hear you calling, calling to me, The king of battle, field artillery. … The queen of battle, airborne infantry. Also Sitting in my foxhole, sharpening my knife Up jumped the enemy, I had to take his life Airborne Rangers\* lead the way I hear the choppers coming, they’re hovering overhead Too late for the wounded, they’ve come to get the dead There’s quite a few rhyming couplets than can fit to a variety of cadence melodies, my favorite of which is the musical ‘In the early morning rain’ In the early morning rain, in the early morning rain Got a letter in the mail, go to war or go to jail I used to date a beauty queen, now I date my M16 I used to wear my faded jeans, now I’m wearing army greens Set me in a barber’s chair, turned me around I had no hair Mama, mama don’t you cry, your little boy ain’t gonna die \*The rangers got co-opted into many cadences sung by the very not rangers (myself included). To right this wrong, one of my favorite running cadences is: R… is for ranger A…is for everyday N… is for knowledge G… is for jumpmaster E… is for intelligence R… is for ranger Fortunately the scroll wearing LTC in one of my PT formations had a sense of humor. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cadence-count/614273/9 "2012-02-28T23:31:04Z")
> [@Poysyn](#): > > None of ours were either PC or appropriate. Seriously. The Camp Commandant actually said to our course officer “Glad to hear your troops know how to swear.”… We were very musical 🙂 Oh, please, please come back and share the naughty ones! ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cadence-count/614273/10 "2012-02-29T01:38:20Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Oh, please, please come back and share the naughty ones! HA! Figures you dirty-minded civvies! Okay, this was years ago… I refuse to post the lyrics, but these may or may not be some of the ones we sang: [Yep we could](http://www.fivetribe.ca/3germs.html)[swear and offend, in one](http://everything2.com/title/Flying+Fortress) [easy cadence](http://www.bfhhh.org/songs/yoho.txt) - three of them hidden there… **SUPER OFFENSIVE** and I can’t believe I ever sung them now…but it was years ago and I was clearly young and stupid (just glad no one has it recorded on Youtube!) The lady in red one was something like “She’s my lady in Red, we’ve never done it in a bed” and then different rhymes for different colors. We re-wrote it, as I said, to match up with different guys’ names from our troop, so poor Pte. Flegel was getting it on with a bagel and so on… ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cadence-count/614273/11 "2012-02-29T02:41:10Z")
lep, lep, lep right lep lep, lep, lep right lep Purple headed, cherry poppin, tea baggin’ bitch Pink puckered poontang, lyin’ in a ditch Ass plowin’, pussy chowin’, wife sloppin huggy You ball lappin’ slut sword, swallow my chubby lep, lep, lep right lep lep, lep, lep right lep She was workin on a wiener with her 2 big toes Had one up her ass and one under her nose She grabbed two more and stuck em in her ears She’ll said I’ll make ‘em come while I’m chuggin’ this beer ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cadence-count/614273/12 "2012-02-29T07:13:48Z")
My brother told me this one: Sarge: “Jody’s got your girl and gone!” Troops: (Jody’s got your girl and gone!) Sarge: “Am I right or am I wrong?” Troops: (Am I right or am I wrong?) Sarge: “Am I right or wrong?” Troops: You’re right! Sarge: “Am I right or wrong?” Troops: You’re right! Sarge: “Now sound off. . .” Troops: One… Two… Three… Four… Troops: One… Two… ThreeFour! I’m gonna take a three-day pass! (I’m gonna take a three-day pass!) I’m gonna kick ol’ Jody’s ass! (I’m gonna kick ol’ Jody’s ass!) Sound off . . . . ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cadence-count/614273/13 "2012-02-29T09:30:46Z")
I’m not a man nor did I do any kind of military service, but the Macarena was born as a cadence count. I know a few old fellows who felt robbed when Los del Rio were making money off something which was basically “the property of every barehead who’s ever hitched a rifle in this country’s army, damnit”. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cadence-count/614273/14 "2012-02-29T10:35:21Z")
A little bird With a yellow bill He sat upon My windowsill I coaxed him in With a piece of bread And then I stomped His little head ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cadence-count/614273/15 "2012-02-29T14:11:28Z")
> [@minlokwat](#): > > C-130 rolling down the strip. > Airborne daddies gonna take a little trip. We MI types were a little odd: C-130 rollin down the strip Airborne Rangers gonna take a little trip Watch it slip and watch it slide 64 beanies burned alive 747 rolling down the strip MI Daddy on a TDY trip Sit down buckle up order a drink Say “Hey steward whaddaya think? Whaddaya think about you and I joinin’ a club called Mile High?” > [@Baker](#): > > A little bird > With a yellow bill A tiny mouse with tiny feet was standing on my toilet seat I pushed him in I flushed him down his little head went round and round. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cadence-count/614273/16 "2012-02-29T14:49:11Z")
I remember learning the basic cadences and rhythms in Basic Training, but when I got to AIT at Fort Huachucha, they made my head explode. These weren’t your granddaddy’s rhyming couplets. They had melodies, harmonies, bridges, rounds, and one particular cadence where the first and third platoons basically made drum-kit noises with their mouths/voices while the second and fourth platoons rapped or sang. I wish I could remember it. On that hasn’t been mentioned: [They say that in the Army, the chow is mighty fine. A chicken jumped off the table and started marking time. They say that in the Army, the pay is mighty fine. They give you a hundred dollars and take back ninety-nine.]([http://army-cadence.com/Army-Marching-Cadences.php](http://army-cadence.com/Army-Marching-Cadences.php)) ---
**Author:** ![moldmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@moldmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moldmonkey)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cadence-count/614273/17 "2012-02-29T23:58:20Z")
I went through basic in 1988 and they were pretty cleaned up by then. I was MI as well and we didn’t call cadence much after basic. The ones I remember are Tiny Bubbles, Momma Momma and Yellow Ribbon on this webpage: [http://army-cadence.com/Army-Marching-Cadences.php](http://army-cadence.com/Army-Marching-Cadences.php) There were also some about Jody but I don’t remember them very well. I learned Out Jumped The Monkey before the Army: [http://www.lighthorseaircav.com/hum-jody-calls.html](http://www.lighthorseaircav.com/hum-jody-calls.html) ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2012, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cadence-count/614273/18 "2012-03-01T00:10:00Z")
You had a good home and you LEFT (You’re RIGHT!) You wanna go home but you can’t (You’re RIGHT!) Sound off (One Two) Sound off (Three Four) Sound off (One, Two…Three Four) ---
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2012, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cadence-count/614273/19 "2012-03-01T00:44:25Z")
Marine Corps, Parris Island 1985 \*\*\*My girl’s a vegetable She lives in the hospital But i would do anything to keep that girl alive Yeah She got no arms or legs She gets by on hooks and pegs But i would do anything To keep that girl alive Yeah My girl don’t drink or eat She falls through the toilet seat But i would do anything To keep that girl alive Yeah One day I’ll play a joke Pull the cord and watch her choke But i would do anything To keep that girl alive Yeah\*\*\* ---
**Author:** ![bobkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2012, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cadence-count/614273/20 "2012-03-01T01:02:04Z")
That would be the one I was referring to, G0sp3l. Thanks, now it’s stuck in my head. 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cadence-count/614273.md?page=2)