# Military Drill Song in Movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 5, 2001, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-drill-song-in-movies/97087 "2001-12-05T19:57:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2001, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-drill-song-in-movies/97087/1 "2001-12-05T19:57:34Z")
_Posting for a colleague:_ I am looking for examples of feature films about the US Armed Services which include variations on the marching song/cadence call for which the most familiar forms of words go either “I don’t know but I’ve been told…” or “Ain’t no use in going home…”. Any suggestions? If possible, please could you quote at least the first two lines of the version sung as well as the film title in your reply? (I already know about the version sung in FULL METAL JACKET, which certainly would do just that!) **Thanks Dopers!** ---
**Author:** ![Yondan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/278dde/32.png) [@Yondan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yondan)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2001, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-drill-song-in-movies/97087/2 "2001-12-05T20:19:12Z")
An Officer and a Gentleman w/ Richard Gere and Louis Gosset, Jr. "I don’t know but I been told Navy wings are made of gold. I don’t know but it’s been said, Air Force wings are made of lead." I’m pretty sure The D.I. w/ Jack Webb also has some, as well as Private Benjamin with Goldie Hawn. [Here’s a link](http://www.cavalry.org/clydesdale/cadence.htm) to a cadence/jody website. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-drill-song-in-movies/97087/3 "2001-12-06T14:32:30Z")
:bump: ---
**Author:** ![Spavined\_Gelding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@Spavined\_Gelding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spavined_Gelding)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-drill-song-in-movies/97087/4 "2001-12-06T18:04:43Z")
What the movies show and what is in the semi-official song books and what the troops actually sang may well be two different things. For instance: Birdie, birdie in the snow Had a broken wing, you know. Lured him with a piece of bread Then I smashed his [little] head. Sound off… Heidi tidy Christ All Mighty Who the hell are we? Whiz Bang, Son of a Bitch We’re in the infantry Sergeant, sergeant Can’t you see? This P T is killing me Some mothers have sons in the service, Some mothers have sons overseas But take down that service star, Mother Cus’ I’m Coastal Artillery. And of course from The Wizard of Oz: Oh EEE Oh Oh EEE Oh And that old favorite (to the tune of Old Lang Singe): We’re here because We’re here because We’re here because We’re here. ---
**Author:** ![igloorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/858c86/32.png) [@igloorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/igloorex)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-drill-song-in-movies/97087/5 "2001-12-06T18:33:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Spavined Gelding \* > \*\*And of course from The Wizard of Oz: > > Oh EEE Oh > Oh EEE Oh > > \*\* I was always under the impression that this was not just nonsense syllables, but was an actual lyric: “All we owe, we owe her.” Don’t know if that’s true and I don’t have a cite, but hey, this ain’t GQ. ---
**Author:** ![Spiritus\_Mundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c68b51/32.png) [@Spiritus\_Mundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiritus_Mundi)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-drill-song-in-movies/97087/6 "2001-12-06T19:27:57Z")
My favrite was always _Up jumped a monkey from the coconut grove_, but that was a running cadence not a marching cadence. For marching though, you can’t beat “King of Battle”. Oh hell, oh hell Artillery! Kiiiiiing of battle follow me. ---
**Author:** ![drillrod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@drillrod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drillrod)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-drill-song-in-movies/97087/7 "2001-12-06T23:59:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Spiritus Mundi \* > \*\*\Oh hell, oh hell Artillery! > Kiiiiiing of battle follow me. \*\* _Former Drill Sergeant puts on dusty old Brown Round_ While I suppose there are several versions of most cadences, I’ve always known that one as: All hail, All hail, Artillery! King of battle follow me! _Brown Round goes back in box_ As for the OP, I can’t recall any movies with that cadence. ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2001, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-drill-song-in-movies/97087/8 "2001-12-07T03:22:03Z")
The _Stripes_ movie with Bill Murray had some rather original marching songs…_sir!_ ---
**Author:** ![Bedrosian\_Bixby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecae2f/32.png) [@Bedrosian\_Bixby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bedrosian_Bixby)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2001, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-drill-song-in-movies/97087/9 "2001-12-07T07:04:56Z")
In military school we had lots of them. I forget most, but there was a great one about Christopher Columbus. It’s kind of offensive, so I’ll put a POSSIBLY OFFENSIVE SONG WARNING!!! The Queen she gave him three big ships, they all were triple deckers The Queen she wave the flag of Spain, Columbo waved his pecker He said the world was roundo He said it could be foundo The hypothetical, masturbating, sonofabitch, Columbo The cabin boy, the cabin boy the dirty little nipper He lined his ass with broken glass and circumcised the skipper He said the world was roundo Hw said it could be foundo The hypothetical, masterbating, sonofabitch Columbo etc… Most of the cadences we sang were even more offensive than that, but we were kids and kids can be insensitve.