# "Up in the Air, Junior Brdmen..." **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 23, 2019, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-in-the-air-junior-brdmen/828287 "2019-01-23T19:19:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-in-the-air-junior-brdmen/828287/1 "2019-01-23T19:19:47Z")
“…Up in the Air, Upside Down…”. Does anyone else remember this little ditty? Kids would sing it in the 1950s. And when you sang the song you made the Junior Birdmen “mask” using your hands. It’s hard to describe the motion: [http://hdleszno.website.pl/3/junior-birdmen?koszyk,15](http://hdleszno.website.pl/3/junior-birdmen?koszyk,15) I was wondering how it came about and some Googling showed it was the Hearst newspapers from 1934 to 1939 that formed the Junior Birdman Club. Pretty neat that it was still around nearly 20 years after the fact. > **[Junior Birdmen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junior_Birdmen)** > > The Junior Birdmen of America was a national organization for boys and girls interested in aviation and model plane building, founded (ca. 1934) and promoted by the Hearst Communications newspaper chain, with the cooperation of the U.S. Bureau of Air Commerce. > The Junior Birdmen of America (JBA) program was officially launched on April 15, 1934, with notices published in every William Randolph Hearst-owned newspaper in America. There were 17 Hearst-owned newspapers involved initially as "Junior ... Dennis ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-in-the-air-junior-brdmen/828287/2 "2019-01-23T19:30:48Z")
My mother would sing this when we were little (mid/late 1960s), when she was washing our hair in the bathtub and poured a mugful of water over our heads to rinse the shampoo out. I have no idea why–could it be because we put our hands over our eyes to keep the suds out? When I saw your thread title, I could almost hear her singing those words. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-in-the-air-junior-brdmen/828287/3 "2019-01-23T19:45:16Z")
I am familiar with the Army Air Corps (which dates it to before 1941, when the name was changed to Army Air Force) - something like this: Into the air, Army Air Corps Into the sky, pilots true Into the air, Army Air Corps Keep your nose up in the blue (up in the blue) And when you hear the angels singing And the steel props start to whine You can bet the Army Air Corps Is along the firing line ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-in-the-air-junior-brdmen/828287/4 "2019-01-23T19:52:31Z")
I remember it from Summer Camp back in the early 60s. I still can do the goggle bit. They also had “Junior Scubamen,” which was the same song with slightly different lyrics, and you made a scuba mask with your hands (basically, just an oval). ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-in-the-air-junior-brdmen/828287/5 "2019-01-23T19:59:56Z")
I only knew the reference from the 1989 _Batman_ movie—I didn’t have a clue about its origin. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-in-the-air-junior-brdmen/828287/6 "2019-01-23T20:38:04Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > I only knew the reference from the 1989 _Batman_ movie—I didn’t have a clue about its origin. Thanks! +1 ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-in-the-air-junior-brdmen/828287/7 "2019-01-23T20:49:55Z")
I remember hearing it, and seeing people do the “goggles”, when I was in elementary school, in the 1970s. The organization ended in 1939. Surprisingly durable meme. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-in-the-air-junior-brdmen/828287/8 "2019-01-23T21:01:03Z")
I sing it to my grandkids. And they look at me strangely. They’re young enough that they can’t do the “mask”. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-in-the-air-junior-brdmen/828287/9 "2019-01-23T21:11:23Z")
Tangentially, I remember this one (to the tune of _You’re In The Army Now_) from childhood: _In 1964 My father went to war He opened the door And fell on the floor And that was the end of the war_ ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-in-the-air-junior-brdmen/828287/10 "2019-01-23T21:19:48Z")
Tom Lehrer referenced Junior Birdmen in [the intro to his song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHQb7JT6_zU) “It makes a Fellow Proud to Be a Soldier.” ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-in-the-air-junior-brdmen/828287/11 "2019-01-23T21:32:26Z")
\*Up in the air, Junior Birdman Up in the air, upside down! Up in the air, Junior Birdman And never let your nose come down. When you hear the whistle blowing’ And you get those wings of tin Then you know that Junior Birdman Has been sending all his boxtops in. FIVE boxtops! FOUR labels! THREE Green stamps! TWO bottle caps! AND ONE THIN DIME!\* I bet it has been fifty years. Complete the song - _She was only the garbageman’s daughter slop slop She lived down by the swill And sweet was the smell of the garbage slop slop But…_ Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-in-the-air-junior-brdmen/828287/12 "2019-01-23T21:43:13Z")
My wife and I were both born in the early sixties. She knew it, I didn’t, and she taught it to me. I suppose I could’ve lived my life pretty well without it… ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-in-the-air-junior-brdmen/828287/13 "2019-01-23T23:50:57Z")
I remember this: _Up in the air, junior birdmen Up in the air, girl scouts too. Up in the air Junior Birdmen And keep your nose up in the blue._ It was sung by ground pounders in bars and clubs to mock members of the USAAC. MPs would generally have to break up the resulting riot. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2019, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-in-the-air-junior-brdmen/828287/14 "2019-01-24T00:50:51Z")
I remember this from PE class in the late '80s/early 90’s. I guess I can thank the _Batman_ movie for that? ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2019, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-in-the-air-junior-brdmen/828287/15 "2019-01-24T02:16:54Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Tom Lehrer referenced Junior Birdmen in [the intro to his song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHQb7JT6_zU) “It makes a Fellow Proud to Be a Soldier.” One Day I will get to bring up a Tom Lehrer anecdote first. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2019, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-in-the-air-junior-brdmen/828287/16 "2019-01-24T02:22:13Z")
I just depressed myself by trying and failing (miserably!) to make the goggles. I am decidedly old. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2019, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-in-the-air-junior-brdmen/828287/17 "2019-01-24T20:00:22Z")
I have to remember to take my glasses off first. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2019, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-in-the-air-junior-brdmen/828287/18 "2019-01-24T20:29:16Z")
Yeah - NW side of Chicago - we sang/did this in the 60s - early 70s. No idea why, under what circumstances, or in reference to anything. Only knew the 1st 4 lines and the goggle thing. Think it was like the hand thing: “This is the church, this is the steeple. Open the doors, and see all the people.” Just a little bit of nonsense. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2019, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-in-the-air-junior-brdmen/828287/19 "2019-01-24T20:47:28Z")
I used to have a postcard of Pope John Paul II doing the Junior Birdman face. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2019, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-in-the-air-junior-brdmen/828287/20 "2019-01-24T22:21:31Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > I used to have a postcard of Pope John Paul II doing the Junior Birdman face. 😃 But he did it the easy way, not the right way: > **[9 reasons why Pope John Paul II was the best pope](https://www.dailyedge.ie/pope-john-paul-funny-793866-Feb2013/)** > > The Pope and Packie Bonner, the Pope with some birds, the Pope with a watch-stealing baby… Dennis [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-in-the-air-junior-brdmen/828287.md?page=2)