# Why does Taps sound sad?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-taps-sound-sad/247901>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [May 31, 2004, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-taps-sound-sad/247901 "2004-05-31T10:27:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2004, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-taps-sound-sad/247901/21 "2004-05-31T21:21:50Z")

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> [@Guinastasia](#):
>
> When I was in Girl Scouts, we used to sing it at the end of our meetings. So I never thought of it as mournful or melancholy, more just, about it’s over, it’s ending, let’s go to sleep, that sort of thing.
> 
> Sort of “down time”.

Yeah that’s how I see it too, sort of a farewell to the sun. We always sang it to close meetings, or the end of camp but we had different words for it then

> [@](#):
>
> Thanks and praise  
> for our days  
> 'neath the sun  
> 'neath the stars  
> 'neath the sky  
> as we go  
> this we know  
> God is nigh

That one always seemed a little more mournful to me. Not so much a closing of the night but an ending. Part of it was because I always liked camping, and just the words imply a closing more than a slow goodbye.

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**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\
**Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-taps-sound-sad/247901/22 "2004-06-01T09:41:35Z")

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> [@I Love Me](#):
>
> In solfege it would unfortunately sound like you were singing “sodomy, sodomy, sodomy.”
> 
> I think it would be: so so do; so do me; so do me, so do me, so do me; do me so; me do so; so so do.
> 
> Incidentally, “Sodomy” is the first word of a song from a popular musical. Do you know the musical?

One of my favorites: _Hair_.

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**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\
**Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-taps-sound-sad/247901/23 "2004-06-01T22:13:32Z")

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Right you are, **Liberal.**

_Hair_ is one of my favorites, too.

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