# You mean Taps has words? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 17, 2001, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-mean-taps-has-words/82155 "2001-09-17T14:15:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![deb2world](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@deb2world](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deb2world)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-mean-taps-has-words/82155/21 "2001-09-17T23:32:36Z")
Irving Berlin wrote the words to reveille in the song “Oh, how I hate to get up in the morning”(1918). This was sung the in musical _This Is the Army_ (1943). In that same musical, a Ms. Kate Jackson sang “God Bless America.” ---
**Author:** ![Mobius74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@Mobius74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mobius74)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-mean-taps-has-words/82155/22 "2001-09-18T01:12:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RalfCoder \* > \*\ ***LifeonWry** , I used to wake up my son Ralf Jr. on school mornings by singing Reveille … He’s just starting band in school now, and choosing an instrument. If he gets a trumpet, I’m gonna be in so much trouble… \*\* You may need to visit here soon then so I can drop a few suggestions on the young lad… No need to thank me… I knew there were words to these things, I just never went to the trouble of finding out exactly what they were - figured it was a pretty safe bet I’d never be asked to sing any of 'em… ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-mean-taps-has-words/82155/23 "2001-09-18T01:29:31Z")
It goes I hate to get up I hate to get up I hate to get up in the morning I hate to get up I hate to get up I hate to get up in the morn I’m gonna kill that bugler I’m gonna kill him fast I’m gonna take the bugle and cram it up his a$$! I hate to get up etc etc ---
**Author:** ![Spiny\_Norman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Spiny\_Norman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiny_Norman)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-mean-taps-has-words/82155/24 "2001-09-18T12:07:35Z")
I’d be a tad careful to accept any texts as “official” unless they were found in an Army bugler’s manual. (Or wahtever Armyese term is used for this piece of gear.) Back when bugle signals were actually used for communication, part of military training would be to memorize them. Putting words to them and thus making them singable would be an obvious teaching aid - and a lot of the texts were probably made locally and propagated through the ranks by word of mouth, before some senior officer wrote them down, presumably sanitized them quite a bit and put them in The Book. (The Danish text for reveille is about going to the barracks store, buying aquavit and drinking it on your own. Of course, the tune is not exactly as annoyingly cheerful as the American one.) S. Norman ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-mean-taps-has-words/82155/25 "2001-09-18T12:34:14Z")
> [@](#): > > One of my co-workers was shocked to hear this! > Yes you twit there are words. I am (I think) and intelligent, worldly, well read adult and I did not know Taps had words. ::shrug:: Zette [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-mean-taps-has-words/82155.md?page=1)