A selection of Army Songs
Created by Warrant Officer Robert L. Bierly, 88th Div. Artillery. Selected by a board of members appointed by Major General Sloan on Feb 2nd 1943. Approved by the board on Feb 18th, 1943.
The 88th is on parade,
We’re on our way to make a raid.
We’ll show those Japs and the Germans too
What a first class bunch of Yanks CAN DO
Then on we go to join the fight
For liberty and all that’s Right and
When it’s over all the folks will say
We’re the best in all the USA
Italian Front Related Song:
On June the Fourth of nineteen fourt-four
Through the streets of Rome the Yanks began to pour
They came on truck and tank with men of every rank
That welcome they remember evermore.
They kept on coming all throughout the day
The crowds no longer they could keep away
They climbed on truck and tank no matter what the rank
And amid the cheers the Yanks would shout and say:
Hey, Paesano! Have you gotta the vino?
I gotta the chocolate, cigerette, caramelle
Signorina, tu sei molta bella
I gotta the chocolate, cigerette, caramelle
As the boys go marching by, you can hear those Romans cry
Si! Si! Si!
Hey, Paesano! Have you gotta the vino?
I gotta the chocolate, cigerette, caramelle
Selected Songs from Songbook
I have picked some songs out of the total of 67 listed in this book. I am using “Army Song Book” dated 1941. I hope eventually to get all 67 up on this document. Now let the singing begin!
Tammy (p.55)
1.
I’m a young disbursing officer,
I’m working night and day.
Ev’rybody’s shouting
“When do we get our pay?”
I wired the Chief of Finance,
“From work I’m almost dead.”
The wire did no good at all,
For this is what he said:
CHORUS
Pay those lads! Pay those lads!
Don’t you know it’s up to you
To pay those soldiers P.D.Q?
Pay those lads! Pay those lads!
Pay’em! Pay’em! Pay’em! Pay’em!
Pay those lads.
2.
The Regulars were pretty bad,
The C.C.C.’s were worse,
But the See-Lectees and National Guard
Surely made me curse!
I try and try to sleep at night,
But toss upon my bed,
For what the General said to me
Keeps ringing thru my head
CHORUS
The Infantry (p.27)
The Infantry, the Infantry with dirt behind there ears,
The Infantry, the Infantry, they drink up all the beers,
The cavalry, Artillery, and Corps of Engineers,
They couldn’t lick the Infantry in a hundred thousand years
Fighting Infantry a.k.a. King Cole (p. 43-46)
1.
Old king Cole was a very old soul,
And a merry old soul was he.
He called for his pipe,
and he called for his bowl,
And he called for his privates three.
CHORUS
“Beer, Beer, beer,” said the privates,
“Merry men are we.
There’s none so fair as can compare
With the Fighting Infantry.”
2.
Old king Cole was a very old soul,
And a merry old soul was he.
He called for his pipe,
and he called for his bowl,
And he called for his corporals three.
CHORUS
“One two, one two, one,” said the corporals;
“Beer, Beer, beer,” said the privates,
“Merry men are we.
There’s none so fair as can compare
With the Fighting Infantry.”
3.
Old king Cole was a very old soul,
And a merry old soul was he.
He called for his pipe,
and he called for his bowl,
And he called for his sergeants three.
CHORUS
“Right by squads, squads right,” said the sergeants;
“One two, one two, one,” said the corporals;
“Beer, Beer, beer,” said the privates, v“Merry men are we.
There’s none so fair as can compare
With the Fighting Infantry.”
4.
Old king Cole was a very old soul,
And a merry old soul was he.
He called for his pipe,
and he called for his bowl,
And he called for his shavetails three.
CHORUS
“We do all the work,” said the shavetails;
“Right by squads, squads right,” said the sergeants;
“One two, one two, one,” said the corporals;
“Beer, Beer, beer,” said the privates,
“Merry men are we.
There’s none so fair as can compare
With the Fighting Infantry.”
5.
Old king Cole was a very old soul,
And a merry old soul was he.
He called for his pipe,
and he called for his bowl,
And he called for his captains three.
CHORUS
“We want ten days’ leave,” said the captains;
“We do all the work,” said the shavetails;
“Right by squads, squads right,” said the sergeants;
“One two, one two, one,” said the corporals;
“Beer, Beer, beer,” said the privates,
“Merry men are we.
There’s none so fair as can compare
With the Fighting Infantry.”
6.
Old king Cole was a very old soul,
And a merry old soul was he.
He called for his pipe,
and he called for his bowl,
And he called for his majors three.
CHORUS
“Where’re my boots and spurs?” said the majors;
“We want ten days’ leave,” said the captains;
“We do all the work,” said the shavetails;
“Right by squads, squads right,” said the sergeants;
“One two, one two, one,” said the corporals;
“Beer, Beer, beer,” said the privates,
“Merry men are we.
There’s none so fair as can compare With the Fighting Infantry.”
7.
Old king Cole was a very old soul,
And a merry old soul was he.
He called for his pipe,
and he called for his bowl,
And he called for his colonels three.
CHORUS
“What’s my next command?” said the colonels
“Where’re my boots and spurs?” said the majors;
“We want ten days’ leave,” said the captains;
“We do all the work,” said the shavetails;
“Right by squads, squads right,” said the sergeants;
“One two, one two, one,” said the corporals;
“Beer, Beer, beer,” said the privates,
“Merry men are we.
There’s none so fair as can compare
With the Fighting Infantry.”
8.
Old king Cole was a very old soul,
And a merry old soul was he.
He called for his pipe,
and he called for his bowl,
And he called for his generals three.
CHORUS
“The Army’s gone to hell,” said the generals;
“What’s my next command?” said the colonels
“Where’re my boots and spurs?” said the majors;
“We want ten days’ leave,” said the captains;
“We do all the work,” said the shavetails;
“Right by squads, squads right,” said the sergeants;
“One two, one two, one,” said the corporals;
“Beer, Beer, beer,” said the privates,
“Merry men are we.
There’s none so fair as can compare
With the Fighting Infantry.”
You’re in the Army Now (p.59)
You’re in the Army now,
You’re not behind a plow;
You’ll never get rich
A-diggin’ a ditch,
You’re in the Army now,
You’re in the Army now,
You’re in the Army now,
You’ll never get rich
On the salary which
You get in the Army now.
Bombed (p.12)
We were bombed last night, bombed the night before,
And we’re gonna be bombed tonight as we were never bombed before.
When we’re bombed, we’re ass scared as we can be,
They can bomb the whole darn Army if they don’t bomb me.
CHORUS
They’re over us, over us
One little cave for the four of us
Glory to be to God, there are no more of us
Or they’d surely bomb the whole darn crew.
Dirty Gertie
Orginial verison from the Sept 10th, 1943 issue of YANK
Dirty Gertie from Bizerte
Hid a mouse trap 'neath her skirtie
Strapped it to her kneecap purty
Baited it with Fleur de Flirte
Made her boy friends' fingers hurty
Made her boy friends very shirty
She was voted in Bizerte
"Miss Latrine" for 1930
Up There (p.13) Written by Captain Peter B. Griffo of Freeport, Illinois. From Combat by James C. Fry.
As Zero hour approaches,
We hang our heads in prayer,
For over that ridge the enemy lurks
And waits for us, up there
Our plans, of course are man made
And for that reason we know them to err
So please, O God be with us
When we cross that ridge up there
The Enemy is strong at every point
And his true position, we know not where
For that Reason, O'Lord we ask you
To lead us in fight, up there
Over the top we've set our goal
The orders state plainly where
But without you, O Lord we ask you
We can never hope to get, up there
When all the ridge is taken
And the enemy no longer there
We want you, Dear God, to join us,
In a prayer for the boys up there.
