The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the United States and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article and discuss the issue on the talk page. (December 2010)

United States Army soldiers calling cadence, during Basic Combat Training at Fort Jackson (South Carolina) in 2008

In the armed services, a military cadence or cadence call is a traditional call-and-response work song sung by military personnel while running or marching. In the United States, these cadences are sometimes called jody calls or jodies, after Jody, a recurring character who figures in some traditional cadences.

Requiring no instruments to play, they are counterparts in oral military folklore of the military march. As a sort of work song, military cadences take their rhythms from the work being done (compare sea shanty). Many cadences have a call and response structure of which one soldier initiates a line, and the remaining soldiers complete it, thus instilling teamwork and camaraderie for completion. The cadence calls move to the beat and rhythm of the normal speed (quick time) march or running-in-formation (double time) march. This serves the purpose of keeping soldiers "dressed", moving in step as a unit and in formation, while maintaining the correct beat or cadence.

The word "cadence" was applied to these work songs because of an earlier meaning, in which it meant the number of steps a marcher or runner took per minute. The cadence was set by a drummer or sergeant and discipline was extremely important, as keeping the cadence directly affected the travel speed of infantry. There were other purposes: the close-order drill was a particular cadence count for the complex sequence of loading and firing a musket. In the Revolutionary War, Baron von Steuben notably imported European battlefield techniques which persist, greatly modified, to this day.

[edit] The Duckworth Chant (or Sound Off!)

A V-Disc   (help·info) issued in 1944 credits the origin of Sound Off (The Duckworth Chant) to Private Willie Duckworth, an African American soldier serving in the then segregated US Army.

...as a company ... was returning from a long tedious march through swamps and rough country, a chant broke the stillness of the night. Upon investigation, it was found that an African American soldier by the name of Willie Duckworth, on detached service with the Provisional Training Center, was chanting to build up the spirits of his comrades.

It was not long before the infectious rhythm was spreading throughout the ranks. Footweary soldiers started to pick up their step in cadence with the growing chorus of hearty male voices. Instead of a down trodden, fatigued company, here marched 200 soldiers with heads up, a spring to their step, and happy smiles on their faces. This transformation occurred with the beginning of the Duckworth Chant.

Upon returning to Fort Slocum, Pvt. Duckworth, with the aid of Provisional Training Center instructors, composed a series of verses and choruses to be used with the marching cadence. Since that eventful evening the Duckworth Chant was made a part of the drill at Fort Slocum as it proved to be not only a tremendous morale factor while marching, but also coordinated the movements of close order drill with troop precision.^[1]

This original cadence was recorded as "Sound Off:"

Sound-off; 1 - 2; Sound-off; 3 - 4; Cadence count; 1 - 2 - 3 - 4; 1 - 2 — 3 - 4.

This cadence, known as the "Duckworth Chant," still exists with variations in the different branches of the U.S. military. Duckworth's simple chant was elaborated on by Army drill sergeants and their trainees, and the practice of creating elaborate marching chants spread to the Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy.

A musical version of the chant was recorded by Vaughn Monroe and His Orchestra (Voc.: Vaughn Monroe & Chorus in New York City) on March 7, 1951. It was released by RCA Victor Records as catalog number 20-4113A (in USA)^[2] and by EMI on the His Master's Voice label as catalog number B 10086.

A variant of that cadence was used in the 1981 movie Taps filmed in Valley Forge Military Academy and College in Wayne, Pennsylvania in 1980-1981, It appears in two versions in the film, both ending in the same cadence.

Collected cadences[link]

Some common cadences collected at the Naval Academy^[3] include:

• Old King Cole
• Blood Upon the Risers^[4]
• I wish all the girls|I Wish All the Girls Were^[5]
• Irene Irene (Air Force cadence)

As soon as 1952, the U.S. Army adopted The Army Goes Rolling Along as its service theme song, with the lyric "count off the cadence loud and strong" a reference to Duckworth's cadence. Its melody and lyrics derive from the traditional When the Caissons Go Rolling Along.

"Jody calls"[link]

In the United States, what are now known as cadences were called jody calls or jody (also jodie) from a recurring character, a civilian named "Jody", whose luxurious lifestyle is contrasted with military deprivations in a number of traditional calls. The mythical Jody refers to a civilian who remains at home instead of joining the military service. Jody is often presumed to be medically unfit for service, a 4F in World War II parlance. Jody also lacks the desirable attributes of military men. He is neither brave nor squared-away. Jody calls often make points with ironic humor. Jody will take advantage of your girlfriend in your absence. Jody stays at home, drives the soldier's car, and gets the soldier's sweetheart (often called "Susie") while the soldier is in boot camp or in country.

The name derives from a stock character in African-American oral traditions, "Joe the Grinder,"^[6] who is also prominent in Merle Haggard's song "The Old Man of the Mountain."^[7] The character's name has been transcribed as "Joady," "Jody," "Jodie," "Joe D.", or even "Joe the ____" (in dialect, "Joe de ____") with Joe then identified by occupation. He was a stock anti-hero who maliciously took advantage of another man's absence. Enlisted African-American soldiers incorporated this character into cadence songs during the Second World War.

Lineberry emphasizes conflicting uses of the calls: they are useful to command, in that they serve as instruments to psychologically detach the soldier from home-life, and to inculcate a useful degree of aggression. They are useful to the soldier, who can vent dissatisfaction without taking individual responsibility for the expression.^[6] While jodies, strictly speaking, are folklore (they are not taught institutionally, and do not appear, for example, in FM 3-21.5, Drill and Ceremonies Field Manual), some are tolerated and even encouraged by leadership, while others are subversive.^[6]

Common themes in jodies include:

• Homesickness.
• Everyday complaints about military life.
• Boasts (of one's own unit) and insults (of one's competitor, which may be another unit, another service branch, or the enemy.)
• Humorous and topical references.

Lineberry offers an alternative, psychologically and functionally-oriented taxonomy. There are negative themes (disrespect expressed for deities, women, homosexuals, the enemy and economically deprived comrades; graphic expression of violence perpetrated on women and the enemy, glorification of substance abuse) but also positive (unit pride, encouragement of comrades) and perhaps in-between, expressions of contempt for death and indifference to mortality.^[6]

One example used in the U.S. Army:^{[citation needed]}

My honey heard me comin' on my left right on left

I saw Jody runnin' on his left right on left

I chased after Jody and I ran him down

Poor ol' boy doesn't feel good now

M.P.s came a runnin on their left right on left

The medics came a runnin on their left right on left

He felt a little better with a few I.V.s

Son I told you not to mess with them ELEVEN Bs (the designation for infantry in the Army)

One from the U.S. Marine Corps:

Jody, Jody six feet four

Jody never had his ass kicked before.

I'm gonna take a three-day pass

And really slap a beating on Jody's ass!

At the end of the 1949 movie Battleground, the cadence sung is as follows, with the call initiated by the drill sergeant and the response from the rest of the platoon:

You had a good home but you left / You're right You had a good home but you left / You're right Jody was there when you left / You're right Your baby was there when you left / You're right Sound off! / 1,2 Sound off! / 3,4 Cadence count! / 1,2,3,4,1,2...3,4! They signed you up for the length of the war / I've never had it so good before The best you'll get in a biv-ou-ac / Is a whiff of cologne from a passing WAC Sound off! / 1,2 Sound off! / 3,4 Cadence count! / 1,2,3,4,1,2...3,4! There ain't no use in going back / Jody's livin' it up in the shack Jody's got somethin' you ain't got / It's been so long I almost forgot Sound off! / 1,2 Sound off! / 3,4 Cadence count! / 1,2,3,4,1,2...3,4!

Your baby was lonely, as lonely could be / Til Jody provided the company Ain't it great to have a pal / Who works so hard just to keep up morale Sound off! / 1,2 Sound off! / 3,4 Cadence count! / 1,2,3,4,1,2...3,4! You ain't got nothin' to worry about / He'll keep her happy until I get out An' you won't get home til the end of the war / In nineteen hundred and seventy four Sound off! / 1,2 Sound off! / 3,4 Cadence count! / 1,2,3,4,1,2...3,4!

Reverent[link]

Reverent calls are an effort by personnel in armed forces to rebuild the tradition of oratory recounting of military history in the convention of cadences. The effect this instills is a greater reverence in the squad performing and for the force whose story is retold in honorable PT (Physical Training). Each branch of an armed force has its stories, and an example of the base used is the 75th Ranger Regiment (Infantry's "Airborne Ranger") in which references to WWII for example are included to complement the story.^{[citation needed]}

Airborne

Rangers lead the way

Lead in

Airborne

Rangers lead the way

Deep in the battlefield covered in blood

Lies an Airborne Ranger dying in the mud

Airborne

Rangers lead the way

With those silver wings upon his chest

Tell America that he's one of their best

Airborne

Rangers lead the way

Lead out

Airborne

Rangers lead the way

To Hear this Cadence: "USA Airborne Rangers Cadence", Youtube.com.

Comedic[link]

Comedic calls are often born of reverent calls but sung for comedic value using clean calls, pop-culture references, and jokes to make PT more fun and entertaining. A popular example from the film Stripes was "Why did the chicken cross the road?" "To get from the left to the right." "Stepped out of rank, got hit by a tank." "He ain't a chicken no more." Prior to women being commonplace in Army ranks, comedic cadences were more prevalent. Example: See that lady wearing brown? She makes her livin' goin' down... She's a deep-sea diver... a deep sea diver.

See that lady wearing black? She makes her livin' on her back... she's a back-stroke swimmer... a back stroke swimmer.

See that lady from the south? She make her living with her mouth... she's a rock n' roll singer... a rock n' roll singer.

And so on.

Controversial[link]

Obscene, scatological, or controversial jody calls exist, and were typical, especially during and before the Vietnam War. The use of such calls is now discouraged by the U.S. military, which instead emphasizes "clean" versions of traditional jodies. The flexibility of jodies is nearly unlimited, and old jodies have always been revived or rewritten as times and wars change.

Your left

Your left

Your left right left

My back aches

My belts too tight

My balls shake

From left to right

I don't know but I've been told

Eskimo Pussy is mighty cold

Sound off 1, 2

Sound off 3, 4

Airborne Ranger:

Two old ladies lying in bed

One rolled over to the other and said,

"I wanna be an Airborne Ranger

Live a life of sex and danger

Blood, guts, sex, and danger

That's the life of an Airborne Ranger!"

I wanna be an airborne ranger

I wanna live the life of danger

Airborne Ranger

Life of Danger

I wanna be a scuba diver

Swimmin' those oceans wider and wider

Scuba Diver, wider and wider

Airborne Ranger, life of danger

Paramedic, shoot that funky anesthetic

Paramedic, anesthetic

Mountain climber, climb those mountains higher and higher

Mountain climber, higher and higher

Navy Pilot, if it's got wings then I can fly it

Navy pilot, I can fly it

I wanna be an airborne ranger,

Live the life of guts and danger.

Airborne ranger,

Life of danger.

I wanna be a scuba diver,

Swim around in the muddy water.

Scuba diver, muddy water.

Airborne ranger, life of danger.

I wanna be an S.F. medic,

Shoot some funky anesthetic.

S.F.medic, anesthetic.

Scuba diver, muddy water.

Airborne ranger, guts and danger.

And when I retire.

I'm gonna be a Texas ranger,

Drive around in skin-tight wranglers!

Texas ranger, skin-tight wranglers.

I'm gonna be a UPS man,

Drive around in a ugly brown van.

Ups man, ugly brown van

Texas ranger, skin-tight wranglers.

I'm gonna be a forest ranger.

Chipmunks are my greatest danger.

Forest ranger, chipmunk danger.

UPS man, ugly brown van.

Forest ranger, chipmunk danger.

My Drill Instructor

The Army calls 'em drill sergeants,

The Navy calls 'em RDC's,

The Air Force calls 'em their TI's;

But mine is strictly a DI:

"Drill Instructor," then his rank

Unless you want to play games,

Never "sir" or something more

Or my face is on the floor.

If I called him "Drill Sergeant,"

He'd take me out to the pit.

If I called him a TI,

He'd make me feel like I would die.

If I called him RDC,

He'd make an example out of me.

So make sure you get it right,

Or you'll end up in his sights.

An example of one such call is the first stanza of Yellow Bird:

A yellow bird with a yellow bill

Was sittin' on my window sill

I lured him in with a piece of bread

And then I smashed his little head^[8]

(REPEAT)

In the last line, the word 'little' is frequently used to replace profanity. This is an example of the minor tweaks that frequently occur in cadences depending on the particular military unit or installation they are used at. A particular cadence, when used by an infantry or other combat arms unit may include explicit profanity, while the same cadence, when used by a training or medical unit, or especially if officers are present, may be censored to a degree, as above.

The second verse to the preceding cadence:

The moral of

The story is,

To get some head

You need some bread

{REPEAT}

One from the U.S. Navy:^[9]

I wanna be a Navy pilot

I wanna fly an F-14

I wanna fly with the cockpit open

I wanna hear those commies scream

An excerpt from the popular "When I Go to Heaven", also known as "How'd Ya Earn Your Living" or "When I Get to Heaven"

When I go to bars

The girls they will say

How did you earn your living

How did you earn your pay

And my reply was with a cold kind of nod

I earn my living killing commies for my God

When I go home

The hippies they will say

How did you earn your living

How did you earn your pay

And I replied as I pulled out my knife

Get out of my way before I take yo' life

Another, more modern example of a Controversial cadence popular through the US Navy:

I don't know, but it's been said

Air Force wings are made of lead

I don't know, but I've been told

Navy wings are made of gold

He-ey Ar-rmy

Ba-ack packing Ar-my

Put on your packs and follow me

I'm in the U.S. Navy

He-ey Air Force

Lo-ow flying Air Force

Get in your planes and follow me

I'm in the U.S. Navy

He-ey Coast Guard

Pud-dle pirate Coast Guard

Get in your boats and follow me

I'm in the U.S. Navy

He-ey Marines

bullet-sponge marine corps

Pick up your rifles and follow me

I'm in the U.S. Navy

The following verses are from "Napalm Sticks to Kids." One of the most notorious cadences of Vietnam, its use by the U.S. military created controversy about the theme.^[10]

Bomb the village

Kill the people

Throw some napalm in the square

Do it on a Sunday morning

Kill them on their way to prayer

Ring the bell inside the schoolhouse

Watch the kiddies gather round

Lock and load with your 240

Mow them little motherfuckers down^[11]

The messages chanted by recruits may promote brutal treatment of civilians and the themes even suggest that troops should aspire to kill civilians gathered in public areas.^[10] A number of Iraq War veterans now speak publicly that they have felt uncomfortable reciting cadences with such violent themes.^[12]

Non-military cadences[link]

Police[link]

Police personnel who train in para-military fashion also have acquired the tradition for its recruits in the police academy. However, the "lyrics" are changed for law enforcement, for example:

A six gun, a tin star, a horse named Blue.

In 1890 a cop held these true.

In 1930 the tommy gun.

It made police work a lot more fun.

A big block Dodge Polara Pursuit.

In sixty six it came out of the chute.

We got night vision on our MP5's.

Theses are the tools to keep us alive.

In 20 years, who knows what it will be.

Phaser guns mounted on my HumVee.

From a horse named Blue to a big HumVee

We'll still PT in the Academy!

(Last line yelled)

Fire academy[link]

Fire academies in the U.S. often train in a para-military style. The following is a common cadence heard in the Fire Academy (Originally by the Marines)

When my grand mama was 91

She did PT just for fun

When my grand mama was 92

She did PT better than you

When my grand mama was 93

She did PT better than me

Hoo-rah grand mama

Whatcha doin grand mama

She loves to double time

She does it all the time

Left Left Lefty right-o left right

Left Left keep it in step now

When my grand mama was 94

She did PT more and more

When my grand mama was 95

She did PT to stay alive

When my grand mama was 96

She did PT just for kicks

Hoo-rah grand mama

Whatcha doin grand mama

She loves to double time

She does it all the time

Left Left Lefty right-o left right

Left Left keep it in step now

When my grand mama was 97

She up, she died, she went to heaven

When my grand mama was 98

She meet St. Peter at the Pearly Gate

She said "St. Peter, sorry I'm late"

She went side-straddle hoppin' through the Pearly Gate

When my grand mama was 99

She did PT mighty-fine

She had Ol' J.C. Doublin' Time

See also[link]

• Drum cadence
• March (music)
• Military parade
• Fiddler's Green Sung by US Cavalry

References[link]

External links[link]

• The Cadence Page
• MP3s of cadences
• more background on the Duckworth cadence
• Link to mp3 and a full text of the Jody Cadence
• Special Operations.com Cadence Database
• Military Cadence Calls, Military Songs and Jody Calls Forum

Demetri Martin
Demetri Martin at Northeastern University on April 11, 2007
Born	(1973-05-25) May 25, 1973 (age 39) New York City, New York, United States
Nationality	American
Years active	Since 2002
Genres	Observational comedy, surreal humor, musical comedy, wit/wordplay, sketch comedy
Subject(s)	Everyday Life, American Culture, Random Subjects
Influences	Steven Wright, Eddie Izzard, Emo Philips, Mitch Hedberg, Socrates
Notable works and roles	· Demetri Martin. Person.  · Correspondent on The Daily Show  · Himself/Various on Important Things with Demetri Martin  · Elliot Tiber in Taking Woodstock (2009)
Website	www.demetrimartin.com

Demetri Martin (born May 25, 1973) is an American comedian, actor, artist, musician, writer and humorist. Martin is best known for his work as a stand-up comedian, contributor on The Daily Show and for his Comedy Central show Important Things with Demetri Martin.

Early life[link]

Demetri Martin was born to a Greek American family^[1] in New York City, New York, and grew up in Toms River, New Jersey. He is the son of Lillian, a nutritionist, and Dean C. Martin, now deceased, a Greek Orthodox priest.^[2] Martin graduated from Yale University in 1995. Although he was accepted into Harvard Law School, he went to New York University School of Law after he received a full scholarship.^[3]

Career[link]

In 2001, Martin caught his first big break in stand-up comedy when he appeared on Comedy Central's stand-up showcase Premium Blend. At the 2003 Edinburgh Festival Fringe he won the Perrier award with his show If I....^[4] The show was turned into a British television special in 2004. From 2003 to 2004, Martin wrote for Late Night with Conan O'Brien.^[5] In 2004, Martin had his own Comedy Central Presents stand-up special. His special was divided into three parts. In the first, he performed in traditional stand-up comedy fashion. In the second segment, he used humorous drawings as visual aids, which would serve either as the punchline or a background. During the third segment, he played a guitar and put on a pseudo-play where he would strum his guitar while alternating between playing harmonica and talking; some of his comedian friends dressed as fairies and dragons acted according to the story he was telling, detailing the magical land where his jokes came from. Martin's mother and grandmother also appeared.

Since late 2005, he has been credited as a contributor on The Daily Show, on which he has appeared as the named "Senior Youth Correspondent" and on which he hosts a segment called "Trendspotting". He has used this segment to talk about so-called hip trends among youth such as hookahs, wine, guerilla marketing and Xbox 360. A piece about social networking featured his profile on MySpace.^[6] On March 22, 2007, Demetri made another appearance on The Daily Show, talking about the Viacom lawsuit against Google and YouTube.

He has recorded a comedy CD/DVD titled These Are Jokes, which was released on September 26, 2006. This album also features Saturday Night Live member Will Forte and stand-up comedian Leo Allen.

Martin returned to The Daily Show on March 22, 2006, as the new Youth Correspondent, calling his segment "Professional Important News with Demetri Martin". In 2007, he starred in a Fountains of Wayne music video for "Someone to Love" as Seth Shapiro, a character in the song. He also starred in the video for the Travis single "Selfish Jean", in which he wears multiple t-shirts with lyrics written on them.

On September 2, 2007, Martin appeared on the season finale of the HBO series Flight of the Conchords. He appeared as a keytar player named Demetri.^[7]

He also had a part in the movie The Rocker (2008) starring Rainn Wilson. Martin played the part of the videographer when the band in the movie was making their first music video.

In 2009, he hosted and starred in his own television show called Important Things With Demetri Martin on Comedy Central. Later in June, it was announced his show had been renewed for a second season.^[8] The second season premiered, again on Comedy Central, on February 4, 2010. Martin has stated that Important Things will not return for a third season.

Prior to completing work on his second season, Martin starred in the comedy-drama film Taking Woodstock (2009), directed by Ang Lee, which premiered at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. In the film Martin plays Elliot Tiber, a closeted gay artist who has given up his ambitions in the city to move upstate and help his old-world Jewish family run their Catskill Mountains motel. The film is based on the book written by Tiber.

On April 25, 2011, Martin released his first book, titled This Is a Book by Demetri Martin.

Martin was slated to portray Paul DePodesta as Oakland Athletics assistant GM to Billy Beane in the 2011 movie Moneyball, however was dropped and Jonah Hill took his place in the movie.

Plans[link]

Martin sold his movie concept Will to DreamWorks; he is expected to play a key supporting role.^[9] He will play the lead in the film Moon People, a pitch that he sold to Columbia Pictures.

Martin also signed a blind script deal with CBS in October 2010 to produce, write, and star in his own television series.^[10]

After CBS was shown the pilot for the series, they decided not to air it.^[11]

On August 11, 2011, Fox ordered a presentation of a new animated show they might air.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] If I

If I is a Perrier Comedy Award-winning comedy one-man show written and performed by Demetri Martin at the 2003 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.^[12] It was also aired on British television as a special. The show is an autobiographical examination of Martin's life, as seen through various definitions of the word "if."

The title of the special comes from a lengthy palindromic poem that Martin wrote; the words "if I" are at the center of the poem.^[13]

Comedic style[link]

Martin is known for being an unconventional stand-up comic. He uses one-liners and drawings on a "large pad", as well as accompanying his jokes with music on either guitar, harmonica, piano, keyboard, glockenspiel, toy bells, ukulele, or tambourine, sometimes all at once.^[14] He has cited comedian Steven Wright as an important influence (both use deadpan one-liners in their acts) and he is also a fan of Bill Cosby.^[15]

Personal life[link]

According to a July 2011 interview on the WTF with Marc Maron podcast, Demetri had a short-lived marriage to a girl he knew from high school. They began dating after high school and got married when he was in NYU Law School and she was attending NYU Medical School. He was aged 25 and in the end of his marriage when his stand-up career began.^[3]

He is extremely allergic to nuts and peanuts.^[16]

Martin moved to Santa Monica, California in 2009.^[17]

Filmography[link]

• Invite Them Up (2005)
• These Are Jokes (2006)
• Demetri Martin. Person. (2007)
• Important Things with Demetri Martin (2009–2010)

Filmography and television work[link]

Written works[link]

• This Is a Book, April 2011, ISBN 978-0446539708.

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

This article's use of external links may not follow Wikipedia's policies or guidelines. Please improve this article by removing excessive or inappropriate external links, and converting useful links where appropriate into footnote references. (May 2012)

• Official website
• Demetri Martin on Myspace
• Demetri Martin at the Internet Movie Database
• Interview from November, 2006, in Onion AV Club
• Interview from October 2006, in The DePaulia
• Article, in The Scotsman
• Article, in Gelf Magazine
• Interview by Brian M. Palmer
• MP3 Audio Interview on The Sound of Young America public radio show and podcast
• Interview Believer Mag
• New Jersey Monthly Magazine
• Fresh Air, NPR.org