top of page

They Say That In The Army | Military Cadence
(Lyrics & History)

The United States Military uses call-and-response songs, known as cadences or Jodies, which are led by a Drill Sergeant or Instructor and provide rhythm for marching and running while building unit cohesion.

A humorous take on military life, this cadence pokes fun at the daily struggles of soldiers. From tasteless food to low pay, it captures the ups and downs of service with humor and sarcasm. Its catchy lyrics make it a staple for marching drills and morale boosts.

Lyrics

They say that in the Army the chow is mighty fine

A chicken jumped off the table and started marking time

O Lord, I wanna go

But they won’t let me go

(Home, hey!)

They say that in the Army the biscuits are mighty fine

One rolled off the table and killed a friend of mine

O Lord, I wanna go 

But they won’t let me go

(Home, hey!)​​​​​​​​

image.png
image.png
image.png

Related Products

They say that in the Army the pay is mighty fine

They give you a hundred dollars and take-back ninety nine

O Lord, I wanna go

But they won’t let me go

(Home, hey!)

They say that in the Army the women are mighty fine

You ask for Betty Grable, they give you Frankenstein 

O lord, I wanna go

But they won’t let me go

(Home, hey!)

​​

They say that in the Army the coffee’s mighty fine

It looks like muddy water and tastes like turpentine 

O Lord, I wanna go

But they won’t let me go

(Home, hey!)

Listen to this cadence:

Song Name: They Say That In The Army
Album Name: Cadences Volume 3
by Jonathan Michael Fleming

DISCLAIMERS:

The lyrics and music to the above cadence are not original to me. To the best of my knowledge, the song is in the public domain, as the author is unknown and has simply been handed down generation-to-generation within the US military.

The views and opinions presented herein are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of DoD or its Components. Appearance of, or reference to, any commercial products or services does not constitute DoD endorsement of those products or services. The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute DoD endorsement of the linked websites, or the information, products or services therein.

Find lyrics to your favorite cadences:

Scroll through dozens of jodies and search your favorites for lyrics, CDs, Spotify, Youtube, Apple links, and more!

bottom of page