Army Songs

[LakeSup]

Here is a topic that I have not seen here:  Army songs.  I remember when I joined in 68 we learned all the old army songs (north atlantic sqn, glenwarple highlanders, Kiss me Good Night Sgt Maj etc) on BMT.  It was a big thing on the bus/truck/march in Ont units.  I transferred to Western area and the singing was lacking..my unit had some guys who were excellent at writing lyrics to popular radio tnes (Army related or just plain dirty, lol) but they never sang the old traditional WW2 songs that TO units seemed to do.

When I went ROUTP/RESO, there was a mix:  Highlanders and TO units seemed to sing the “classics”  and the Francophones only STOPPED singing to eat and sleep.

Anyone else have any stories on singing in the military these days?  I’m still in but don’t see like I used to.

 

[c_canuk]

from what I've seen the prevailing attitude is that singing songs on the march is not a soldierly activity anymore... it's not looked at favourably from my experience... I don't really know why. Maybe some stigmata from cadets singing songs quite a bit when they march around...

can anyone shed light on this?

 

[Fishbone Jones]

from what I've seen the prevailing attitude is that singing songs on the march is not a soldierly activity anymore... it's not looked at favourably from my experience... I don't really know why. Maybe some stigmata from cadets singing songs quite a bit when they march around...

can anyone shed light on this?

The songs stated are not what we consider as 'march songs'. They were sitting around, drinking beer songs. As far as singing on the march not being done anymore, we really never did do it.

 

[LakeSup]

As far as singing on the march not being done anymore, we really never did do it.


RG:  Yeah, I've seen some US songs sung on crse marches (70s) like Airborne, Blood on the Risers and the old Sound Off song....

Nowadays the forced marches are push the limits events and not really suited to singing
This was a frivolous thread anyway...just seems that the old WW2 songs that I learned and were passed on have kind of died off now.

Still, in the mess with a few beers....

 

[Greymatters]

Considering that most of these songs had quite a high level of sexually crude, illicit, suggestive, and/or discriminatory language in it, (i.e. The Lady in Green, The Half-Way House Song), its not surprising that they are not popular in todays training environment...

 

[George Wallace]

Huh?

When did the CF become a one Religion outfit..........I'm not a Mormon......nor a Dukabor........not a Born Again Christian.......nor a Jehovah Witness..........nor a Huderite........nor a Mennonite......................................................When did the CF become so "Puritanical"?

 

[Brockvegas]

since the PC crowd decided that everyones hand needs to be held while we're sitting around the campfire singing kumbaya and rubbing each other's backs.

Or so I've been told.

 

[Greymatters]

Right around the time they hung out the can and you had to pay 25 cents every time you swore...

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Right around the time they hung out the can and you had to pay 25 cents every time you swore...

Sorry, been doing this since '68. The only can I've ever seen to drop money in was for Sally Anne or the 50/50. If it cost us two bits every time we swore, most of us would owe come payday.

 

[Shec]

Right around the time they hung out the can and you had to pay 25 cents every time you swore...

We tried that in our Mess in the early '70s.  Made enough $ to finance new liquor dispensers which we "christened" at
a party where we all sang the aptly characterized

sitting around drinking beer songs

.

And recceguy is bang-on, most of us did owe come payday.  But we did know the songs ;D

 

[oozieman]

When I joined, singing on the march was just never done. I am however noticing it more and more everyday. Back in May, I went to my son's graduation from BMQ  they started to sing as soon as they marched off the parade square and never let up until they reached the barracks.

 

[Jager]

In my short career I've see no singing. Well thats not quite true. I had an instructor in Gagetown (SQ) that was ex-airborn, and we learned all sorts of good songs to run/march to. I guess each to his own

 

[Greymatters]

Sorry, been doing this since '68. The only can I've ever seen to drop money in was for Sally Anne or the 50/50. If it cost us two bits every time we swore, most of us would owe come payday. 

Depends on the work environment, I guess.  If you work around 'sensitive ears', then such measures are taken...

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Depends on the work environment, I guess.  If you work around 'sensitive ears', then such measures are taken...

I'd have to throw $10.00 in at the start of every day and work from the bank :

 

[Shec]

Well, now that the subject has been opened we may as well wish to capture them for posterity as it appears an era has passed.  Call it Army.ca"s Anthology of Politically Incorrect Old Time Army Songs if you will The following titles have been already referenced on this thread:

North Atlantic Squadron,
Glenwarple Hghlanders,
Kiss me Good Night Sgt Maj
The Lady in Green,
The Half-Way House Song

to which I'll add:

Balls To Your Partner

What others, gents?  Collectively we ought to be able to round up enough for at least  a 6 CD boxed set.

 

[tank recce]

'Three German Soldiers Crossed the Rhine"

 

[formerarmybrat23]

I'm glad this came up. I was doing searches last night trying to find songs or, at the very least, lyrics to army songs. I mostly found just poetry, and finding specifically canadian songs wasn't easy. Anyone have any links?

 

[George Wallace]

Songs from the Front to the Rear

 

[Shec]

My  silly earlier, just remembered that the Glenwarple Highlanders & Balls to Partner are one in the same.  Redeeming myself by adding the Quartermaster's Stores.

 

[timma]

It's a long way to Tipperary
It's not really a WW2 song  , but still an army song .