The Army Goes Rolling Along

The Army Goes Rolling Along
	Organizational anthem of the U.S. Army
Also known as	"The Army Song"
Lyrics	Harold W. Arberg, November 1956
Music	Edmund L. Gruber, 1908
Adopted	November 11, 1956; 68 years ago
Audio sample
	Performed by the U.S. Army Band file; help;

"The Army Goes Rolling Along" is the official song of the United States Army^[1] and is typically called "The Army Song". It is adapted from an earlier work from 1908 entitled "The Caissons Go Rolling Along", which was in turn incorporated into John Philip Sousa's "U.S. Field Artillery March" in 1917.

History

The original version of this song, written in 1908 by Edmund Gruber, was titled "The Caissons Go Rolling Along." Those lyrics differ from the current official version.^[2] Gruber's version was transformed into a march by John Philip Sousa in 1917 and renamed the "U.S. Field Artillery March."

In 1944 the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a previous Federal Court ruling that Gruber, though he had permitted the song to be included in a 1921 complilation of West Point songs, had never formally copyrighted the work.^[3]

The United States Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard had adopted official songs, and the Army was eager to find one of its own. They conducted a contest in 1948 to find an official song, but no entry received much popular support.^[4] In 1952, Secretary of the Army Frank Pace asked the music industry to submit songs; he received more than 800 entries. "The Army's Always There" by Sam H. Stept won,^[5] and an Army band performed it at President Dwight D. Eisenhower's inaugural parade on January 20, 1953.

Many thought that the melody was too similar to "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts". The Army decided to use much of the melody from Sousa's "U.S. Field Artillery March" with new lyrics. Harold W. Arberg, a music advisor to the Adjutant General, submitted lyrics that the Army adopted.^[6] Secretary of the Army Wilber Marion Brucker dedicated the music on Veterans Day, November 11, 1956.^[7] The song is played after most U.S. Army ceremonies, and all soldiers are expected to stand at attention and sing. When more than one service song is played, they are played in the order specified by Department of Defense directive: Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard.^[8]

Lyrics

The following lyrics are to "The Army Goes Rolling Along."
This is the official version, dating to 1956.
As of May 8, 2013, only the first verse, the chorus, and refrain are sung (Most likely due to the second and third choruses being about a war).^[9]

Verse:

March along, sing our song, with the Army of the free

Count the brave, count the true, who have fought to victory

We're the Army and proud of our name

We're the Army and proudly proclaim

First Chorus:

First to fight for the right,

And to build the Nation's might,

And the Army goes rolling along

Proud of all we have done,

Fighting 'til the battle's won,

And the Army goes rolling along.

Refrain:

Then it's Hi! Hi! Hey!

The Army's on its way.

Count off the cadence loud and strong

For where e'er we go,

You will always know

That the Army goes rolling along.

Second Chorus:

Valley Forge, Custer's ranks,

San Juan Hill and Patton's tanks,

And the Army went rolling along

Minutemen, from the start,

Always fighting from the heart,

And the Army keeps rolling along.

(Refrain)

Third Chorus:

Men in rags, men who froze,

Still that Army met its foes,

And the Army went rolling along.

Faith in God, then we're right,

And we'll fight with all our might,

As the Army keeps rolling along.

(Refrain)

In popular culture

The tune was used in 44 movies or television series from 1934 to 2011.^[10]
Robert A. Heinlein used the 1908 Caisson Song as the basis for "The Road Song of the Transport Cadets", the official song of the fictional United States Academy of Transport in his 1940 short story "The Roads Must Roll". However, characters in the story refer to the origin as both the "Song of the Caissons" and the "field artillery song."^[11]
Hasbro used the tune for its G.I. Joe toyline during the 1960s with the words "G.I. Joe...G.I. Joe...fighting man from head to toe...on the land...on the sea...in the air."
In the 1960s, the Hoover Company used this tune for the promotion of their "Hoover Junior" vacuum cleaner with the lyrics "All the fluff, dust and grit. Hoover gets at every bit. For it beats as it sweeps as it cleans".
In 1962, the song was parodied in The Jetsons Season 1, Episode 6, "The Good Little Scouts."^[12] It was the marching song of Elroy Jetson's space troop.
In The Muppet Show episode Juliet Prowse, when Kermit asks the Muppet Glee Club to sing something, the Glee Club all sing a bunch of different songs in unison, and one frog sings The Army Goes Rolling Along.
In 1979, the song was sung by Margaret Houlihan in M*A*S*H Season 7, Episode 16 (titled "The Price") while she was in the shower. It is also partially sung in Season 3 Episode 19 (titled "Aid Station") by Margaret, Hawkeye Pierce, and Max Klinger as they arrive back at their unit, M*A*S*H 4077th. In Season 6 Episode 16, Margaret loses her wedding ring, which is inscribed with "Over hill, over dale, our love will never fail," inspired by the original lyrics to "The Caisson Song." Hawkeye and BJ get a tinker to inscribe an identical ring, but the inscription is humorously misspelled as "Over hill, over dale, our love will ever fail."
The fight song of North Carolina State University is a sped-up version of the tune.^[13] (See NC State Wolfpack.)
The Australian A-League Club Adelaide United FC uses the tune for their club song "United Is Rolling Along."
A version of the song is in the Girls und Panzer Original Soundtrack, under the title "America Yahoutai March."
The Barney & Friends version used "The Rocket Song," which can be found in Barney in Outer Space and other Barney episodes and videos.
Tom Lehrer references the late 1940s-mid 1950s contest that eventually resulted in the adoption of the song in a spoken-word section on his 1959 album An Evening Wasted With Tom Lehrer. Lehrer discusses the contest to introduce his song "It Makes a Fellow Proud to Be a Soldier", which satirizes the Army of the 1950s from the perspective of a young conscript by humorously suggesting he had submitted it for consideration as the Army song.
This song is sung by Goofy, Chip 'n' Dale, Christian Buenaventura, Michelle Montoya, Toby Ganger, and Brandon Hammond in Mickey's Fun Songs: Campout at Walt Disney World.
The Kidsongs Kids sing this song in "A Day At Camp". In that same series, the song "The Circus is Coming to Town" is set to the song's tune.
In Army Wives season 4, episode 9, Frank and General Holland sing to Sara Elizabeth Burton.

References

^ Army Regulation 220-90, Army Bands, 14 December 2007, para 2-5f, g
^ "As the Caissons Go Rolling Along". Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved September 18, 2018 – via YouTube.
^ "'Caissons' Ruled in Public Domain by U.S. Appeals Court." Billboard, 8 January 1944, 15.
^ Tom Lehrer claims to have submitted his parody, "It Makes a Fellow Proud to Be a Soldier", in this contest.^{[citation needed]}
^ Time magazine, January 19, 1953
^ Dorr, Robert, Westchester Chordsmen Archived 2006-08-14 at the Wayback Machine, December 2004, p. 4
^ Army Training Circular TC 3-21.5,^{[permanent dead link‍]} Drill and Ceremonies, 20 January 2012, para. 1-2h
^ Army song
^ Source: U.S. Army Bands information and recordings
^ Internet Movie Database, entry for Gruber
^ Heinlein, Robert A. "The Roads Must Roll." The Science Fiction Hall of Fame: Volume One, 1929-1964. Ed. Robert Silverberg. New York: Tom Doherty Associates, 1998. 53-87.
^ Big Cartoon Database
^ North Carolina State University. Archived 2011-12-08 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on February 7, 2012.

External links

Lyrics and Sheet Music
Army Field Manual 12-50, Army Bands, 15 October 1999, Appendix A-9, sheet music
U.S. Army Europe Band and Chorus recordings
Dallas Wind Symphony recording
Library of Congress article
1921 recording of "U.S. Field Artillery," at the Library of Congress

[AR_220-90-1] Army Regulation 220-90, Army Bands, 14 December 2007, para 2-5f, g

[2] "As the Caissons Go Rolling Along". Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved September 18, 2018 – via YouTube.

[3] "'Caissons' Ruled in Public Domain by U.S. Appeals Court." Billboard, 8 January 1944, 15.

[4] Tom Lehrer claims to have submitted his parody, "It Makes a Fellow Proud to Be a Soldier", in this contest.^{[citation needed]}

[5] Time magazine, January 19, 1953

[6] Dorr, Robert, Westchester Chordsmen Archived 2006-08-14 at the Wayback Machine, December 2004, p. 4

[7] Army Training Circular TC 3-21.5,^{[permanent dead link‍]} Drill and Ceremonies, 20 January 2012, para. 1-2h

[8] Army song

[9] Source: U.S. Army Bands information and recordings

[10] Internet Movie Database, entry for Gruber

[11] Heinlein, Robert A. "The Roads Must Roll." The Science Fiction Hall of Fame: Volume One, 1929-1964. Ed. Robert Silverberg. New York: Tom Doherty Associates, 1998. 53-87.

[12] Big Cartoon Database

[13] North Carolina State University. Archived 2011-12-08 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on February 7, 2012.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

v t e John Philip Sousa
List of compositions List of marches List of operettas
Marches	"Anchor and Star" "The Black Horse Troop" "Boy Scouts of America" "Columbia's Pride" "The Dauntless Battalion" "The Fairest of the Fair" "The Gallant Seventh" "The Gladiator March" "Hands Across the Sea" "The High School Cadets" "Imperial Edward" "The Invincible Eagle" "Kansas Wildcats" "King Cotton" "The Liberty Bell" "Manhattan Beach" "The Minnesota March" "Nobles of the Mystic Shrine" "The Royal Welch Fusiliers" "Semper Fidelis" "The Stars and Stripes Forever" "The Thunderer" "Transit of Venus March" "U.S. Field Artillery March" "The Washington Post"
Operettas	Chris and the Wonderful Lamp Désirée El Capitan The Charlatan
Adaptations	"The Army Goes Rolling Along" Stars and Stripes Stars and Stripes Forever
Other	John Philip Sousa House John Philip Sousa Baton
Honoraria	Armed Forces March Competition John Philip Sousa Bridge John Philip Sousa Foundation John Philip Sousa Junior High School (Bronx) John Philip Sousa Junior High School
Category

v t e Army Black Knights football
Venues	The Plain (1890–1923) Michie Stadium (1924–present)
Bowls & rivalries	Bowl games Air Force (Commander-in-Chief's Trophy) Navy: Army–Navy Game (Commander-in-Chief's Trophy) Notre Dame
Culture & lore	Army Mules Black Death Award "On, Brave Old Army Team" "The Army Goes Rolling Along" 1946 "Game of the Century" West Point Salute Touchdown, Army Code Breakers
People	Head coaches Statistical leaders NFL draftees
Seasons	1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
National championship seasons in bold

v t e National symbols of the United States
Symbols	Flag Great Seal Bald eagle Uncle Sam Columbia Phrygian cap General Grant (tree) American Creed Pledge of Allegiance Rose Oak Bison
Landmarks	Statue of Liberty (Liberty Enlightening the World) Liberty Bell Mount Rushmore National Mall West Potomac Park
Mottos	In God We Trust E pluribus unum Novus ordo seclorum Annuit cœptis
Songs	"The Star-Spangled Banner" "Dixie" "America the Beautiful" "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean" "The Stars and Stripes Forever" "Hail to the Chief" "Hail, Columbia" "America (My Country, 'Tis of Thee)" "God Bless America" "Lift Every Voice and Sing" "The Army Goes Rolling Along" "Anchors Aweigh" "Marines' Hymn" "Semper Fidelis" "The Air Force Song" "Semper Paratus" "Semper Supra" "National Emblem March" "The Washington Post March" "Battle Hymn of the Republic" "Yankee Doodle" "You're a Grand Old Flag" "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" "This Land Is Your Land" "Battle Cry of Freedom"