Blood Upon The Risers | Military Cadence
(Lyrics & History)
Since WWII, the U.S. Military has used cadences - Drill Sergeant-led call-and-response songs that coordinate troops' movements at 120 BPM for marching and 180 BPM for running.
​
​A darkly humorous ballad that recounts a paratrooper’s tragic jump gone wrong. With vivid imagery and dramatic verses, it highlights the dangers of airborne training. Its blend of humor and tragedy makes it a memorable and cautionary tale.
Lyrics
He was just a rookie trooper and he surely shook with fright
He packed up his equipment and made sure his pack was tight
He had to sit and listen to those awful engines roar
And he ain’t gonna jump no more
(Gory, gory, what a hell of a way to die!
Gory, gory what a hell of a way to die!
Gory, gory what a hell of a way to die!
He ain’t gonna jump no more!)
“Is everybody happy?” cried the Sergeant looking up
Our hero answered bravely, “yes!” and then they stood him up
He leaped right out into the blast, his static line unhooked
He ain’t gonna jump no more
(Gory, gory, what a hell of a way to die!
Gory, gory what a hell of a way to die!
Gory, gory what a hell of a way to die!
He ain’t gonna jump no more!)
He counted long, he counted loud, he waited for the shock
He felt the wind, he felt that clouds, he felt the awful drop
He jerked his cord, the silk spilt out and wrapped around his legs
And he ain’t gonna jump no more
(Gory, gory, what a hell of a way to die!
Gory, gory what a hell of a way to die!
Gory, gory what a hell of a way to die!
He ain’t gonna jump no more!)
The risers wrapped around his neck, connectors cracked his dome
The lines were snarled and tied in knots around his skinny bones
The canopy became his shroud, he hurtled to the ground
He ain’t gonna jump no more
(Gory, gory, what a hell of a way to die!
Gory, gory what a hell of a way to die!
Gory, gory what a hell of a way to die!
He ain’t gonna jump no more!)
​
Related Products
Listen to this cadence:
Song Name: Blood Upon The Risers
Album Name: Cadences Volume 3
by Jonathan Michael Fleming
​
The days he’d lived and loved and laughed kept running though his mind
He thought about the girl back home, the one he’d left behind
He thought about the medics and wondered what they’d find
He ain’t gonna jump no more
(Gory, gory, what a hell of a way to die!
Gory, gory what a hell of a way to die!
Gory, gory what a hell of a way to die!
He ain’t gonna jump no more!)
The ambulance was on the spot, the jeeps were running wild
The medics jumped and screamed with glee, they rolled their sleeves and smiled
For it had been a week or more since last a chute had failed
He ain’t gonna jump no more
(Gory, gory, what a hell of a way to die!
Gory, gory what a hell of a way to die!
Gory, gory what a hell of a way to die!
He ain’t gonna jump no more!)
He hit the ground, the sound was splat, his blood went spurting high
His comrades were then heard to say, “a hell of a way to die!”
He lay there rolling ‘round in the welter of his gore
He ain’t gonna jump no more
(Gory, gory, what a hell of a way to die!
Gory, gory what a hell of a way to die!
Gory, gory what a hell of a way to die!
He ain’t gonna jump no more!)
There was blood upon the risers, there were brains upon the chute
Intestines were a-danglin’ from his paratrooper’s suit
They picked him up, still in the suit, and poured him from his boots
And he ain’t gonna jump no more
(Gory, gory, what a hell of a way to die!
Gory, gory what a hell of a way to die!
Gory, gory what a hell of a way to die!
He ain’t gonna jump no more!)
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.