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Hey, Hey, Captain Jack | Military Cadence
(Lyrics & History)

(Skip to lyrics)

The US Military has a long-standing, respected tradition of marching in cadence, aka: marching with call-and-response "Jody calls." Through all branches of the military, this staple of training is known to keep troops "in step," or marching/running perfectly in sync. In addition, it is common knowledge: there is nothing more motivating on a long ruck or run, than the voice of a soulful NCO (non-commissioned officer) calling a Jodie.

"Captain Jack," or "Whiskey Jack (Depending on your branch) has been a staple in the military for decades. The tune is catchy, and tells the story of... well, a Bible-believing, gun owning, knife-yielding troop. That's about the best explanation I have. You'll just have to listen...

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Anyway, here are the lyrics to "Captain Jack" as I learned them:

Lyrics

Hey, Hey, Captain Jack
Meet me down by the railroad track
With that rifle in my hand 
I’m gonna be a shooting man 

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The best I can 
For Uncle Sam
Re-up, you’re crazy
Re-up, you’re out of your mind

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Hey, Hey,  Captain Jack
Meet me down by the railroad track
With that Bible in my hand
I’m gonna be a preaching man
 

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Listen to this cadence:

Song Name: Captain Jack
Album Name: Cadences Volume 1
by Jonathan Michael Fleming

The best I can 
For Uncle Sam
Re-up, you’re crazy
Re-up, you’re out of your mind

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Hey, Hey Captain Jack
Meet me down by the railroad track
With the grenade in my hand
I’m gonna be a killing man

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A preaching man
A shooting man
The best I can
For Uncle Sam


Re-up, you’re crazy
Re-up, you’re out of your mind

DISCLAIMERS:

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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.

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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.

Lyrics

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