Down By The River | Military Cadence
(Lyrics & History)
Call-and-response cadences, known as "Jodies," play a vital role in the U.S. Military, providing a steady rhythm to keep troops in sync, boost morale, and reinforce unity during marches and runs. These cadences hold a rich and significant place in military tradition.
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Down by the River is a traditional military cadence which plays on the age-old tradition of crap-talk. These lyrics describe a fictional encounter where Soldiers confront an enemy by the river resulting in a stand-off. This fight ends with the enemy being thrown into the river.
The word “enemy” has often been swapped for words like “commie,” “China,” or even the names of competing Platoons or branches, all for the purpose of building comradery and fueling Soldiers’ competitive spirits.
Lyrics
Down by the river
We took a little walk
Ran into the enemy
Had a little talk
We didn’t like their attitude
Didn’t like the way they walk
So we pushed ‘em (Hey!), we kicked ‘em (Hey!)
We threw ‘em in the river
(We pushed ‘em, we kicked ‘em, we threw ‘em in the river)
Laughed as they drowned
We don’t need no enemies
Hangin’, hangin’, hangin’ around
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(Hey, don’t be a fool)
(Sombody said we were #2)
(They lied!)
(We’re #1!)
(Army!)
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Listen to this cadence:
Song Name: Down By The River
Album Name: Cadences Volume 2
by Jonathan Michael Fleming
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.