I Saw the Taliban | Military Cadence
(Lyrics & History)
The US Military has a rich tradition of call-and-response songs during marching, rucking, and running, a familiar sound for many. This practice began with Private Willie Lee Duckworth in 1944, leading to the creation of "Jodies," "Jody calls," or "cadences," which are now deeply rooted in military culture. While some of these cadences have a controversial tone, often referencing violence and borderline war crimes, they serve to toughen the minds of young soldiers who have yet to face the realities of combat.
This cadence, "I Saw the Taliban," adapts with each new generation of troops. What began as "I saw the Taliban" has transformed into "I saw ISIS," and will keep evolving based on the current enemy. The cadence is popular for its shocking nature, as it describes all of the creative ways Soldiers picture themselves ending the Taliban fighter. The first time I heard it, I thought I was ready for war.
Lyrics
I saw the Taliban dressed in black
That’s my e-tool in his back
I was the one he did not see
U.S. Army Infantry
Woah-ooo-oh, Woah
Woah-ooo-oh, Woah-oh, yeah
I saw the Taliban dressed in red
That’s my bullet in his head
I was the one he did not hear
U.S. Army Engineer
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Woah-ooo-oh, Woah
Woah-ooo-oh, Woah-oh, yeah
I saw the Taliban dressed in brown
It’s me who shot him to the ground
I was the one he did not hear
U.S. Army Engineer
Woah-ooo-oh, Woah
Woah-ooo-oh, Woah-oh, yeah
I saw the Taliban dressed in white
Now he’s got me in his sight
He was the one I did not see
U.S. Army infantry
Woah-ooo-oh, Woah
Woah-ooo-oh, Woah-oh, yeah
Listen to this cadence:
Song Name: I Saw the Taliban
Album Name: Cadences Volume 2
by Jonathan Michael Fleming
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.