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When I was 1 / My Daddy | Military Cadence
(Lyrics & History)

Since World War II, when PVT Willie Lee Duckworth introduced cadences, these call-and-response songs led by Drill Sergeants have helped military units march and run in formation at standardized tempos of 120 and 180 BPM.

Lyrics

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When I was 1

I got my first gun

When I was 2

Boy, I could shoot

 

My daddy, (hey!), My daddy (hey!), My daddy was an engineer

He watched me (hey!), he watched me (hey!), he watched me, smilin’ from ear to ear

 

When I was 3

I chopped down my first tree

When I was 4

I kicked in my first door

 

My daddy, (hey!), My daddy (hey!), My daddy was Infantry

He lived his (hey!), he lived his (hey!), he lived his life for you and me

 

When I was 5

I fought to stay alive

When I was 6

I killed just kicks

 

My daddy, (hey!), My daddy (hey!), My daddy was in the Army

He lived his (hey!), he gave his (hey!), he lived his life for you and me

Related Products

Listen to this cadence:

Song Name: When I Was 1 (My Daddy)
Album Name: Cadences Volume 3
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.

Lyrics

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