"Rock Steady" Military Cadences (with YouTube sound files & lyrics)

Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest Update - December 14, 2024

This pancocojams post presents some text (word only) and some YouTube video examples of the "Rock Steady" military cadence.

Brief informational excerpts about the history & purposes of military cadences is also included in this post . This post also presents information about  probable inspiration for the "Rock steady" title and its meaning in these cadences. 

The content of this post is presented for cultural and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the composers of these military cadences.

Thanks also to all those who valiantly and ethically serve in the armed services. Thanks to the YouTube publishers of these sound files and  thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.

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INFORMATION ABOUT MILITARY CADENCES
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_cadence
"In the armed services, a military cadence or cadence call is a traditional call-and-response work song sung by military personnel while running or marching. In the United States, these cadences are sometimes called jody calls or jodies, after Jody, a recurring character who figures in some traditional cadences."

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From http://markjcreative.com/sites/basic/basic/week03/smedia/dod/cadejuke.htm
"History of Cadences

Dating back to the Revolutionary War, the Army cadence has been an important tradition that has withstood the test of time. Used to motivate, inspire and keep the Soldiers' steps in time, cadences foster a cohesive company while at the same time handing down the rich oral traditions of the U.S. Army. In addition, cadences help the Soldiers by controlling and strengthening their breathing during the strenuous marches and runs."

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THE INSPIRATION FOR UNITED STATES MILITARY CADENCES WITH THE TITLE "ROCK STEADY"
The name of Jamaican "Rocksteady" music genre* was the inspiration for the title of Aretha Franklin's 1972 hit record. 

The title of the 1987 R&B song "Rock Steady" by The Whispers was inspired by the title of  Aretha Franklin's 1972 song.

The United States military cadences with the title "Rock Steady" were influenced by R&B songs with that title. This conforms with the tradition that United States military has of lifting lyrics from popular music and especially R&B music to create cadences.

Several military cadences that I have found online include lyrics from the Whispers' version of that song which aren't included in Aretha Franklin's version of that song.

For instance, compare the line "Charlie Rock is always ready" (Example #4 below) with the line "cause your team ain't even ready" that is usually found in examples of "Rock Steady" children's cheers. I believe " 'cause our team is always ready" was the earliest version of that line, but that praise/encouraging version isn't (doesn't appear to have been been) as widely used in children's cheers as the insult, put down version of that line.

Also, notice that Example #3 below includes lyrics from Justin Timberlake's 2002 hit song 'Rock Your Body". 

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/05/rock-steady-childrens-cheers-examples.html for information about Jamaican Rocksteady music and for information about children's cheerleader cheers with the title "Rock Steady". 

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EXAMPLES OF "ROCK STEADY" MILITARY CADENCES
These examples are presented in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.

Example #1:
ROCK STEADY
Rock me, Rock me, Rock, Rock steady,
Roll me, Roll me, Roll me ready,
We’re gonna Rock,
Rock,
All night long,
We’re gonna Roll,
Roll,
'Til the break of dawn.
We’re gonna swing it,
Swing it,
'Til we wanna go home.
We’re gonna shake it,
Shake it,
'Til your twilight zone,
We’re gonna Rock
Rock,
Roll,
Roll,
Get,
Stay,
Ready, Ready
Ready, Ready
- retrieved from http://markjcreative.com/sites/basic/basic/week03/smedia/dod/cadejuke.htm
-snip-
Notice that in this particular example and in some other examples of this cadence, the line "rock all night long" and "to the break of dawn" are similar to the lyrics for the Whispers' 1987 "Rock Steady" song.

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Example #2: ROCK STEADY 
[This is a call & response chant. The squad repeats what the drill sergeant says. Notice the slight change in this instruction found in this example after the word "response" in brackets.]

Rock me, Rock me, Rock, Rock steady,
Roll me, Roll me, Roll me ready,
We’re gonna rock,
All night long,
We’re gonna Roll,
'Til the break of dawn.
We’re gonna swing it,
'Til we wanna go home.
We’re gonna shake it,
'Til the twilight zone,
We’re gonna rock
Rock,
Roll,
Get,
Stay,
Ready,
Ready
Ah We are ready,
I said we are ready ready ready
[Response] -we are ready ready ready
Shake rattle and roll everybody
Shake rattle and roll everybody
Hoah
Ha ha
Hoah
Ha Ha
Here we go
Here we go
Here we go
Here we go
Left right layo
Left right layo
Madea said layo
Had a tough time
I said left right layo
Whole lot of layo
My DS said layo
Had a double time
-unmotivated, Uploaded on Jul 6, 2008
-snip-
Transcription by Azizi Powell. Additions and corrections are welcome.

 [Update: June 9, 2016: Hat tip to Anonymous who corrected the transcription I had written (Instead of My DS I wrote "Madea".) 

[May 1, 2014] - Thanks for the correction, Y Y!

Run To Cadence with the US Army Airborne Vol. 2
[June 9, 2016- Sorry. That sound file of US Airborne Cadence (Rock Steady is no longer available.]

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Example #3: ROCK STEADY 
This is a call & response chant. The squad repeats what the drill sergeant says. Notice the slight change in this instruction found in this example after the word response in brackets.

Rock

Steady

Roll

Ready

Rock your body body
Rock your body body

Now roll your body body
Roll your body body

[Reponse] Roll your body body
Roll your body [All the similar responses start with the verb, using this same pattern]

Now slide your body body
Slide your body body

Now glide your body body
Glide your body body

And don’t beat your body body
Beat your body body

And don’t cheat your body body
Cheat your body body

And don’t peep your body body
Peep your body body

Rock

Steady

Roll

Ready

The day I was born
I rocked I rocked steady

I jumped up and down
I rock, I rock steady

I turned all around
I rock, I rock steady

I moved in the aisle
and rock, rock steady

This here army don’t need no LAZY man.

One of these days we may have to go to war again.

And when we get there we have to be ready.
Do it on your left foot and do it steady.

Hard core.

Motivated.

Dedicated

Stimulated.

Percolated

Hooah!

Ha Ha!

Hooah!

Ha Ha!
- posted by LordJamesVI, Uploaded on Feb 24, 2011
-snip-
That sound file is no longer available [on July 6, 2017]

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Example #4: ROCK STEADY
Rock, (reply) ROCK!
steady, (reply) STEADY!
Roll, (reply) ROLL!
Ready (reply) READY! - sometimes I use EASY here instead of READY. Or sometimes after they say ROLL, I will scream, "I can't here you!" then go back to the "Rock" at the beginning.

You've got the right, the right to rock steady, ( reply is the same )

You've got the right to ROLL when you're ready, ( reply is the same )

(then you say the top part again twice)

Rock, Rock, Steady, Steady Charlie Rock is always ready! ( reply is same)
Rock, Rock Steady, Steady 1st Platoon is always ready! ( reply is same)

That's about all I can recall right now. If I think of anymore I'll add it. Feel free to insert your own words as well. I do it all the time! LOL

Hope this helps!
-DS2000 (Baumholder, Germany), 01 November 2003, http://community.armystudyguide.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/9651093521/m/2181065521, posted 22 January 2005 22:06

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Example #5:ROCK STEADY (title)

One, Two, Three, Four hey!

One, Two, Three, Four hey!

Here we go!

Here we go!

On the move!

In the groove!

In the groove!

Here we go!

All the way!

Every day!

Huuuh... Ha Ha!

Huuuh... Ha Ha!

Rock me, rock me, rock, rock steady!

Roll me, roll me, roll me ready!

We're gonna rock (rock)

All night long, we're gonna roll (roll)

Till the break of dawn, we're gonna swing it (swing it)

Till we wanna go home, we're gonna shake it (shake it)

Till the twilight zone, we're gonna rock (rock)

Roll

Get

Stay

Ready!

Ready!

We are ready!

I said we are ready, ready, ready!

Shake, rattle and roll everybody!

Shake, rattle and roll everybody!

Huuuh... Ha Ha!

Huuuh... Ha Ha!

Here we go!

Here we go!

Here we go!

Here we go!

Left right lay-o!

Left right lay-o!

Your DS* says lay-o!

At a double time!

Say left right lay-o!

Whole lotta lay-o!

Your DI says lay-o!

At a double time
-@Shadow-zr6mf, 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSzAUMbMWZY
-snip-
*This is a correction of the letters "DI" that were found in this transcription. "DS" = Drill Sergeant.
 
There are several comments in this video's discussion thread that indicate that the letters "DI" are incorrect in this transcription since this is an United States Army cadence and there are no DIs (Drill Instructors in the Army. (There are Drill Instructors in the US Marines.) 

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SHOWCASE YOUTUBE SOUND FILES

Example #1- Rock Steady Cadence

military cadences, Nov. 14, 2019
-snip-
Here are a few comments from the discussion thread for this 2019 sound file 

Honor and Offer, 2020
"ROCK M ROCK ROCK M........ROCK.....STEADY"

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Big Willy, 2020
"Why did the official page for these songs take these down? I miss them."

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Isaac Sturges,2020
"If you can hear this without getting at least a little jazzed up emotionally, you might need to see a doctor. This just screams at you to get up and go."

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Example #2 -Rock Steady Running Cadence



Bob Soldier - Topic, May 8, 2020

Provided to YouTube by SongCast, Inc. Rock Steady Running Cadence · Bob Soldier Army Cadences ℗ 2017, Bob Soldier Released on: 2017-03-17
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