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Wednesday, May 7, 2014

"Chesty Puller Said Before He Died" (United States Marine Corp Cadence)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases an example of the United States Marine Corp cadence "Chesty Puller Said Before He Died".

Information about Chesty Puller is also included in this post.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/05/chesty-puller-was-good-marine-marine.html for a pancocojams post that features an example of the Marine Corp cadence "Chesty Puller Was A Good Marine".

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

Thanks to the military corps men and women who honorably serve this country. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and those who are who are featured in this YouTube sound file.

DISCLAIMER: I'm not sure who was the first person to compose this cadence. I'm also not sure when this cadence was first chanted. By featuring this cadence on this blog, I don't mean to imply that it definitely was composed by African Americans.

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INFORMATION ABOUT CHESTY PULLER
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chesty_Puller
"Lieutenant General Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller (June 26, 1898 – October 11, 1971) was a retired United States Marine Corps general officer. He is one of the most decorated members of the Marine Corps and is the only Marine to be awarded five Navy Crosses. He fought guerrillas in Haiti and Nicaragua, and participated in some of the bloodiest battles of World War II and the Korean War. Puller retired from the Marine Corps in 1955 and spent the rest of his life living in Virginia…
Puller remains a well-known figure in U.S. Marine Corps folklore, with both true and exaggerated tales of his experiences being constantly recounted among U.S. Marines...

A common incantation in U.S. Marine Corps boot camp is to end one's day with the declaration, "Good night, Chesty Puller, wherever you are!"[16] Another common encouragement is "Chesty Puller never quit!"

In U.S. Marine Corps recruit training and OCS cadences, Marines chant "It was good for Chesty Puller/And it's good enough for me" as well as "Tell Chesty Puller I did my best."—Chesty is symbolic of the esprit de corps of the Marines. Also, the recruits sing "Chesty Puller was a good Marine and a good Marine was he."
-snip-
I've read that Lieutenant General Puller was given the nickname "Chesty" because of his barrel chest and his upright posture.

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SHOWCASE SOUND FILE - Chesty Puller Said Before He Died

Hard Corp Cadences



Hard Corp Cadences, Published on Aug 22, 2015
-snip-
The video that was initially used for this post is no longer available (as of at least May 25, 2017). That
video was entitled Marine Corps Cadence Chesty Puller Said Before He Died (With Lyrics) and was posted by
TheCrazySweed on Apr 17, 2009.

Here are the lyrics that were included in that summary (which appear to be the same as this sound file that I've added on May 25, 2017:

Chesty Puller said before he died (Chesty Puller said before he died)
There was 5 things that he wanted to ride. (There was 5 things that he wanted to ride)
Tricycle, bicycle, automobile (Tricycle, bicycle, automobile)
A bow legged pony on a ferris wheel. ( A bow legged pony on a ferris wheel.)
I said tricycle bicycle (Tricycle, Bicycle)
Automobile. (Automobile)
A bow legged pony (A bow legged pony)
On a ferris wheel. (On a ferris wheel)

Born in a shelter half at Camp Lejeune (Born in a shelter half at Camp Lejeune)
Raised on C-rats and plastic spoons (Raised on C-rats and plastic spoons)
Cussing and a-fussing and a-fightin' all day (Cussing and a-fussing and a-fightin' all day)
Cause we know no other way (Cause we know no other way)

Sayin lo right-a lay-a (lo right-a lay-a)
Your left right a lay-o (Your left right a lay-o)
Lo right lay-o (Lo right lay-o)
Left right left (Left right left)
-snip-
These lyrics were reformatted for this post.
"C-rats" = C-rations
-snip-
*I received a comment from TSpirit 88-96 on May 25, 2017 who indicated that the correct line is "a bow legged woman on a ferris wheel". I hear "bow legged pony on a ferris wheel in the sound file given above, but I'm not surprised that some versions of this cadence have the words "bow legged woman".

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2 comments:

  1. Let me correct the record "...a bow-legged woman on a ferris wheel".

    TSpirit 88-96

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TSpirit 88-96, thanks for sharing the version of that particular line for this cadence.

      As a result of your sending me this comment, I realized that the sound file that I had initially published in this post was no longer available.

      The sound file that I arbitrarily selected as a replacement has the line "bow legged pony on a ferris wheel line". But I'm not surprised that there are versions that give that line as "bow legged woman". And that line might have been the original version as it appears to me to make more sense.

      Thanks again!

      Delete