Examples Of The United States Military Cadence "Mama Told Sally Not To Go Downtown"

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases various text (word only) and YouTube sound files of the United States military cadence "Mama Told Sally Not To Go Downtown".

It's my guess that these cadences are variant forms of the military cadence "Mama Told Johnny Not To Go Downtown."

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/05/mamma-told-johnny-not-to-go-downtown.html for a pancocojams post that showcases a text (word only) example and a video of the "standard" lyrics for the Marine Corps' cadence "Mama Told Johnny Not To Go Downtown".

Also, click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/05/msgt-mccants-usmc-ret-version-of.html for information and comments about as well as a text example and sound file of a variant form of "Mama Told Johnny Not To Go Downtown" that was written and recorded by Master Sergeant McCants, United States Marine Corps, retired.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the original composer/s of the "Mama Told Sally Not To Go Downtown" and thanks also to all those who are featured in these sound files and all those who are quoted in this post .

Thanks to all those who have honorably served and who are honorably serving in the United States Marine Corps and in other branches of the United States military.

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Note that United States military cadences are also known as "jodies". Most of the examples of "Mama Told Johnny Not To Go Downtown" that I've read online are from the US Marine Corps. I've also read an example of this cadence from the US Army.

Click the "military cadences" tag below for additional examples of United States military cadences.

Please add to this collection by sharing the examples you know in the comment section. Remember, this is a family friendly cultural blog. Therefore, as per the policies of this blog, I don't accept comments/examples that include profanity fully spelled out or comments/examples that contain explicit sexual content.

Also, note that some military cadences include sexual references and curse words (profanity). As per the policy of this blog- I use amended spelling for curse words or indicated that "profanity is deleted".

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GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE MILITARY CADENCE "MAMA TOLD SALLY NOT TO GO DOWNTOWN"
The United States military cadence ("jody") "Mama Told Sally Not To Go Downtown" is a running cadence. This cadence is probably a variant form of the United States military cadence "Mama Told Johnny Not to Go Downtown."

Both "Mama Told Johnny Not To Go Downtown" and "Mama Told Sally Not To Go Downtown" begin with the same words, except for the difference in the gender name.

Johnny's mother tells him not to go downtown because the (insert the name of the military branch) recruiter is in town. He disobeys his mother, joins that military branch, and becomes a member of that armed service. At the end of the cadence Johnny's mother is told that he died with honor, saving other members who he fought along side of.

Sally's mother also tells her not to go downtown because there are too many members of [insert the name of that specific military branch]. Sally goes downtown anyway and connects up with at least one member of that armed service. Sally returns home, but finds out she is pregnant. This cadence often ends with Sally giving birth to a baby who comes out "swingin a chain" or "swingin on a chain". But other versions of this cadence end with the chanters listing accolades to their particular military branch.

To date, I've found examples of "Mama Told Sally Not To Go Downtown" that are attributed to these United States military branches (given in alphabetical order) - United States Air Force, United States Army, and United States Marines.

The YouTube recordings that I've heard of "Mama Told Sally Not To Go Downtown" sound very similar to me to the song "Hambone" ("Hambone Hambone, where you been?"*. The tempo is usually moderate, and the lyrics are relatively consistent.

*In contrast, I think that the recordings that I've heard of the standard version of "Mama Told Johnny Not To Go Downtown" sound somewhat like a slower version of the chorus of another folk song- "Old Dan Tucker".

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SOME TEXT EXAMPLES OF THE MILITARY CADENCE "MAMA TOLD SALLY NOT TO GO DOWNTOWN"
These examples are given in no particular order. Numbers are assigned for referencing purposes only.
These examples were retrieved on May 29, 2017. The titles are given in capital letters to distinguish them from the example's text.

Note: Cadences are call & response compositions. The group response by repeating the exact same thing that the "caller" says.

Disclaimer: This is not meant to be a comprehensive listing of examples of this cadence.

Text Example #1:
From https://www.vetfriends.com/cadences/

DOWN TOWN CADENCE
Mama told sally not to go downtown,
Bunch of Airman hanging around.
Sally didnt listen and she went anyway,
Didnt come home till the very next day.
2 weeks later and she was doing well,
3 months later and she began to swell.
9 months later and out it came,
Bald headed airman swinging from a chain."

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Text Example #2
From http://www.armystudyguide.com/content/cadence/running_cadence/sally.shtml

SALLY

Created by: SGT LARRY HOWARD

MAMMA TOLD SALLY NOT TO GO DOWN TOWN,
THEIR WERE TO MANY(YOUR PLT.OR COMPANY NAME)HANGIN AROUND,
SALLY PAID HER MIND* AND WENT ANYWAY,
DIDN'T COME HOME TILL THE VERY NEXT DAY,
3 MONTHS LATER ALL WAS WELL,
6 MONTHS LATER SHE BEGAN TO SWELL,
9 MONTHS LATER OUT IT CAME,
A BALD HEADED(CALL A SOLDIER'S NAME,I.E SGT HOWARD)SWINGIN A CHAIN,
HE WAS HARDCORE,
LEAN AND MEAN,
SLIM AND TRIM,
ROUGH AND TOUGH,
A FIGHTIN MACHINE.
-snip-
*My guess is that the word "no" is missing from this line, and that line should read "Sally paid her no mind” [i.e. she didn’t listen to her]

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Text Example #3, #4, and #5 (partial example)
From http://www.military-quotes.com/forum/sally-cadence-t853.html

March 5th, 2004
dragon_master_gunner

Text Example #3 - SALLY CADENCE
info (my personal favorite version):

Mamma told Sally not to go Downtown;
Too many Tanker's hangin' around;
Sally got the a** and she went anyway;
Wore a little skirt, and she had to play;
Three months later, all is well;
Six months later she began to swell;
Nine months later, out it came:
A mad-dog-baby-tanker swingin' a chain!

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Text Example #4

September 21st, 2004
03USMC

Oh come on now ya know no tread head got Sally.

SALLY CADENCE

Momma told Sally
Not to go down town.

To many Jarheads
hangin around.

That little girl
she disobeyed.

She went out
and got herself laid.

3 months later
all is well.

6 months later
beginin to swell.


That little girl
she disobeyed.

She went out
and got herself laid.

3 months later
all is well.

6 months later
beginin to swell.

9 months later
out it came.

A little baby Jarhead
swingin a chain.

singin

Skiborne Trooper
Paratrooper
Jungle Fighter
Scuba diver
Life of Danger
Recon Jarhead

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Text Example #5
October 1st, 2004
kwinter74

"So many versions! lol.

I learned it like this:

9 months later
What a beautiful sight.

A little baby Ranger
ready to fight."
-snip-
definition of "jarhead"
From https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=jarhead
"A member of the United States Marine Corps. When used by civilians it could be considered derogatory, but it is used often among Marines.

The term originates from the "high and tight" haircut that many Marines have, which makes their head look like a jar. It did NOT originate from their uniform or cover.
"Oorah jarhead, semper fi!"
#marine#jar head#usmc#marines#marine corps
by Jay November 04, 2005

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definition of "treadhead" (in this cadence)
From https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=treadhead
[This is one of several different definitions of that term on that page]
"A person who is fond of or has a fascination with armored fighting vehicles.
Joe went crazy at the Imperial armor museum when he saw the German tanks. He's such a treadhead.
#tankhead#militaria#hoplophobe#tredhed#tread-head
by jmt_tx May 14, 2009

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Text Example #6
From https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:fsX3lHqBHPIJ:www.armyparatrooper.org/dropzone/showthread.php/3823-Favorite-Cadence/page2+&cd=9&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

Favorite Cadences, page 2
02-24-2009,
Stryker15-31
Originally Posted by RedFalcon

MOMMA TOLD SALLY

Momma told Sally not to go downtown
Too many Paratroopers hangin' around
Sally got the ass and she went anyway
Wearing stilleto heels and a neglige

Three months later, all was well
Six months later she began to swell
Nine months later - out it came
It was a little pararooper just a'swingin' a chain.
-snip-
No title was given for this example. I therefore used the first three words of the first line as the title.

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Text Example #7
From http://www.armystudyguide.com/content/cadence/running_cadence/momma-told-sally.shtml
Army Study Guide

MOMMA TOLD SALLY

Created by: rick weaver

Momma told told Sally not to go downtown,
Too many Crewchiefs hangin' around.
Sally got the ass and she went anyway,
She didn't come home till late the next day.

Three months later, all was well,
Six months later, she began to swell,
Nine months later, out it came,
It was a bald headed Crewchief swingin' a chain.

Singin', "I'm Hardcore"
Motivated.

Dedicated.

Combat.

Ready.

Rollin'.

Steady.

We got the right, the right to rock steady,
We got to the right to roll when we're ready.
But when the time comes I got to be ready,
Willin and able to rock steady.
-snip-
The phrase "rock steady" is also found in some versions of the military cadence "Seen an old woman walkin down the street" (and probably some other cadences). That phrase is probably borrowed from either Aretha Franklin's 1972 R&B record, or The Whispers' 1987 R&B record and not its Jamaican usage, where "Rock Steady" was a music genre (around 1966) that came after Ska and came before Reggae.)

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SHOWCASE EXAMPLES (Sound files)
Example #1: Air Force Cadence - Mama told Sally not to go downtown



Spencer Koerner Published on Aug 22, 2012

Another of my favorite USAF running cadences
-snip-
Here's my transcription of this sound file.

For all the cadence transcriptions on this page, the group repeats the exact same words that the "caller" says, the exact same way he says them.

Momma told Sally not to go downtown
She said too many Air men hangin' around
Sally didn't listen so she went anyway
Didn't come home till the very next day

Three months later, all was well
Four months later she began to swell
Nine months later and out it came
A bald little Air man swingin' on a chain.

Le righty layo
Lo righty layo
Le righty layo
Cruisin all the time.

That tune ends and the leader/group chants
Air Force!
Air Force!
Air Force!
Number One!
Second to none!
Standin tall!
Lookin good
We oughta be
Hollywood.
Hollywood.
-snip-
"Lookin good/Oughta be/Hollywood" are floating lyrics that I've found online (as of this date) in one other cadence – a version of “Saw An Old Lady Walkin Down The Street". "Outghta be Hollywood" = [I] ought be [in] Hollywood. "Hollywood" (California) is the motion picture capital of the United States. This self-boasting statement means that the man believes that he's so handsome that he should be a Hollywood actor (star).
.
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Example #2: Mama Told Sally Not To Go Downtown (Air Force)



Hard Corp Cadences Published on Aug 26, 2015
-snip-
These lyrics are the same as those given in Example #1 except that this version uses the line "Two weeks later and all was well" instead of "three months later and all was well".

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Example #3: Mama Told Sally Not to Go Downtown



The U.S Army Special Forces - Topic, Published on Sep 24, 2016

Momma told Sally not to go downtown
Too many Paratroopers hangin' around
Sally went down anyway
All she wore was a neglige

Three months later she began to swell
Six months later you could really tell
Nine months later - out it came
A little pararooper swingin' a chain.

Four months later she began to swell
Nine months later and out it came
A bald little Air man swingin' on a chain.

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