Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post showcases a YouTube sound file of a United States Army cadence called "Bark Like A Big Dawg".
My transcription of that sound file is included in this post. Additions and corrections are welcome.
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, cultural, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to .POL Platoon Sergeant SSG Artis and the 92F for this recording and thanks to all members of the United States Army and other United States branches of the military for their service.
-snip-
Do you know this cadence? For the historical and folkloric record, please share information about when and where you chanted this cadence in the comment section below. Thanks!
SOUND FILE: "BARK LIKE A BIG DAWG
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7r7OrvsBSCY
published by Team Stay Motivated,
LYRICS - "BARK LIKE A BIG DAWG"
You’re left
[un hun]
You’re left
[un hun]
You’re left right left
[un hun]
You’re left
[un hun]
You’re left
[un hun]
You’re left right left
[un hun]
I gotta pain
[un hun]
I gotta pain
[what pain]
In my back
[In my back]
And it’s called
[And it’s called]
rucksack
[rucksack]
I gotta pain
[I gotta pain]
In my back
[In my back]
and it’s called
[and it’s called]
rucksack
[rucksack]
So Imma lean left
[lean left lean left]
Lean right
[lean right lean right]
Lean front
[lean front lean front]
Lean back
[lean back lean back]
I gotta pain
[I gotta pain]
In my toe
[In my toe]
And it’s called
[And it’s called]
CEO
[CEO]
I gotta pain
[I gotta pain]
In my toe
[In my toe]
And it’s called
[And it’s called]
CEO
[CEO]
So I’mma lean left
[lean left lean left]
Lean right
[lean right lean right]
Lean front
[lean front lean front]
Lean back
[lean back lean back]
I gotta pain
[I gotta pain]
In my knee
[In my knee]
And it’s called
[And it’s called]
LT
[LT]
I gotta pain
[I gotta pain]
In my knee
[In my knee]
And it’s called
[And it’s called]
LT
[LT]
So I’mma lean left
[lean left lean left]
lean right
[lean right lean right]
Lean front
[lean front lean front]
lean back
[lean back lean back]
When I say “One”
[When I say “One”
You say “Two”
[You say “Two”]
When I say “Whatcha gonna”
[When I say “Whatca gonna”]
You say “Do”
[You say “Do”]
One
[Two]
Whatcha gonna
[Do]
Now bark two times like a big dawg
[Roof! Roof!]
Now bark two times like a big dawg
[Roof Roof]
When I say “Three”
[When I say “Three”
You say “Four”
[You say ‘Four”
When I say “Open up”
[When I say “Open up”]
You say “the door”
[You say “the door”]
One
[Two]
Whatcha gonna
[Do]
Three
[Four]
Open up
[the door]
Now bark two times like a big dawg
[Roof Roof]
Bark two times like a big dawg
[Roof Roof]
When I say “Five”
[When I say “Five”]
You say “Six”
[You say “Six”]
When I say “Pick up”}
[When I say “Pick up]
You say “the sticks]
[You say “the sticks”
One
[Two]
Whatcha gonna
[Do]
Three
[Four]
Open up
[the door]
Five
[Six]
Pick up
[The sticks]
Now bark two times like a big dawg
[Roof Roof]
Bark two times like a big dawg
[Roof Roof]
When I say “Seven"
[When I say “Seven]
You say “Eight”
[You say “Eight”]
When I say “How you feel”]
[When I say “How you feel]
You say “Great”
[You say “Great”]
One
[Two]
Whatcha gonna
[Do]
Three
[Four]
Open up
[the door]
Five
[Six]
Pick up
[the sticks]
Seven
[Eight]
How you feel
[Great]
How you feel
[Great]
How you feel
[Great]
Now bark two times like a big dawg
[Roof Roof]
Bark two times like a big dawg
[Roof Roof]
When I say “Nine”
[When I say “Nine”]
You say “Ten”
[You say “Ten”
When I say “Juicy”
[When I say “Juicy”]
You say "J"
[You say "J"]
Now bark two times like a big dawg
[Roof Roof]
Bark yourself like a big dawg
[Roof Roof]
You’re left
[un hun]
You’re left
[un hun]
You’re left right left
[un hun]
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
The portions of this cadence with the words " I gotta pain in my __" and the "to the left, right, front, back" are quite similar to the words for the African American children's singing game "Zoodio" (also found as "Zudio" and "Zodiac"). Here are the words to a version of that singing game:
ReplyDeleteHere we go Zoodio, Zoodio, Zoodio
Here we go Zoodio
All night long.
Step back Sally, Sally, Sally
Step back Sally
All night long
Walkin through the alley, alley, alley
Walkin through the alley
All night long
I looked over yonder
And what did I see
A great big man from Tennessee
I’ll betcha five dollars I can catch that man.
Betcha five dollars I can catch that man.
To the front, to the back, to the side side side
To the front to the back to the side side side
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said
"Ooh ah, I gotta pain in my side
"Ooh ah, I gotta pain in my back
"Ooh ah, I gotta pain in my neck
"On ah, I gotta pain in my head"
-snip-
These lyrics are from various online sources as well as partially from my memories of playing this singing game in the mid 1950s Atlantic City, New Jersey [ending with the "walking down the alley" verse].
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/05/here-we-go-zoodio-zudie-o-zudiozodiac_8.html for Part II of a two part pancocojams series on the singing game "Here We Go Zoodio". That post showcases videos of that singing game. The link for Part I of that series is included in that post. Part I presents word only examples of "Zoodio".
DeleteI should note that the tune and tempo that are used for this "Bark like a dawg" army cadence isn't the same as the tune and tempo for "Zoodio".
DeleteThe portion of this army cadence with the words "When I say [insert a number", You say [insert the next number or some other word or words] is very similar to the nursery rhyme "One, two, buckle my shoe".
ReplyDeleteHere's the version of that rhyme that I learned in the early 1950s in Atlantic City, New Jersey:
One, two, buckle my shoe
Three, four, shut the door
Five, six, pick up sticks
Seven, eight, lay them straight
Nine, ten, a big fat hen.
African American military veterans helped influence the culture of historically Black Greek letter organizations. One way that this influence can still be seen is the custom members of those organizations sometimes have in wearing military fatigue pants, and/or military fatigue shirts, and military style boots during step shows and otherwise. This is particularly the case with members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
ReplyDeleteI also don't think that its a coincidence that Omegas call themselves "dogs" (as in "Q dogs" and "nasty dogs") similar to how members of the United States Marines refer to themselves as "Devil dogs".
Also, the signature call that only members of Omega Psi Phi use is written "RQQ" or "ROO" and sounds like the dogs' bark that is given as "ROOF". I don't think Marines do a similar call, and I'm not sure if Omegas' acknowledge that the inspiration for this (complimentary) dog reference for themselves and hence their barking call have their source in the Marines' "Devil dogs" self referent.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/11/devil-dogs-q-dogs-are-there-connections.html for the pancocojams post entitled "The Origins & Connections Between The Nicknames "Devil Dogs" (for United States Marines) & Que Dogs (for members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity) ". That post is Part I of a two part pancocojams series on military influences on historically Black Greek letter organizations. The link for Part I is given in the post for Part II.