Canadian Marching Songs

[Korus]

Hi, I‘ve noticed that there are a lot of American march/running songs (especially for the USMC), but I was wondering if anyone knows of any distinctly Canadian songs. I‘ve found the ones form the Comox Nijmegen team, but most of them seem to be more generic..

The only one I heard on my basic was sung back at the rear of the formation of our ruck march, and I was near to the front, where we didn‘t hear very much (Note that our platoon was almost 60 strong).. I only caught and remember a few words of it.

 

[Travis]

wish someone would psthere... would be coo to know some.

 

[combat_medic]

If you can get a hold of it, there‘s a book called "Songs from the Front and the Rear" and there‘s a ton of marching songs there.

My grandfather has a copy that he‘s lent me, but I don‘t know if the thing is still in print. I hope it is, because these songs are mostly so raunchy that they MUST be repeated. It‘s great to hear an 80-something man sing filthy drinking/marching songs.

 

[Andrew]

Well not sure if you would consider it a marching song but my Chief (CSM) from basic training made us learn "It‘s a long way to Tiperary".
He said they used to sing it all the time on there ruck marchs back when he was in the infantry.

Andrew

 

[Pikache]

Isn‘t that a navy song?

I remember hearing it on Das Boot

 

[Andrew]

Very well could be. After all he was a CPO2. But did tell me that he used to sing it all the time way back when.


Andrew :bullet: :bullet:

 

[silentseaforthsoldier]

AS a cadet.....learning songs makes this sh*t worth while:...

Drink, drink, drink, drink;
drunk, drunk, drunk, drunk;
drunk last night, drunk the night before;
goina get drunk like i never had before;
‘cus when i‘m drunk i‘m as happy as can be;
‘cus i‘m a member of the seaforth infantry;
the seaforth infantry is the best family;
we all come from scot where he
‘cus there‘s a highland drunk
a lowland drunk
an underwater drunk
and a god d*mn drunk
Singing Glorious,
glorious
One keg of beer to the four of us
Glory to the guns ‘cus there ain‘t no more of us
One of us can kick your *ss alone
..so f*ck you!


A drink to you
a drink to me
a drink to our Comradery
if at first we disagree
F*ck you a drink to me


i know more...i‘m just too tire to type...

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Tipperary is not a Navy song, it dates back to the First World War. It comprises part of the regimental march of the PPCLI, along with Has Anyone Seen the Colonel, and Mademoiselle from Armentieres. All were popular songs of the day, and used on the march by Canadian soldiers in WW I, and again in WW II. Strome Galloway mentions singing on the march, and the lack of WW II marching songs, in his books and Legion Magazine column.

I should hope the Seaforths still sing Glenwhorple, which is a traditional song for Highland regiments, and used extensively on the march, AFAIK, during WW II. The Calgary Highlanders sing it in the mess during regimental functions, surely other units must use it as well.

There are many marching songs and drinking songs that have never been written down - a good one is "If I Was A Colonel", sung to the tune of "If I Was A Rich Man" from Fiddler on the Roof. I have no idea of the words, unfortunately as I haven‘t heard it in awhile.

These things kind of get passed down from generation to generation.

There‘s no rule against you writing your own marching songs, either...

 

[Jarnhamar]

It would be very difficult to find canadian running songs i‘d imagine because you have to worry about not offending anyone with swearing or references to germans etc..

 

[combat_medic]

Michael: We do still sing it, if we can get enough people together who know all the words. Usually we can get in the chorus and 3 or 4 verses, but then the lyric well usually runs dry.

 

[John Nayduk]

Just found this on eBay, you might be interested.
http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=936289991