How to Sing the U.S. Army Song

"The Army Goes Rolling Along," the official song of the U.S. Army, was originally the "Caisson Song," written by artillery officer Edmund L. Gruber in 1908 while stationed in the Philippines at Fort Stotsenburg. Here is how to sing the U.S. Army song, "The Army Goes Rolling Along."

Instructions

1. Determine what types of musicians will be in the band to accompany your performance. You may select the band members to suit the traditional song style, such as brass and woodwinds, or you could reach beyond tradition and include electric guitar and organ to accompany the singing.

2. Purchase sheet music for each band member as well as one for each member of the chorus. You may be tempted to copy the lyrics for the choral, but each should have access to the music as well to get a feel for the tempo and range.

3. Decide where you will sing "The Army Goes Rolling Along." Choruses traditionally sing the song at the close of each Army ceremony, but if the situation dictates, sing the song in the beginning and the end of the ceremony. If you perform a compilation of military songs, then you can sing it at any point during the performance.

4. Practice this song. Be sure to get enough practice with all band members before the performance to do the song justice.

5. Wear proper attire and have proper staging for your band members, yourself and the area where you will hold the performance. Of course, due to the patriotic theme of this song, red, white and blue, or a flag somewhere is in order.

6. Give proper reverence to the memory of the soldiers, the US Army and the song by standing while you sing the song. Ask the audience to stand as well before you perform this number.

Tips & Warnings

• Near the close of World War I, musician John Philip Sousa rewrote the original version of the "Caisson Song" into the current marching song version. The U.S. Army officially adopted Sousa's version called "The Field Artillery Song" in 1952, and changed the name to "The Army Goes Rolling Along."