In 1908, Lieutenant (later Brigadier General and Commandant of the FA school) Edmund Gruber, of the 5th FA Regiment stationed in the Philippines, wrote "The Caissons Go Rolling Along" as a regimental song to be used at a unit review. It also, as I understand, commemorated the reunion of the 5th FA Regiment as all batteries were at that time stationed together for the first time in many years.

It was quickly adopted as a marching song for the field artillery, but is at heart a simple, and not very serious, regimental tune. The lyrics we know associate with this song did not come about until Major (?) Gruber rewrote the song sometime in the 1920s or 1930s(?). It should not be confused with the US Field Artillery March, by then Lieutenant (USN) John Phillips Sousa at the beginning of the US involvement in WWI (1917). Although Sousa based his march on Gruber's earlier work, about 2/3 of Sousa's work is new material and the two did not meet until much later (indeed, Sousa was unaware that Gruber had written the piece as the officer who brought it to Sousa was unaware of the genesis of the song).

Verse 1: Over hill, over dale, As we hit the dusty trail
And those Caissons go rolling along!
In and out, hear them shout, Counter march and right about
And those Caissons go rolling along!
Then it's hi, hi, hee, In the field artillery
Shout out your numbers loud and strong,
Where'er you go, You will always know
That those Caissons go rolling along!

Verse 2: In the storm, in the night, Action left or action right
See those Caissons go rolling along!
Limber front, limber rear, Prepare to mount your cannoneer
And those Caissons go rolling along!
Then it's hi, hi, hee, In the field artillery
Shout out your numbers loud and strong,
Where'er you go, You will always know
That those Caissons go rolling along!

Verse 3: Was it high, was it low, Where the hell did that one go?
As those Caissons go rolling along!
Was it left, was it right, Now we won't get home tonight
And those Caissons go rolling along!
Then it's hi, hi, hee, In the field artillery
Shout out your numbers loud and strong,
Where'er you go, You will always know
That those Caissons go rolling along!

Thanks for the information. I've always liked that tune.

Cool, every time I hear that song Im reminded of the movie Sgt Bilco

haha the US Army song is sung to that exact same tune

http://www.military-quotes.com/forum...opic.php?t=467

Dear ckim715:

Better take a look at my other post on this for why the tune is the same (thanks Redneck for providing the link!).

Boy are you confused

HAHAHA right back at you!

Haha, no problem, thought it would help clear things up.

OHH hahaha..yeah I feel dumb now

ckim715: Don't feel dumb - I didn't find out that the Caisson Song came first until after I was commissioned Field Artillery. I dug out the rest of it years later - being a John Philips Sousa fan helped. I think that's one reason we have this discussion forums, yes