The 19th Century U.S. Army adapted many foreign tunes and changed the words up, essentially making them American Army drinking songs. "O'Riley" is one in particular that is a lot of fun. It uses an Irish tune, but the verbage is U.S. I've actually marched modern troops to this song and it works, except for some of the slang which is explained below. Some of my lines might be slightly in the wrong order:

O'Riley was a soldier, the finest in Company B.
In all the bloomin' regiment no finer man than he.
He was the ranking Noncom, he knew his business well.
But ever since he tumbled down the pole* O'Riley's gone to Hell.

Chorus

O'Riley's gone to Hell
Since down the pole he fell
He drank up all the bug juice
The whiskey man would sell.
They got him in the mill
They ran him through their still
His bobtail's* coming back by mail
O'Riley's gone to Hell.

O'Riley hit the bottle after six years up the pole.
He blew himself in Casey's place and then went in the hole.
He drank with all the rookies and shoved his face as well.
The whole unit's on the bum
O'Riley's gone to Hell.

Chorus

O'Riley stole a blanket and shoved* it up I hear.
He shoved it for a dolaar and invested it in beer.
He licked the coffee cooler* because he said he'd tell.
He's absent ten days without leave.
O'Riley's gone to Hell.

Chorus

They'll try him by courtsmartial, he'll never stand a chance
To tell them how his mither died or some such song and dance.
You'll soon find him down in Battery Q* a whilin' way the hours,
A big red P stamped on his back,
O'Riley's gone to Hell.

Chorus

*down the pole = off the wagon, went from sober to drunk
*bobtail = discharge
*coffee cooler = goldbrick, yardbird
*Battery Q = guardhouse

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HTML line breaks added. -JoeClone 25-Jan-2001.