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Lyr ADD: We're in the Swiss Navy? / King's Navy
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Lyr ADD: We're in the Swiss Navy? / King's Navy |
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Subject: Lyr Req: We're in the Swiss Navy From: Haruo Date: 17 Dec 02 - 11:51 PM À propos of the Swiss yacht's triumphant showing in the America's Cup semi-finals, I decided to look up "We're in the Swiss Navy", but couldn't find a trace of it in DT nor nowhere. The version I knew as a kid went We don't have to march with the infantry, ride with the cavalry, shoot with the artillery. We don't have to fly over Germany: We're in the Swiss Navy. We're in the Swiss Navy, we're in the Swiss Navy. We don't have to march with the infantry, ride with the cavalry, shoot with the artillery. We don't have to fly over Germany: We're in the Swiss Navy. I think I've also heard it done I'm in the Swiss Navy and We are the Swiss Navy and with "want" in place of "have". And I'm pretty sure in the Bests' Song Fest there's at least one other verse about "We are the sweet bloomer girls", as I recall it goes roughly We can drink champagne with the best of them, Gin with the worst of them, beer with the rest of them, We love the Empire's big hairy-chested men: We are the sweet bloomer girls. Which parts or versions am I missing here? Haruo |
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Subject: ADD Verse: King's Navy From: Joe Offer Date: 18 Dec 02 - 02:04 AM Well, Haruo, in Song Fest and in the Digital Tradition, it's called King's Navy. Song Fest has an additional (women's) verse not in the DT - I'll put that verse in bold letters. -Joe Offer- KING'S NAVY We don't have to march with the infantry Ride with the cavalry, shoot the artillery We don't have to fly over Germany We are the King's Navy We are the King's Navy We are the King's Navy We can drink champagne with the best of them Gin with the worst of them, beer with the rest of them We are the empire's big hairy-chested men We are the King's Navy We drink scotch, scotch with the best of them Gin with the worst of them, beer with the Dartmouth men We like great big [sigh] hairy-chested men We are the sweet bloomer girls. We are the sweet bloomer girls. We are the sweet bloomer girls. We drink scotch, scotch with the best of them (as above) @military @drink tune:The Old Grey Mare From Dick and Beth Best's book, Song Fest. filename[ KINGNAVY JN oct96 Click here for information on the Swiss Navy, what there is of it. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We're in the Swiss Navy From: Haruo Date: 19 Dec 02 - 01:59 AM Interesting. I learned it (Seattle, 1960s) in Boy Scouts as "Swiss" not "King's" (though I knew of the "King's" variant, probably from Song Fest); and I correctly recalled that the bloomer girls were in Song Fest, but I'm not sure where I got the champagne. Leland |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We're in the Swiss Navy? / King's Navy From: GUEST,Ellen Date: 24 Oct 11 - 01:24 AM My grandfather was in flight training in World War I in France and they sang this song, with the chorus "We are the kiwi-wis" (flightless birds). He never did get into action, fortunately for him, since they were not issued parachutes (bad for morale) and there was a 100 percent mortality rate, I understand. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We're in the Swiss Navy? / King's Navy From: GUEST,Mike Connerton Date: 08 Feb 22 - 10:14 AM Sang this song in the 50s early 60s at camp in northern New Jersey WMCA Camp Acquackanonk. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: We're in the Swiss Navy? / King's Navy From: GUEST Date: 08 Aug 26 - 07:11 PM I remember this song from the mid 60s. I lived in New Jersey at the time. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: We're in the Swiss Navy? / King's Navy From: Jack Horntip Date: 10 Aug 26 - 01:16 PM Tune: The old grey mare. See another thread: We Don't Have to Fight Like the Infantry |
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Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: We're in the Swiss Navy? / King's Navy From: Jack Horntip Date: 10 Aug 26 - 01:27 PM
Ballad index entry: https://balladindex.org/Ballads/Hopk063.html
King's Navy, TheDESCRIPTION: "We don't want to march with the infantry, Ride with the cavalry, shoot with the artillery, We don't want to fly over Germany, We're in the King's Navy." Or, "We don't have to march with the infantry, ride with the cavalry... We're in the Swiss Navy."AUTHOR: unknown EARLIEST DATE: 1938 (Carl E. Zander and Wes H. Klusman, Camp Songs) KEYWORDS: navy nonballad war campsong FOUND IN: Canada REFERENCES (5 citations): Hopkins-SongsFromTheFrontAndRear, p. 63, "The King's Navy" (1 text, 1 tune) Averill-CampSongsFolkSongs, pp. 123, 164, 236, 519, 549, "Swiss Navy" (notes only) Zander/Klusmann-CampSongsNThings, p. 46, "The King's Nivy" (1 text, tune referenced) Zander/Klusmann-CampSongsPopularEdition, p. 7, "The King's Nivy" (1 text, tune referenced) DT, KINGNAVY Roud #29412 CROSS-REFERENCES: cf. "The Old Gray Mare (I) (The Old Gray Horse; The Little Black Bull)" (tune) NOTES [52 words]: The two versions of this, "The King's Navy" and "The Swiss Navy," are fairly distinct, and there isn't much evidence to prove which is older -- but I'd guess "The King's Navy" is the original; if "The Swiss Navy" were the earliest form, it probably wouldn't have been changed, because the joke is too good. - RBW Last updated in version 6.3 File: Hopk063 Go to the Ballad Search form Go to the Ballad Index Instructions The Ballad Index Copyright 2026 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: We're in the Swiss Navy? / King's Navy From: Lighter Date: 10 Aug 26 - 03:51 PM N. Y. Daily News (June 22, 1928), referring to 1918: "Oh,I don't have to march like the infantry, Ride like the cavalry, Shoot like the artillery, I don't have to fly over Germany, For I'm a Kee-wee now. Edward A. Dolph Sound Off! (1928), referring to 1918: Oh, we don't have to hike like the infantry, Ride like the cavalry, Shoot like artillery, Oh, we don't have to fly over Germany. We are the Q.M.C. We are the Q.M.C. We are the Q.M.C. [Repeat first five lines.] John J. Niles et al., The Songs My Mother Never Taught Me (1929), referring to 1918: Oh, we don't have to fight like the infantry, Shoot like artillery, Ride like the cavalry, Oh, we don't have to fly over Germany. We are the ki-wi-wi. We are the ki-wi-wi, We are the ki-wi-wi, [Repeat first five lines.] Victoria [B.C.] Daily Times (Apr. 13, 1935): "Syd led the audience in 'If You Want to Know Where the Sergeants Are,' 'Pack All [sic] Troubles,' 'We Don't Have to March Like the Infantry,' and a few other numbers." Kendall Banning, Annapolis Today (1939): "We don't have to march like the infantry, Ride with the cavalry, Shoot with th' artillery, We can lick your whole damned Army, We are the old Ny-vee!" Victoria Daily Times (Dec. 7, 1940): "That famous piece which Colonel Cy Peck helped to popularize: I don't want to march like the infantry, Ride with the cavalry, Shoot like artillery; I don't have to fly over Germany, I'm in the King's Navee." Erich Posselt, Give Out (1943): "Oh, we don't have to march like the infantry, (mark time with feet) Ride like the cavalry, (post while seated) Shoot like the artillery, (aim imaginary gun) And we don't have to fly over Germany, We are the old Navy!" We are the old Navy! We are the old Navy! And then, by gosh, we'll all go to sea again, We are the old Navy! Palladium-Item (Richmond, Ind.), Apr. 28, 1944: "...with which frontliners always badger service troops: We don't have to fight like the infantry, Ride like the cavalry, Shoot like the artillery, don't have to fly over Germany. We're in the PBS !" ******* The song, "The Old Gray Mare, She Ain't What She Used to Be," was a big hit in 1917-18. Q.M.C. = Quartermaster Corps (U.S.) PBS = Peninsular Base Section, Italy. The song seems to have been more satirical than self-referential. "Swiss Navee" versions appear to be for kids, post-1945. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: We're in the Swiss Navy? / King's Navy From: Jack Horntip Date: 10 Aug 26 - 04:22 PM I started Transylvania College in 1973. Campus life revolved Posted May 11th, 2010 by LadyJean to the Fraternity & Sorority Chants and Songs thread. See post original here: https://mudcat.org/detail_print.cfm?messages__Message_ID=2904262 |
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Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: We're in the Swiss Navy? / King's Navy From: Jack Horntip Date: 10 Aug 26 - 04:37 PM I'm in the Lord's Army Religous / camp version of the song. |
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