Gunner13
Active member
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!
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!
