Jodies

Since the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M is a military organization, marching is part of life there. And whenever a unit is marching, someone (usually the First Sergeant) calls cadence. But cadences get boring, so units use a kind of "leader-follower" chant timed to the marching pace. The "leader" would yell a phrase, and the rest of the unit would either echo the phrase, or make some other response dictated by the specific chant. For reasons forgotten in the dim past, these chants are known as "Jodies". Perhaps the moniker was taken from a marching chant which goes back to at least World War I:

Ain't no use in lookin' down
Jody's got your girl and gone
Ain't no use in feelin' blue
Jody's got your sister, too.

At A&M, it was a Junior Privilege to lead Jodies. Here are some of the ones I remember:

I Ain't Got No Imagination
(offered by Vernon Carr during the first week of his Junior year)

I ain't got no 'magination,
I ain't got no 'magination.
I ain't got no 'magination,
I ain't got no 'magination.
Sound off -- One, Two
Hit 'er again -- Three, Four
Kick it on back -- One, Two, Three, Four,
One, Two, <rest 2 beats>, Three-Four!

Vernon, who truly had no imagination, also offered a one-word Jodie the next time it was his turn to call cadence:

"Bazorka", which he yelled out every other left-foot beat until a zip made him stop.

This is one that almost every white-belt in almost every unit used at least once. I particularly remember the zeal that Lurch Gore gave it:

I Love the Cadet Corps

Hup, Two, Three, Four,
I love the Cadet Corps.
Every day I love it more.
Every night I pray for more.
More and more and more and more.
Hup, Two, Three, Four,
Here we go
Up the street
Down the alley
Into town
Lookin' for
Whiskey
Women
We're Aggies!
Hup, Two, Three, Four,
I Love the Cadet Corps.

Some others I remember, in no particular order:

Dicky Dunkin'

When the weather's hot and sticky,
Ain't no time for dunkin' dicky.
When the frost is on the pumpkin,
That's the time for dickey dunkin'.
Sound off, etc.

The 60's

I wanna go to Viet Nam
I wanna kill some Viet Cong
Drop that napalm from the sky
Watch those VC burn and die

Fart Off to Airborne Rangers

All I wanna be is a Forest Ranger
Safe in a cave with a female stranger
Forest!
Ranger!
Female!
Stranger!
Aaaahhhh!

The outfit C.O. our fish year was Rusty Boggess, and his signature Jodie was "Ding-A-Ling". It was a bastardized version of a Chuck Berry song. The parts of the song that Rusty left out I've put in italics:

My Ding-A-Ling

When I was young, had cryin' spells,
Grandma gave me a little bell.
That little bell would go "ding-a-ling",
That's why I called it "my ding-a-ling".

CHORUS
My ding-a-ling, oh my ding-a-ling,
My, oh my, it's the cutest thing.
My ding-a-ling, oh my ding-a-ling,
I loved to play with my ding-a-ling.

When I was back in grammar school
I always played by all the rules
But every time the bell would ring
You'd catch me playing with my ding-a-ling

CHORUS

Once while climbing the garden wall
I slipped and fell -- had a very bad fall
I fell so hard I heard birds sing
But I held on tight to my ding-a-ling

CHORUS

Once while swimming 'cross turtle creek
There were gars and snappers at my feet
Sure was hard swimmin' cross that thing
With both hands holding my ding-a-ling

CHORUS

Sunday went to Sunday School,
Preacher preached the Golden Rule.
When the choir got up to sing,
That's when I played with my ding-a-ling.

CHORUS

There was a little girl that lived next door;
Played with a yo-yo on the floor.
Played with a yo-yo on a string,
And she played with my ding-a-ling.

CHORUS

Now this here song it ain't so bad
It keeps you happy, never makes you sad
And those of you who will not sing
Must be playing with your own ding-a-ling

The one that I always wanted to do, but never got around to, was a similar adaptation of a popular song of the time - Led Zeppelin's "Black Dog":

Hey, hey, mama, said the way you move,
gonna make you sweat, gonna make you groove.
Oh, oh, child, way you shake that thing,
gonna make you burn, gonna make you sting.
Hey, hey, baby, when you walk that way,
watch your honey drip, can't keep away.

CHORUS
Ah yeah, ah yeah, ah, ah, ah.
Ah yeah, ah yeah, ah, ah, ah.

I gotta roll, can't stand still,
got a flamin' heart, can't get my fill.
Eyes that shine burning red,
dreams of you all through my head.

CHORUS

Didn't take too long 'fore I found out,
what people mean by down and out.
Spent my money, took my car,
started telling friends she wants to be a star.
I don't know but I been told,
a big-legged woman ain't got no soul.

CHORUS

All I ask for when I pray,
steady rollin' woman gonna come my way.
Need a woman gonna hold my hand,
won't tell me no lies, make me a happy man.

CHORUS
John (Yankus) Yantis\

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Deep within my heart...
"Deep within my heart"
There's a special fart...
"There's a special fart"
For anyone from College Station...
"For anyone from College Station".

I can't believe I condoned such an insensitive jody given my affection for
my beloved Old Lady.

Dan (Graner) Garner

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believe Edwards can take credit for this jody....am I correct, Wayne?

A little birdie with a yellow bill
Sat upon my window sill
Lured him in with a piece of bread
Then I smashed his fuckin head

Ray (Gonzo) Gonzales