G.I. Jive
Mercer Johnny Lyrics

This is the G. I. Jive
Welcome to life as a soldier

Man alive
Wow, this is something

It starts with the bugler blowin' reveille over your bed when you arrive
You're woken up every morning with a blaring trumpet playing reveille, whether you like it or not

Jack, that's the G. I. Jive
That's just how it is in the military, buddy

Roodley-toot
The sound of the trumpet playing reveille

Jump in your suit
Get dressed in your uniform as fast as you can

Make a salute
Greet your superiors by snapping to attention and saluting them

Veut
That's military lingo for 'yes sir'

After you wash and dress
Once you've cleaned up and gotten dressed

More or less
Roughly

You go get your breakfast in a beautiful little café they call "The Mess"
Head to the dining hall, known as 'The Mess', for breakfast

Jack, when you convalesce
That's what you do when you've been injured or sick and are recovering

Out of your seat
Get up from where you're sitting

Into the street
Head outside

Make with the feet
Start walking or running

Reet
That's just some rhyming slang for 'alright'

If you're a P-V-T, your duty
If you're a Private, your job

Is to salute to L-I-E-U-T
Is to give a formal salute to your Lieutenant

But if you brush the L-I-E-U-T
If you disrespect your Lieutenant

The M-P makes you K-P on the Q-T
The Military Police will punish you by giving you Kitchen Patrol (K-P) duties, secretly and without anyone knowing

They give you a private tank that features a little device called "fluid drive"
The military provides you with a tank that's equipped with a special device called a 'fluid drive'

Jack, after you revive
After you've recovered from your shock or excitement

Chunk all your junk
Put all of your stuff away

Back in the trunk
Store everything in your footlocker

Fall on your bunk
Lie down on your bed

Clunk
That's the sound your body hitting the bed makes

Soon you're countin' Jeeps
Before long, you'll be counting the number of Jeeps in your unit

But before you count to five
Before you can even start counting

Seems you're right back diggin' that G. I. Jive
You're already back to the daily grind of military life