Praise to the Lord the Almighty
Northland Camp Singers and Orchestra Lyrics
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Down went the gunner, and then the gunner's mate
Up jumped the sky pilot, gave the boys a look
And manned the gun himself as he laid aside The Book, shouting
Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition
Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition
Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition
Praise the Lord and swing into position
Can't afford to be a politician
Praise the Lord, we're all between perdition
And the deep blue sea
Yes the sky pilot said it
Ya gotta give him credit
For a son of a gun of a gunner was he shouting
Praise the Lord, we're on a mighty mission
All aboard, we ain't a-goin' fishin'
Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition
And we'll all stay free
Praise the Lord (Praise the Lord) and pass the ammunition
Praise the Lord (Praise the Lord) and pass the ammunition
Praise the Lord (Praise the Lord) and pass the ammunition
And we'll all stay free
Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition
Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition
Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition
And we'll all stay free
The above lyrics are from a patriotic American song called "Praise to the Lord the Almighty" by Northland Camp Singers and Orchestra. The lyrics describe a war situation where a gunner is shot and his mate is also down. The sky pilot then takes charge and takes up the gun himself. He shouts, "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition" which means they need to keep fighting and show their devotion to God at the same time. The phrase "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition" became popular among American soldiers during World War II, as it represented the idea that relying on faith and fighting for freedom go hand in hand.
The sky pilot's shout to praise the Lord while passing the ammunition in the face of danger depicts the American spirit of resilience and faith. The sky pilot, while not being a soldier himself, sees the importance of joining the fight and risking his own life. The song emphasizes the idea of being between "perdition and the deep blue sea," meaning that they are between the devil (perdition) and danger (deep blue sea) that they must overcome.
Line by Line Meaning
Down went the gunner, a bullet was his fate
The gunner was hit by a bullet and died.
Down went the gunner, and then the gunner's mate
The gunner's mate was also killed after the gunner.
Up jumped the sky pilot, gave the boys a look
The sky pilot (chaplain) took action and gave the boys a serious look.
And manned the gun himself as he laid aside The Book, shouting
The sky pilot took over and used the gun himself, putting down his Bible and shouting.
Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition
We give thanks to God while continuing to fight.
Praise the Lord and swing into position
We acknowledge God's greatness and prepare to fight.
Can't afford to be a politician
We must stay focused on our mission and duty, not on politics.
Praise the Lord, we're all between perdition and the deep blue sea
We praise God as we are in a difficult situation between death and the unknown.
Yes the sky pilot said it
The chaplain spoke these words.
Ya gotta give him credit
We should acknowledge and respect what the chaplain did.
For a son of a gun of a gunner was he shouting
Despite being a chaplain, he was shouting like a skilled gunner.
Praise the Lord, we're on a mighty mission
Our mission is significant and we give thanks to God.
All aboard, we ain't a-goin' fishin'
We are all in this mission together and not here to catch fish.
And we'll all stay free
We will remain free and victorious.
Praise the Lord (Praise the Lord) and pass the ammunition
Continuing to give thanks to God while fighting.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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