We've not much longer here to stay, For in a month or two We'll bid farewell to Kaydet Gray, And don the Army Blue.Chorus: Army Blue, Army Blue, Hurrah for the Army Blue, We'll bid farewell to Kaydet Gray, And don the Army Blue.
With pipe and song we'll jog along, Till this short time is through, And all among our jovial throng Have donned the Army Blue. 'Twas the song we sang in old plebe camp, When first our Gray was new. The song we sang on summer nights, That song of Army Blue. Now, fellows, we must say good-bye, We've stuck our four years through, Our future is a cloudless sky, We'll don the Army Blue. To the men and women of the Corps Who've seen their four years thru The work was hard, they did their part and all for Army Blue. Source: The Bugle Notes, 1990-1994, editor MAJ William Pokorny (USMA 1973).
We've not much longer here to stay, For in a month or two We'll bid farewell to Kaydet Gray, And don the Army Blue.Chorus: Army Blue, Army Blue, Hurrah for the Army Blue, We'll bid farewell to Kaydet Gray, And don the Army Blue.
With pipe and song we'll jog along, Till this short time is through, And all among our jovial throng Have donned the Army Blue. To the ladies who come up in June, We'll bid a fond adieu, Here's hoping they'll be married soon, And join the Army too. Here's to the man who wins the "cup," May he be kind and true, And may he bring "our godson" up To don the Army Blue. 'Twas the song we sang in old plebe camp, When first our Gray was new. The song we sang on summer nights, That song of Army Blue. Now, fellows, we must say good-bye, We've stuck our four years through, Our future is a cloudless sky, We'll don the Army Blue. Source: The Bugle Notes, 1944, editor Leo Kinnard (USMA 1944).
We've not much longer here to stay, For in a month or two We'll bid farewell to Cadet Gray, And don the Army Blue.Chorus: Army Blue, Army Blue, Hurrah for the Army Blue, We'll bid farewell to Cadet Gray, And don the Army Blue.
With pipe and song we'll jog along, Till this short time is through, And all among our jovial throng Have donned the Army Blue. To Ethics, Mineralogy, And Engineering, too, We'll bid good-bye without a sigh, And don the Army Blue. To the ladies who come up in June, We'll bid a fond adieu, And hoping they'll be married soon, And join the Army, too. Here's to the man who wins the "cup," May he be kind and true, And may he bring "our godson" up To don the Army Blue. Now, fellows, we must say good-bye, We've stuck our four years through, Our future is a cloudless sky, We'll don the Army Blue. 'Twas the song we sang in old plebe camp, When first our gray was new. The song we sang on summer nights, That song of Army Blue. O'er camp and highland watched the stars That watched our far homes too, And lonely voices joined full bold In singing Army Blue. Those summer days have long gone by And years have vanished too, Oh, long ago we doffed the gray And donned the Army Blue. But still I hear that olden song I feel the evening dew, And mellow strings and voices join Again in Army Blue. Source: West Point Songs by Philip Egner and Frederick C. Mayer, 1921.
We've not much longer here to stay, For in a month or two We'll bid farewell to Cadet Gray, And don the Army Blue.Chorus: Army Blue, Army Blue, Hurrah for the Army Blue, We'll bid farewell to Cadet Gray, And don the Army Blue.
With pipe and song we'll jog along, Till this short time is through, And all among our jovial throng Have donned the Army Blue. To the ladies who come up in June, We'll bid a fond adieu, And hoping they'll be married soon, And join the Army, too. Now here's to the man who wins the "cup," May he be kind and true, And may he bring "our godson" up To don the Army Blue. Source: The Bugle Notes, 1908.
We've not much longer here to stay, For in a week or two We'll bid farewell to Cadet grey, And don the Army Blue.Chorus: Army Blue, Army Blue, We'll don the Army Blue, We'll bid farewell to Cadet grey, And don the Army Blue.
With pipe and song we'll jog along, Till this short time is through, And all among our jovial throng Have donned the Army Blue. To Ethics, Mineralogy, And Engineering, too, We'll bid good-bye without a sigh, And don the Army Blue. To the ladies who come up in June, We'll bid a fond adieu, And hoping they'll be married soon, We'll don the Army Blue. Now here's to the man who wins the "cup," May he be kind and true, And may he bring "our godson" up To don the Army Blue. Now, fellows, we must say good-bye, We've stuck our four years through, Our future is a cloudless sky, We'll don the Army Blue.Cheer: Rip, slap, bang, hurrah!! Army Blue, Army Blue, We'll don the Army Blue, We'll bid farewell to Cadet grey, And don the Army Blue.
Source: The West Point Scrapbook by Oliver E. Wood (USMA 1867), page 183 and To the Point by George S. Pappas (USMA 1944).
A few days more, a few days more To toilsome study given, A few more days more - we'll reach that shore For which we long have striven. With pipe and song, we'll jog along, Till these few days are through, And all among our jovial throng Have donned the Army Blue. A few days more, a few days more To "bone", parade, and drill, And then we'll go our winding way, Our duties to fulfil. When "Mordecai" we've laid on high, "Wayland," "Mahan," "Theroux," We'll turn our eyes to brighter skies, And don the Army Blue. A few days more, a few days more And Jordan will be passed, We'll get o'er on another shore, By striving hard and fast. Then leaving here without a fear Arising to our view, We'll give a cheer! 'twere good to hear! And don the Army Blue. Source: The West Point Scrapbook by Oliver E. Wood (USMA 1867), page 132 and To the Point by George S. Pappas (USMA 1944).
This world we may find an awful tough "grind," As we wander its mazes through, But with right stout hearts we'll play our parts, When we change the Grey for the Blue.Chorus: Hurrah for the merry, bright, manly fame, That opens a life so new, When we doff the Cadet and don the Brevet And change the Grey for the Blue.
To the struggles of youth, to its pleasures forsooth, To our sports and our follies, adieu, We are now for the strife, for the battle of life, As we change the Grey for the Blue. As the grey of the morn is changed by the sun, To the azure of heaven's bright hue, So the morn of our time ripens fast to its prime, When we change the Grey for the Blue. Some clouds may arise and o'ershadow our skies, But the sunbeams will surely break through, With crimson and gold thro' each silver fold, When we change the Grey for the Blue. Source: The West Point Scrapbook by Oliver E. Wood (USMA 1867), page 76 and To the Point by George S. Pappas (USMA 1944).
From the liner notes of the West Point Music record album (courtesy Lew Higinbotham '62):
Older than "The Corps" or "Alma Mater" this song is almost as much a part of West Point as is the Corps of Cadets. Its origin is unknown except that it is apparently adapted from the old melody of "Aura Lea". It must have been in existence as far back as 1846 for a contemporary poem makes reference to "the strains of 'Army Blue'." The present version dates from 1865 when it was sung at Graduation; its rendition is jealously restricted to certain special occasions of a sentimental nature such as the last dance at West Point hops and the "Front and Center" at Graduation Parade.
