Let's roll
Encyclopedia
"Let's roll" is a catchphrase that has been used extensively as a term to move and start an activity, attack, mission or project. After the September 11 attacks, the phrase, especially in the United States
, has come to symbolize heroism, self sacrifice
and initiative in a tough situation. This use of the phrase was inspired by Todd Beamer
's final known words, "Are you guys ready? Let's roll!" The phrase has been widely appropriated as a battlecry.
", which likely extended into tank
usage. "The Roads Must Roll
", a science fiction story written in 1940 by Robert A. Heinlein
, mentions a re-worded version of "The Roll of the Caissons" called "Road Songs of the Transport Cadets". The protagonist of Ernest Hemingway
's Across the River and into the Trees
, Colonel Dick Cantwell, based on World War II commander Charles "Buck" Lanham, uses the phrase to his driver. He knows he is facing imminent death, but tries to maintain decency, grace, and a sense of humor. The verb "roll" has also been used in both the film and recording industry to signal the beginning of a film or audio recording. "Let's roll" was in common use on 1950s and 1960s police television series such as Adam-12
and (the original) Dragnet. It was also used at the end of roll call at the beginning of Hill Street Blues
episodes. It has appeared, among other places, in The Transformers
animated series by Optimus Prime before entering battle or embarking on a group journey with his Autobot
s (as well as in the 2009 feature film Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
). It was also used in the 1986 film Ferris Bueller's Day Off
, and the 1987 film Matewan
, where it was used by Baldwin-Felts
agents just before a violent attack on striking coal miners. The term was also in widespread use in the United Kingdom in the 1980s and early 1990s, featuring in many low-budget TV productions and plays throughout the country. The toys use the phrase when setting out to rescue Woody in the 1999 animated children's film Toy Story 2
. In the late 1990s, the term "let's roll" was frequently used to initiate a departure from any given place. Hence, the term and true context of the term "let's roll" during this time period was to initiate action from an individual to a group of friends.
, a passenger on the hijacked
United Airlines Flight 93
, tried to place a credit card call through a phone located on the back of a plane seat but was routed to a customer-service representative instead, who passed him on to supervisor Lisa Jefferson. Beamer reported that one passenger was killed and, later, that a flight attendant had told him the pilot and co-pilot had been forced from the cockpit and may have been wounded. He was also on the phone when the plane made its turn in a southeasterly direction, a move that had him briefly panicking. Later, he told the operator that some of the plane's passengers were planning to attack the hijackers and take control of the aircraft. According to Jefferson, Beamer's last audible words were "Are you guys ready? Let's roll."
's "Let's Roll", was released as a single in November 2001, and was later included in his album Are You Passionate?
. The following year, three diverse groups released songs: hard rock group LA Guns included "Ok, Let's Roll" in their album Waking the Dead
, country music duo The Bellamy Brothers's song "Let's Roll, America" was on Redneck Girls Forever, and Christian rock group dc Talk
reunited to record and release a single entitled "Let's Roll".
Three other 9/11-related songs by the name "Let's Roll" have been released in the following years. Montreal rock band The Stills
's song was included on their debut album Logic Will Break Your Heart
in 2003. Jonny L
's song included a sample
of President George W. Bush
's 2002 State of the Union Address
speech which included the phrase. And Ray Stevens
's song by the name was included in a box set in 2006.
Melissa Etheridge
's 2004 song "Tuesday Morning", written in honor of Flight 93 passenger Mark Bingham
, concluded with the phrase, "Let's roll."
in a speech to AmeriCorps
volunteers and during his 2002 State of the Union Address
. Even though the phrase was in common use long before September 11, profiteers soon tried to lay claim to it as a trademark
. The Todd M. Beamer Foundation was eventually granted a trademark for uses of the phrase relating to "pre-recorded compact discs, audio tapes, digital audio tapes, and phonograph records featuring music."
In the 2002 college football season, the Florida State Seminoles used "Let's Roll" as their official team slogan. After an initial uproar against the team by people who considered its usage in bad taste, the Todd M. Beamer Foundation officially licensed the trademark to the team.
Bobby Labonte
drove a 9/11 tribute car with the words "Let's Roll" on the hood of his stock car.
In early 2002, United States Air Force
Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper ordered that one airplane in each USAF squadron and all USAF demonstration planes would bear an image of an eagle on an American flag with the words "Let's Roll" and "Spirit of 9-11," to remain until the first anniversary of the attack. It was also used by Lisa Beamer, widow of Todd, in a 2003 book titled Let's Roll: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage.
The phrase was also used in an episode of HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm
("The Survivor", season 4, episode 9). The show's main character, Larry David
, says the phrase inadvertently to his rabbi
once he and his wife are ready to go out and renew their vows, who then becomes offended because of a relative of his died on September 11, 2001 ("You knew my brother-in-law died on September 11th, how dare you say something like that?!"). Larry takes issue with this, as his rabbi's relative was hit by a bike messenger ("Well, with all due respect, wasn't that just a coincidence?"), in an incident completely unrelated to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
"Let's Roll!" was the 2004 campaign slogan of the Marijuana Party of Canada
. The New Zealand band Fly My Pretties
released a song about marijuana titled "Let's Roll" the same year
The phrase appears in the 2009 British black comedy satire film, In The Loop
. One British character says to another, "Let's roll." To which the other replies; "You can't say that here, they don't like that."
In the first episode of British TV comedy series Saxondale
, a bumper sticker with "Flight 93. Let's Roll" appears on the back of the titular character's Mach I Ford Mustang
.
In 2011's Transformers: Dark of the Moon, a N.E.S.T. soldier uses the phrase "let's roll" as an indicator to head to Chicago which was under attack by the Decepticons.
Detroit Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard has the inscription "Lets Roll" on the back of his goalie helmet in reference to Flight 93.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, has come to symbolize heroism, self sacrifice
Sacrifice
Sacrifice is the offering of food, objects or the lives of animals or people to God or the gods as an act of propitiation or worship.While sacrifice often implies ritual killing, the term offering can be used for bloodless sacrifices of cereal food or artifacts...
and initiative in a tough situation. This use of the phrase was inspired by Todd Beamer
Todd Beamer
Lisa Beamer was born on april 10, 1969 in Albany, New york.Lisa Beamer is the widow of Todd Beamer, a victim of the United Flight 93 crash as part of the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States....
's final known words, "Are you guys ready? Let's roll!" The phrase has been widely appropriated as a battlecry.
Pre–September 11, 2001 usage
The phrase may have its origins as early as 1908 in the cadence song now called "The Army Goes Rolling AlongThe Army Goes Rolling Along
"The Army Goes Rolling Along" is the official song of the United States Army and is typically called "The Army Song."-The Caisson Song:The song is based on the "Caisson Song" written by field artillery First Lieutenant Edmund L...
", which likely extended into tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
usage. "The Roads Must Roll
The Roads Must Roll
"The Roads Must Roll" is a 1940 science fiction short story by Robert A. Heinlein. In the late 1960s, it was awarded a retrospective Nebula Award by the Science Fiction Writers of America and published in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One, 1929-1964 in 1970.The story is set in the near...
", a science fiction story written in 1940 by Robert A. Heinlein
Robert A. Heinlein
Robert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction writer. Often called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was one of the most influential and controversial authors of the genre. He set a standard for science and engineering plausibility and helped to raise the genre's standards of...
, mentions a re-worded version of "The Roll of the Caissons" called "Road Songs of the Transport Cadets". The protagonist of Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Miller Hemingway was an American author and journalist. His economic and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the...
's Across the River and into the Trees
Across the River and Into the Trees
Across the River and Into the Trees is a novel by American writer Ernest Hemingway, published by Charles Scribner's Sons in September 1950. Prior to publication the novel was serialized in Cosmopolitan magazine. The title is derived from the last words of Confederate General Thomas J...
, Colonel Dick Cantwell, based on World War II commander Charles "Buck" Lanham, uses the phrase to his driver. He knows he is facing imminent death, but tries to maintain decency, grace, and a sense of humor. The verb "roll" has also been used in both the film and recording industry to signal the beginning of a film or audio recording. "Let's roll" was in common use on 1950s and 1960s police television series such as Adam-12
Adam-12
Adam-12 was a television police drama which followed two police officers of the Los Angeles Police Department, Pete Malloy and Jim Reed, as they patrolled the streets of Los Angeles in their patrol unit, 1-Adam-12. Created by Jack Webb who is known for creating Dragnet, the series captured a...
and (the original) Dragnet. It was also used at the end of roll call at the beginning of Hill Street Blues
Hill Street Blues
Hill Street Blues is an American serial police drama that was first aired on NBC in 1981 and ran for 146 episodes on primetime into 1987. Chronicling the lives of the staff of a single police precinct in an unnamed American city, the show received critical acclaim and its production innovations ...
episodes. It has appeared, among other places, in The Transformers
The Transformers (TV series)
The Transformers is an animated television series depicting a war among giant robots who could transform into vehicles, other objects and animal-like forms. Written and recorded in America, the series was animated in Japan and South Korea...
animated series by Optimus Prime before entering battle or embarking on a group journey with his Autobot
Autobot
Autobot, a faction of sentient robots from the planet Cybertron, are usually the main protagonists in the fictional universe of the Transformers, a collection of various toys, graphic novels, paperback books, cartoons and movies first introduced in 1984. In all but one Transformer story, the...
s (as well as in the 2009 feature film Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is a 2009 American science fiction-action film directed by Michael Bay and produced by Steven Spielberg. It is the sequel to the 2007 film Transformers and the second installment in the live-action Transformers series...
). It was also used in the 1986 film Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a 1986 American teen coming-of-age comedy film written and directed by John Hughes.The film follows high school senior Ferris Bueller , who decides to skip school and spend the day in downtown Chicago...
, and the 1987 film Matewan
Matewan
Matewan is an American drama film written and directed by John Sayles, illustrating the events of a coal mine-workers' strike and attempt to unionize in 1920 in Matewan, a small town in the hills of West Virginia....
, where it was used by Baldwin-Felts
Baldwin-Felts
The Baldwin–Felts Detective Agency was a private detective agency in the United States.-Formation of the agency:The agency was founded in the early 1890s by William Gibbony Baldwin as the Baldwin Detective Agency....
agents just before a violent attack on striking coal miners. The term was also in widespread use in the United Kingdom in the 1980s and early 1990s, featuring in many low-budget TV productions and plays throughout the country. The toys use the phrase when setting out to rescue Woody in the 1999 animated children's film Toy Story 2
Toy Story 2
Toy Story 2 is a 1999 American computer animated film directed by John Lasseter and co-directed by Lee Unkrich and Ash Brannon. It is the sequel to the 1995 film Toy Story, released by Walt Disney Pictures and the third film to be produced by Pixar...
. In the late 1990s, the term "let's roll" was frequently used to initiate a departure from any given place. Hence, the term and true context of the term "let's roll" during this time period was to initiate action from an individual to a group of friends.
Flight 93
Todd BeamerTodd Beamer
Lisa Beamer was born on april 10, 1969 in Albany, New york.Lisa Beamer is the widow of Todd Beamer, a victim of the United Flight 93 crash as part of the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States....
, a passenger on the hijacked
Aircraft hijacking
Aircraft hijacking is the unlawful seizure of an aircraft by an individual or a group. In most cases, the pilot is forced to fly according to the orders of the hijackers. Occasionally, however, the hijackers have flown the aircraft themselves, such as the September 11 attacks of 2001...
United Airlines Flight 93
United Airlines Flight 93
United Airlines Flight 93 was United Airlines' scheduled morning transcontinental flight across the United States from Newark International Airport in Newark, New Jersey, to San Francisco International Airport in California. On Tuesday, September 11, 2001, the Boeing 757–222 aircraft operating the...
, tried to place a credit card call through a phone located on the back of a plane seat but was routed to a customer-service representative instead, who passed him on to supervisor Lisa Jefferson. Beamer reported that one passenger was killed and, later, that a flight attendant had told him the pilot and co-pilot had been forced from the cockpit and may have been wounded. He was also on the phone when the plane made its turn in a southeasterly direction, a move that had him briefly panicking. Later, he told the operator that some of the plane's passengers were planning to attack the hijackers and take control of the aircraft. According to Jefferson, Beamer's last audible words were "Are you guys ready? Let's roll."
Music
Several musicians and bands have written songs entitled or including the phrase "Let's Roll", with the songs typically referring to Flight 93 or Todd Beamer. The first song with the name, Neil YoungNeil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
's "Let's Roll", was released as a single in November 2001, and was later included in his album Are You Passionate?
Are You Passionate?
Are You Passionate? is the twenty-sixth studio album by Canadian musician Neil Young, the only album to feature Booker T. & the M.G.'s, and his eighth with Crazy Horse, released in 2002. It represents Young's foray into soul music, not sounding like anything he had previously released...
. The following year, three diverse groups released songs: hard rock group LA Guns included "Ok, Let's Roll" in their album Waking the Dead
Waking the Dead (album)
Waking the Dead is the last L.A. Guns album with guitarist Tracii Guns and the first with bass guitarist Adam Hamilton.The album includes "OK, Let's Roll" - dedicated to Todd Beamer and those who rushed the cockpit of Flight 93 during the events of September 11, 2001 attacks.Though slated to be...
, country music duo The Bellamy Brothers's song "Let's Roll, America" was on Redneck Girls Forever, and Christian rock group dc Talk
Dc Talk
DC Talk , is a Grammy-winning Christian rock music trio. The group was formed in Lynchburg, Virginia in 1987 by Toby McKeehan, Michael Tait, and Kevin Max Smith. They have released five major studio albums together: DC Talk , Nu Thang , Free at Last , Jesus Freak , and Supernatural...
reunited to record and release a single entitled "Let's Roll".
Three other 9/11-related songs by the name "Let's Roll" have been released in the following years. Montreal rock band The Stills
The Stills
The Stills were a Canadian rock band from Montreal, Quebec, formed in 2000. The band consists of Tim Fletcher , Dave Hamelin , Olivier Corbeil , and Liam O'Neil , Gregory Paquet .-History:The band members have known each other since the age of...
's song was included on their debut album Logic Will Break Your Heart
Logic Will Break Your Heart
Logic Will Break Your Heart is the debut album by the Montreal-based indie rock band The Stills. The album was released in North America on October 21, 2003, and in the UK on February 23, 2004...
in 2003. Jonny L
Jonny L
Jonny L, real name John Lisners, is a British drum and bass producer. He has also released music under the alias of Mr. L.-Biography:...
's song included a sample
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
of President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's 2002 State of the Union Address
State of the Union Address
The State of the Union is an annual address presented by the President of the United States to the United States Congress. The address not only reports on the condition of the nation but also allows the president to outline his legislative agenda and his national priorities.The practice arises...
speech which included the phrase. And Ray Stevens
Ray Stevens
Ray Stevens is an American country music, pop singer-songwriter who has become known for his novelty songs.-Early career:...
's song by the name was included in a box set in 2006.
Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Lou Etheridge is an American rock singer-songwriter and musician.Etheridge is known for her mixture of confessional lyrics, pop-based folk-rock, and raspy, smoky vocals...
's 2004 song "Tuesday Morning", written in honor of Flight 93 passenger Mark Bingham
Mark Bingham
Mark Kendall Bingham was an American public relations executive who founded his own company, the Bingham Group. During the September 11 attacks in 2001 he was a passenger on board United Airlines Flight 93...
, concluded with the phrase, "Let's roll."
Other
The catchphrase became especially known and popular after being used by President George W. BushGeorge W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
in a speech to AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps is a U.S. federal government program that was created under President Bill Clinton by the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993 and later expanded by 50 percent under President George W. Bush...
volunteers and during his 2002 State of the Union Address
State of the Union Address
The State of the Union is an annual address presented by the President of the United States to the United States Congress. The address not only reports on the condition of the nation but also allows the president to outline his legislative agenda and his national priorities.The practice arises...
. Even though the phrase was in common use long before September 11, profiteers soon tried to lay claim to it as a trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
. The Todd M. Beamer Foundation was eventually granted a trademark for uses of the phrase relating to "pre-recorded compact discs, audio tapes, digital audio tapes, and phonograph records featuring music."
In the 2002 college football season, the Florida State Seminoles used "Let's Roll" as their official team slogan. After an initial uproar against the team by people who considered its usage in bad taste, the Todd M. Beamer Foundation officially licensed the trademark to the team.
Bobby Labonte
Bobby Labonte
Robert Alan "Bobby" Labonte is an American race car driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He currently drives the #47 Kroger/Clorox/Kimberly-Clark/Kingsford/Reese Towpower Hitches Toyota Camry for JTG Daugherty Racing. He currently resides in Trinity, North Carolina. He is married to his wife...
drove a 9/11 tribute car with the words "Let's Roll" on the hood of his stock car.
In early 2002, United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper ordered that one airplane in each USAF squadron and all USAF demonstration planes would bear an image of an eagle on an American flag with the words "Let's Roll" and "Spirit of 9-11," to remain until the first anniversary of the attack. It was also used by Lisa Beamer, widow of Todd, in a 2003 book titled Let's Roll: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage.
The phrase was also used in an episode of HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Curb Your Enthusiasm is an American comedy television series produced and broadcast by HBO, which premiered on October 15, 2000. As of 2011, it has completed 80 episodes over eight seasons. The series was created by Seinfeld co-creator Larry David, who stars as a fictionalized version of himself...
("The Survivor", season 4, episode 9). The show's main character, Larry David
Larry David
Lawrence Gene "Larry" David is an American actor, writer, comedian and producer. He is best known as the co-creator , head writer, and executive producer of the television series Seinfeld from 1989 to 1996, and for creating the 1999 HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm, a partially improvised sitcom in...
, says the phrase inadvertently to his rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
once he and his wife are ready to go out and renew their vows, who then becomes offended because of a relative of his died on September 11, 2001 ("You knew my brother-in-law died on September 11th, how dare you say something like that?!"). Larry takes issue with this, as his rabbi's relative was hit by a bike messenger ("Well, with all due respect, wasn't that just a coincidence?"), in an incident completely unrelated to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
"Let's Roll!" was the 2004 campaign slogan of the Marijuana Party of Canada
Marijuana Party of Canada
The Marijuana Party is a Canadian federal political party. Its agenda consists of ending prohibition of cannabis. With the exception of this one issue, the party does not have "official policy" in any other area...
. The New Zealand band Fly My Pretties
Fly My Pretties
Fly My Pretties is a collaboration of musicians from Wellington, New Zealand that only records live albums, in various locations in New Zealand. The different musical backgrounds of the members make for an eclectic mix of songs on their releases...
released a song about marijuana titled "Let's Roll" the same year
The phrase appears in the 2009 British black comedy satire film, In The Loop
In the Loop (film)
In the Loop is a 2009 British satirical black comedy film directed by Armando Iannucci. It is based on the BBC Television series The Thick of It satirising Anglo-American politics in the 21st century and the Invasion of Iraq...
. One British character says to another, "Let's roll." To which the other replies; "You can't say that here, they don't like that."
In the first episode of British TV comedy series Saxondale
Saxondale
Saxondale is a British television situation comedy programme, starring Steve Coogan and co-written by Steve Coogan and Neil Maclennan. The series is directed by Matt Lipsey and produced by Ted Dowd. Coogan and Henry Normal served as executive producers...
, a bumper sticker with "Flight 93. Let's Roll" appears on the back of the titular character's Mach I Ford Mustang
Ford Mustang Mach 1
The Ford Mustang Mach 1 was a performance model of the Ford Mustang that Ford produced beginning in 1969. The original production run of the Mach 1 ended in 1979 because the Mustang II coupe was being phased out in favor of newer Mustangs on the Fox body platform.The Mach 1 returned in 2003 as a...
.
In 2011's Transformers: Dark of the Moon, a N.E.S.T. soldier uses the phrase "let's roll" as an indicator to head to Chicago which was under attack by the Decepticons.
Detroit Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard has the inscription "Lets Roll" on the back of his goalie helmet in reference to Flight 93.