Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition
Encyclopedia
"Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" is an American patriotic song
written by Frank Loesser
and published as sheet music
in 1942 by Famous Music Corp. The song was a response to the attack on Pearl Harbor
that marked United States involvement in World War II
.
The song describes a chaplain
("sky pilot") being with some fighting men who are under attack from an enemy. He is asked to say a prayer for the men who were engaged in firing at the oncoming planes. The chaplain puts down his Bible, mans one of the ship's gun turrets and begins firing back, saying, "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition".
, stories and reports surfaced about an incident involving this apocryphal "sky pilot", who was said to have uttered the words "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition".
The stories eventually made their way through the servicemen and back to the press. This, as McDowell noted, led some writers to erroneously identify other chaplains as author of the phrase. Nonetheless, the real chaplain, Howell Forgy, was aboard the USS New Orleans
during the Japanese attack
. He was a Lieutenant
(j.g.) that Sunday morning in December, 1941.
An officer in charge of an ammunition line on the USS New Orleans during the attack said that, "I heard a voice behind me saying, 'Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition.' I turned and saw Chaplain Forgy walking toward me, along the line of men. He was patting them on the back and making that remark to cheer and keep them going. I know it helped me a lot, too."
Another lieutenant said that thereafter, when the men heard the song, they would kid Chaplain Forgy about the role he played, encouraging him to set the record straight about who actually said what. According to the same officer the chaplain would decline, modestly claiming he felt, "... the episode should remain a legend, rather than be associated with any particular person." Author McDowell noted that reporters eventually were permitted to interview the men of the USS New Orleans involved in the "ammunition" story. Chaplain Forgy's superior officers set up a meeting with members of the press and at last, the real story of the song and the man who had inspired it was confirmed.
Forgy appeared on the game show I've Got a Secret
in an episode that originally aired May 18, 1955, and recalled the story to host Garry Moore
as follows:
Based on the title of the song and the events that inspired it, American Brandywine
artist Walter De Maris (1877-1947) produced a painting of a Pilgrim who has just been shot at with an arrow reaching for his musket
.
In 1942, a recording by The Merry Macs
reached number 8 on the Billboard chart, and a version by The Jubalaires
reached #10 on the R&B chart on November 14 of the same year. The 1943 version by Kay Kyser and His Orchestra reached number 1. A portion of the tune is sung while in the Superman
cartoon "Jungle Drums
" Hitler bows his head from news that Allied forces cut off a major assault of German U-boats. Loesser donated his royalties for sale of the song to the Navy Relief Society.
American patriotic music
American patriotic music is a part of the culture and history of the United States since its founding in the 18th century and has served to encourage feelings of national unity. These songs include hymns, military themes, national songs, and music from stage and screen, as well as songs adapted...
written by Frank Loesser
Frank Loesser
Frank Henry Loesser was an American songwriter who wrote the lyrics and scores to the Broadway hits Guys and Dolls and How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, among others. He won separate Tony Awards for the music and lyrics in both shows, as well as sharing the Pulitzer Prize for...
and published as sheet music
Sheet music
Sheet music is a hand-written or printed form of music notation that uses modern musical symbols; like its analogs—books, pamphlets, etc.—the medium of sheet music typically is paper , although the access to musical notation in recent years includes also presentation on computer screens...
in 1942 by Famous Music Corp. The song was a response to the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
that marked United States involvement in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
The song describes a chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
("sky pilot") being with some fighting men who are under attack from an enemy. He is asked to say a prayer for the men who were engaged in firing at the oncoming planes. The chaplain puts down his Bible, mans one of the ship's gun turrets and begins firing back, saying, "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition".
Origin
According to writer Jack S. McDowall, the famous phrase is generally credited to "a chaplain," said to be manning the guns of a ship under attack. "This [sic] was not true," says McDowall. For some time, long after Pearl HarborAttack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
, stories and reports surfaced about an incident involving this apocryphal "sky pilot", who was said to have uttered the words "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition".
The stories eventually made their way through the servicemen and back to the press. This, as McDowell noted, led some writers to erroneously identify other chaplains as author of the phrase. Nonetheless, the real chaplain, Howell Forgy, was aboard the USS New Orleans
USS New Orleans (CA-32)
USS New Orleans was a United States Navy heavy cruiser, the lead ship of her class. The New Orleans-class represented the last of the Treaty Cruisers, built to the specifications and standards of the Washington Naval Treaty. Originally, was the lead ship of this class...
during the Japanese attack
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
. He was a Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
(j.g.) that Sunday morning in December, 1941.
An officer in charge of an ammunition line on the USS New Orleans during the attack said that, "I heard a voice behind me saying, 'Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition.' I turned and saw Chaplain Forgy walking toward me, along the line of men. He was patting them on the back and making that remark to cheer and keep them going. I know it helped me a lot, too."
Another lieutenant said that thereafter, when the men heard the song, they would kid Chaplain Forgy about the role he played, encouraging him to set the record straight about who actually said what. According to the same officer the chaplain would decline, modestly claiming he felt, "... the episode should remain a legend, rather than be associated with any particular person." Author McDowell noted that reporters eventually were permitted to interview the men of the USS New Orleans involved in the "ammunition" story. Chaplain Forgy's superior officers set up a meeting with members of the press and at last, the real story of the song and the man who had inspired it was confirmed.
Forgy appeared on the game show I've Got a Secret
I've Got a Secret
I've Got a Secret is a panel game show produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS television. Created by comedy writers Allan Sherman and Howard Merrill, it was a derivative of Goodson-Todman's own panel show What's My Line?...
in an episode that originally aired May 18, 1955, and recalled the story to host Garry Moore
Garry Moore
Garry Moore was an American entertainer, game show host and comedian best known for his work in television...
as follows:
Well, I was stationed aboard the USS New Orleans, and we were tied up at 1010 dock in Pearl Harbor when we attacked again. We were having a turbine lifted, and all of our electrical power wasn't on, and so when we went to lift the ammunition by the hoist, we had to form lines of men — form a bucket brigade — and we began to carry the ammunition up through the quarterdeck into the gurneys, and I stood there and directed some of the boys down the port side and some down the starboard side, and as they were getting a little tired, I just happened to say, "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition." That's all there was to it.
Popularization
According to his obituary in The New York Times of August 8, 1974, the singer who introduced the song to a popular audience was Robert Rounseville.Based on the title of the song and the events that inspired it, American Brandywine
Brandywine School
The Brandywine School was a style of illustration and an artists colony in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, near Brandywine Creek, founded by artist Howard Pyle at the end of the 19th century...
artist Walter De Maris (1877-1947) produced a painting of a Pilgrim who has just been shot at with an arrow reaching for his musket
Musket
A musket is a muzzle-loaded, smooth bore long gun, fired from the shoulder. Muskets were designed for use by infantry. A soldier armed with a musket had the designation musketman or musketeer....
.
In 1942, a recording by The Merry Macs
The Merry Macs
The Merry Macs were an American close-harmony pop music quartet active from the 1920s till the 1960s and best known for the hits “Mairzy Doats,” “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition” and "Sentimental Journey." They also sang on recordings with Bing Crosby....
reached number 8 on the Billboard chart, and a version by The Jubalaires
The Jubalaires
The Jubalaires were an American gospel group active during the 1940s and 1950s. They were playing as the Royal Harmony Singers in Florida as far back as 1936, and under that name reached #10 on the R&B charts on November 14, 1942 with "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition", a song adapted from...
reached #10 on the R&B chart on November 14 of the same year. The 1943 version by Kay Kyser and His Orchestra reached number 1. A portion of the tune is sung while in the Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
cartoon "Jungle Drums
Jungle Drums (animated short)
Jungle Drums is the fifteenth of seventeen animated Technicolor short films based upon the DC Comics character of Superman.- Plot :...
" Hitler bows his head from news that Allied forces cut off a major assault of German U-boats. Loesser donated his royalties for sale of the song to the Navy Relief Society.
Later recurrences
In later years the expression has often been used in a satirical manner.- An episode from the TV series "Hogan's HeroesHogan's HeroesHogan's Heroes is an American television sitcom that ran for 168 episodes from September 17, 1965, to March 28, 1971, on the CBS network. The show was set in a German prisoner of war camp during the Second World War. Bob Crane had the starring role as Colonel Robert E...
" is named "Praise the Fuhrer and Pass the Ammunition."
- The 1969 comedy recording "Forward into the PastForward into the PastForward Into The Past is a 1976 compilation album by The Firesign Theatre. It presents the "Greatest Hits" from their nine Columbia albums and includes two tracks that were previously released only on a single.-Side one:#"Station Break"...
" by The Firesign TheatreThe Firesign TheatreThe Firesign Theatre is an American comedy troupe consisting of Phil Austin, Peter Bergman, David Ossman and Philip Proctor. Their brand of surrealistic humor is best known through their record albums, which acquired a cult following in the late 1960s and early '70s.The troupe began as live radio...
begins with the group singing "Pass the Lord and praise the ammunition."
- Used in the 1976 movie Tracks starring Dennis Hopper
- In Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle a Christian character named "Freakshow" who fixes their car and gives them a ride uses the expression.
- In the Spike LeeSpike LeeShelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983....
film Malcolm XMalcolm XMalcolm X , born Malcolm Little and also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz , was an African American Muslim minister and human rights activist. To his admirers he was a courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its...
, Malcolm XMalcolm XMalcolm X , born Malcolm Little and also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz , was an African American Muslim minister and human rights activist. To his admirers he was a courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its...
answers the question "should all blacks be armed?" from one of the white news reporters, by saying "One of your most famous men said - praise the lord and pass the ammunition - and that is the way you think."
- The alternative metal band System of a DownSystem of a DownSystem of a Down, also known by the acronym SOAD and often shortened to System, is a rock band from Southern California. The band was formed in 1994. It consists of Serj Tankian , Daron Malakian , Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan...
has used the phrase as a criticism of war. At the beginning of their music video for the demo version of "War?War? (song)"War?" is a single from System of a Down's eponymous debut album. A live version of the song is also a B-side featured on the Sugar EP.The song lyrics, "Who victored over, the Seljuks/When the Holy Land was taken/We will fight the heathens", as with many of their songs, refers specifically to...
" in 19971997 in musicThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1997.-January:*January 9 – David Bowie performs his 50th Birthday Bash concert at Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA with guests Frank Black, The Foo Fighters, Sonic Youth, Robert Smith of The Cure, Lou Reed, and Billy...
, lead vocalist Serj TankianSerj TankianSerj Tankian is a Lebanese-born Armenian-American singer–songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, playwright, record producer, poet, and political activist...
says "Praise the lord and pass the ammunition. God wants you to go to war." On Tankian's album Elect the DeadElect the Dead-Personnel:* All Songs Written & Performed by Serj Tankian - Stunning Suppository Sounds '...
, the tenth track is titled "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition".
- (Young) Pioneers(Young) PioneersPioneers was an influential American folk punk band from Richmond, Virginia, active from 1993–1999.-History:...
covered Impatient Youth's "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" on their 1998 final album Free the (Young) Pioneers Now!
- In the 2003 film The Singing DetectiveThe Singing Detective (film)The Singing Detective is a 2003 film based on the BBC serial The Singing Detective, a work by Dennis Potter. It stars Robert Downey, Jr...
, Robert Downey Jr.Robert Downey Jr.Robert John Downey, Jr. is an American actor. Downey made his screen debut in 1970 at the age of five when he appeared in his father's film Pound, and has worked consistently in film and television ever since. During the 1980s he had roles in a series of coming of age films associated with the...
's character uses the expression just before the final scene.
- In Clive BarkerClive BarkerClive Barker is an English author, film director and visual artist best known for his work in both fantasy and horror fiction. Barker came to prominence in the mid-1980s with a series of short stories which established him as a leading young horror writer...
's 2007 video game Jericho, a character named Father Paul Rawlings utters the expression when he is running low on ammunition.
- Irish Musician Jacknife LeeJacknife LeeGarret "Jacknife" Lee is an Irish music producer and mixer. He has worked with a variety of artists, including The Cars, U2, R.E.M., Snow Patrol, Bloc Party, AFI, The Hives, Weezer, Vega4 and Editors.-Biography:...
recorded a remix of the gospel under the name "Pass the ammunition" for his 2007 album "To Hell With You I'll Make My Own People", released under the name of 'Jack Planck'
- Lines "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition" is repeated twice within the book "Code Talkers" by Joseph Bruchac
- In 2008 sound collage artist Conceptual Drudgery produced a mashup of the song entitled "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition (George W. Mashup)"' included samples from speeches given by George W. BushGeorge W. BushGeorge 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....
concerning the Iraq war.
- Dixie ChicksDixie ChicksThe Dixie Chicks are an American country band which has also successfully crossed over into other genres. The band is composed of founding members Martie Erwin Maguire and Emily Erwin Robison, and lead singer Natalie Maines...
used the expression in their song "Sin Wagon".
- The thrash metalThrash metalThrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
band ExodusExodus (band)Exodus is an American thrash metal band formed in 1980 in Richmond, California. Spanning a career of over 30 years, Exodus has gone through numerous lineup changes, two extended hiatuses, and the deaths of two former band members. Guitarist Gary Holt remains the only constant member of the band,...
used the term in their song "War Is My Shepherd" from the album Tempo of the Damned.
- In the miniature wargame Warhammer 40K it is used in the form of "Praise the Emperor and pass the ammunition" in reference to the game's fictional god-emperor. The adjective "what one does not solve, the other will" is often then added.
- Rapper Tech N9neTech N9neAaron Dontez Yates , better known by his stage name Tech N9ne , is an American rapper from Kansas City, Missouri. In 1999, Yates and Travis O'Guin founded the record label Strange Music. Throughout his career, Yates has sold over one million albums and has had his music featured in film,...
uses it in his song "Hope for a Higher Power" which is the 12th track on his album "Killer".
- The band RushRush (band)Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
uses it as "pray, and pass the ammunition" in the song "The Way the Wind Blows" from their album Snakes & ArrowsSnakes & ArrowsSnakes & Arrows is the 18th full-length studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush. Co-produced by Nick Raskulinecz, it is Rush's first studio outing since 2004's Feedback, and their first complete studio album since Vapor Trails in 2002...
.
- The song is played on phonographs in the 2010 video game BioShock 2BioShock 2BioShock 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by 2K Marin for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The sequel to the 2007 video game BioShock, it was released worldwide on February 9, 2010....
- The song is played on the car radio in the 2010 video game Mafia IIMafia IIMafia II is a third-person action-adventure video game, the sequel to Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven. It is developed by 2K Czech, previously known as Illusion Softworks, and is published by 2K Games...