Over hill, over dale, we have hit the dusty trail,
and those caissons go rolling along.
"Counter march! Right about!"
hear those wagon soldiers shout,
while those caissons go rolling along.
For it's "Hi! Hi! Hee!" in the Field Artillery,
Call off your numbers loud and strong.
And where e'er we go you will always know
that those caissons go rolling along.
To the front, day and night where the doughboys dig and fight
and those caissons go rolling along.
Our barrage will be fired on the rockets flare
while those caissons go rolling along.
For it's "Hi! Hi! Hee!" in the Field Artillery,
Call off your numbers loud and strong.
And where e'er we go you will always
know that those caissons go rolling along.
With the cav'lry, boot to boot we will join in the pursuit
and those caissons go rolling along.
Action front, at a trot, volley fire with shell and shot
while those caissons go rolling along.
For it's "Hi! Hi! Hee!" in the Field Artillery,
Call off your numbers loud and strong.
And where e'er we go you will always know
that those caissons go rolling along.
Should the foe penetrate, ev'ry gunner lies in wait
and those caissons go rolling along.
Fire at will, lay 'em low, never stop for any foe
while those caissons go rolling along.
For it's "Hi! Hi! Hee!" in the Field Artillery,
Call off your numbers loud and strong.
And where e'er we go you will always know
that those caissons go rolling along.
But if fate me should call, and in action I should fall
keep those caissons go rolling along.
Then in peace I'll abide when I take my final ride
on a caisson that's rolling along.
For it's "Hi! Hi! Hee!" in the Field Artillery
Call off your numbers loud and strong.
And where e'er we go you will always know
that those caissons go rolling along.
The song was originally written by field artillery
First Lieutenant [later Brigadier General] Edmund L. Gruber,
while stationed in the
Phillipines in 1908. The song was transformed into a march
by John Philips Sousa in 1917
and renamed
The Field Artillery Song.
