TITLE: Songs of S.E.A.

AUTHOR/COMPILER: James Patterson (Bull) Durham

BRANCH OF SERVICE: Air Force

UNIT/AGENCY:

NATIONALITY: USA

DATE: 1970

NOTE: Texts of approximately one hundred songs collected during the author's tour of duty in Vietnam, 1969-1970. Most texts appear to come from other songbooks. Published by Dur-Don Enterprises.

Songs marked with an asterisk * are from the 35th Tactical Fighter Wing Songbook, Phan Rang AFB, 1969. They were also included in Joseph Tuso, "Folksongs of the American Fighter Pilot in Southeast Asia, 1967-1968"

CONTENTS:

1. Will the MIGs Come Out to Play?*
Tune: My Indiana Home

2. The Thud Drivers' Theme*
Tune: Whiffenpoof Song

3. Oh Little Town of Ho Chi Minh*
Tune: Oh Little Town of Bethlehem

4. Republic's Ultra Hog*
Tune: Wabash Cannonball

5. Humoresque

6. The Red River Valley
Tune: Red River Valley

7. Our Leaders*
Tune: Manana

8. On Top of the Pop Up*
Tune: On Top of Old Smokey

9. The Than Hoa Bridge
Tune: Strawberry Roan

10. Up in That Valley
Tune: Down in the Valley

11. Pop Goes the Weasel*
Tune: Pop Goes the Weasel

12. Don't Send Me to Hanoi
Tune: Winchester Cathedral

13. One Hundred Missions
Tune: When Johnny Comes Marching Home*

14. Where Have All the Old Heads Gone?*
Tune: Where Have All the Flowers Gone?

15. Wild Weasel*
Tune: Sweet Betsy From Pike

16. Twelve Days of Combat
Tune: Twelve Days of Christmas

17. I Wanted Wings ( S.E.A. Version)

18. The Yellow Rose of Hanoi*
Tune: The Yellow Rose of Texas

19. Da Nang Lullaby
Tune: My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean

20. We've Been Working on the Railroad
Tune: I've Been Working on the Railroad

21. Number One Clismas Song*
Tune: Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire

22. Song of the Wolf Pack*
Tune: Ghost Riders in the Sky

23. If You Fly [Did You Go Boom Today?]
Tune: Taradaboomdeay

24. Napalm
Tune: Good Ship Titanic

25. On Top of Old Thud Ridge
Tune: On Top of Old Smokey

26. Just Give Me Operations
Tune: Bless Them All

27. The Coed and the Cadet

28. You'll Never Mind [Come and Join the Air Force]

29. Ode to a Great Fucking SAR Effort
Note: Parody of "The Night Before Christmas"

30. Brown Anchor
Tune: Oh Susanna

31. Downtown
Note: Does not appear to be related to the Dick Jonas song of the same name

32. Air Corps Lament [The Force is Shot to Hell]
Tune: Battle Hymn of the Republic

33. Flak Showers
Tune: April Showers

34. Battle Hymn of the 85mm Gunner
Tune: Battle Hymn of the Republic

35. In-Flight Refueling*
Tune: Strawberry Roan

36. Let's Have a Party
Note: Oscar Brand version

37. Bloody Great Wheel [The Great Fucking Wheel]

38. Ace in the Hole

39. Battle Hymn [We Fly Our Fucking Thuds at Ten Thousand Fucking Feet]
Tune: Battle Hymn of the Republic

40. Throw a Nickel on the Grass
Tune: Throw a Nickel on the Drum
Note: Korean War version with a wonderful "It was midnight in Korea" introduction

41. I Wanted Wings
Note: World War II version

42. Joy to the World
Tune: Joy to the World

43. Jingle Bells [Flying Through the Sky in a Foxtrot One-O-Five]
Tune: Jingle Bells

44. Little Town of Bethlehem
Tune: O Little Town of Bethlehem
Note: Almost identical to song number 3

45. "G" Suits and Parachutes
Tune: Bell Bottom Trousers

46. Puff [Puff the Tragic Wagon)
Tune: Puff the Magic Dragon

47. The Ho Chi Minh Trail*
Tune: Along the Navajo Trail

48. Tie My Root Around a Tree
Tune: The Old Chisholm Trail

49. No Fighter Pilots in Hell [Oh There Are No Fighter Pilots Down in Hell]

50. On Top of Fuji [On Top of Old Fuji]
Tune: On Top of Old Smokey

51. Beside a Korean Waterfall
Tune: The Dying Hobo

52. Itazuke Tower
Tune: Wabash Cannon Ball

53. Wreck of Old 97
Tune: Wreck of the Old 97
Note: Korean War version

54. Here's to the Regular Air Force
Tune: My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean
Note: Korean War version with a slightly different chorus]

55. Phan Rang Blues

56. The River Ran Red [As We Came Around and Tried to Get Some More]
Tune: The Ship Titanic

57. Doumer Bridge Blues

58. The Battle of 18.23
Tune: The Battle of New Orleans

59. Wingman's Lament [I'm a Lousy Co-Pilot and a Long Way From Home]
Tune: Sweet Betsy From Pike

60. I Ain't Got No Use for the Women

61. Ring Dang Doo

62. Call Out the Reserves [Here's to the Regular Air Force]
Tune: My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean

63. B-52 Take Off

64. B-52 [The B-52 Flies at 50,000 Feet]
Tune: Battle Hymn of the Republic

Taradaboomdeay

65. Little Red Light
Tune: My Blue Heaven

66. Methuselah With Wings

67. As We Came Around and Tried to Get Some More
Tune: The Ship Titanic
Note: Almost identical to song number 56

68. Ashau [Hello Ashau Tower, This is Hobo 51]
Tune: Wabash Cannon Ball

69. Grunts [Grunt Song]
Note: Almost identical to Korat version, except for place names: Da Nang and Phu Cat

70. A Man Named Louie
Tune: The Ship That Never Returned

71. Dear Ma'am, Your Son is Dead

72. I Fly the Line

Tune: I Walk the Line

73. Oscar Deuce
Tune: Railroad Bill

74. Buffalo FAC Won't You Come Out Tonight?
Tune: Buffalo Gals

75. Sycamore Tree

76. Mighty Dust Off
Tune: Wreck of the Old 97

77. Attopeu Town
Tune: Jamaica Farewell

78. Covey Bill
Tune: Railroad Bill

79. Silver Wings [The Inventory]
Tune: Ballad of the Green Berets

80. Tchepone
Tune: Strawberry Roan

81. Ode to the Operations Officer

82. Whiffenpoof Song

83. Just Give Me Operations [Give Me Operations]

84. Sydney Leave
Note: Variant of "The Lousy Lance-Corporal

85. Saigon City
Note: Contains "Shovelling shit on the Isle of Capri" stanza

86. You Can Tell a Fighter Pilot
Tune: Battle Hymn of the Republic

87. Save a Fighter Pilot's Ass
Tune: Throw a Nickel on the Drum

88. VNAF Waterfall [Beside a VNAF Waterfall]
Tune: The Dying Hobo

89. Here's to the Regular Air Force
Tune: My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean
Note: Korean War version with "Some mothers have sons in the service" tacked onto the end

90. The Stooge [I Am the Co-pilot, I Sit On the Right]
Tune: Sweet Betsy From Pike

91. The Last of the Bombardiers

92. Man on the Flying Trapeze [When Flying in the Fighters ...]
Tune: The Man on the Flying Trapeze

93. Don't Fence Me In [Please Fence Me In]
Tune: Don't Fence Me In

94. Cool Water [Water, Cold Salt Water]
Tune: Cool, Clear Water

95. EOD's Answer to the Green Berets [Silver Bombs Upon Our Chests]
Tune: Ballad of the Green Berets

96. C-124 Song

97. The Pleiku Air Base Blues
Tune: Folsom Prison?

98. SOP for the Air Force Wife

99. Little Brown Outhouse [Don't Tear That Little Brown Building Down]

100. A Real AC

101. Ballad of Bull Durham

102. Terms and Definitions
Note: "Translation" of terms from ER

NOTES UPDATED: January 9, 2002

1. Will the MIGs Come Out to Play?*

Tune: My Indiana Home

2. The Thud Drivers' Theme*

Tune: Whiffenpoof Song

3. Oh Little Town of Ho Chi Minh*

Tune: Oh Little Town of Bethlehem

4. Republic's Ultra Hog*

Tune: Wabash Cannonball

5. Humoresque

6. The Red River Valley

Tune: Red River Valley

7. Our Leaders*

Tune: Manana

8. On Top of the Pop Up*

Tune: On Top of Old Smokey

9. The Than Hoa Bridge

Tune: Strawberry Roan

10. Up in That Valley

Tune: Down in the Valley

11. Pop Goes the Weasel*

Tune: Pop Goes the Weasel

12. Don't Send Me to Hanoi

Tune: Winchester Cathedral

13. One Hundred Missions

Tune: When Johnny Comes Marching Home*

14. Where Have All the Old Heads Gone?*

Tune: Where Have All the Flowers Gone?

15. Wild Weasel*

Tune: Sweet Betsy From Pike

16. Twelve Days of Combat

Tune: Twelve Days of Christmas

17. I Wanted Wings ( S.E.A. Version)

18. The Yellow Rose of Hanoi*

Tune: The Yellow Rose of Texas

19. Da Nang Lullaby

Tune: My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean

20. We've Been Working on the Railroad

Tune: I've Been Working on the Railroad

21. Number One Clismas Song*

Tune: Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire

22. Song of the Wolf Pack*

Tune: Ghost Riders in the Sky

23. If You Fly [Did You Go Boom Today?]

Tune: Taradaboomdeay

24. Napalm

Tune: Good Ship Titanic

25. On Top of Old Thud Ridge

Tune: On Top of Old Smokey

26. Just Give Me Operations

Tune: Bless Them All

27. The Coed and the Cadet

28. You'll Never Mind [Come and Join the Air Force]

29. Ode to a Great Fucking SAR Effort

Note: Parody of "The Night Before Christmas"

30. Brown Anchor

Tune: Oh Susanna

31. Downtown

Note: Does not appear to be related to the Dick Jonas song of the same name

32. Air Corps Lament [The Force is Shot to Hell]

Tune: Battle Hymn of the Republic

33. Flak Showers

Tune: April Showers

34. Battle Hymn of the 85mm Gunner

Tune: Battle Hymn of the Republic

35. In-Flight Refueling*

Tune: Strawberry Roan

36. Let's Have a Party

Note: Oscar Brand version

37. Bloody Great Wheel [The Great Fucking Wheel]

38. Ace in the Hole

39. Battle Hymn [We Fly Our Fucking Thuds at Ten Thousand Fucking Feet]

Tune: Battle Hymn of the Republic

40. Throw a Nickel on the Grass

Tune: Throw a Nickel on the Drum

Note: Korean War version with a wonderful "It was midnight in Korea" introduction

41. I Wanted Wings

Note: World War II version

42. Joy to the World

Tune: Joy to the World

43. Jingle Bells [Flying Through the Sky in a Foxtrot One-O-Five]

Tune: Jingle Bells

44. Little Town of Bethlehem

Tune: O Little Town of Bethlehem

Note: Almost identical to song number 3

45. "G" Suits and Parachutes

Tune: Bell Bottom Trousers

46. Puff [Puff the Tragic Wagon)

Tune: Puff the Magic Dragon

47. The Ho Chi Minh Trail*

Tune: Along the Navajo Trail

48. Tie My Root Around a Tree

Tune: The Old Chisholm Trail

49. No Fighter Pilots in Hell [Oh There Are No Fighter Pilots Down in Hell]

50. On Top of Fuji [On Top of Old Fuji]

Tune: On Top of Old Smokey

51. Beside a Korean Waterfall

Tune: The Dying Hobo

52. Itazuke Tower

Tune: Wabash Cannon Ball

53. Wreck of Old 97

Tune: Wreck of the Old 97

Note: Korean War version

54. Here's to the Regular Air Force

Tune: My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean

Note: Korean War version with a slightly different chorus]

55. Phan Rang Blues

56. The River Ran Red [As We Came Around and Tried to Get Some More]

Tune: The Ship Titanic

57. Doumer Bridge Blues

58. The Battle of 18.23

Tune: The Battle of New Orleans

59. Wingman's Lament [I'm a Lousy Co-Pilot and a Long Way From Home]

Tune: Sweet Betsy From Pike

60. I Ain't Got No Use for the Women

61. Ring Dang Doo

62. Call Out the Reserves [Here's to the Regular Air Force]

Tune: My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean

63. B-52 Take Off

64. B-52 [The B-52 Flies at 50,000 Feet]

Tune: Battle Hymn of the Republic

Taradaboomdeay

65. Little Red Light

Tune: My Blue Heaven

66. Methuselah With Wings

67. As We Came Around and Tried to Get Some More

Tune: The Ship Titanic

Note: Almost identical to song number 56

68. Ashau [Hello Ashau Tower, This is Hobo 51]

Tune: Wabash Cannon Ball

69. Grunts [Grunt Song]

Note: Almost identical to Korat version, except for place names: Da Nang and Phu Cat

70. A Man Named Louie

Tune: The Ship That Never Returned

71. Dear Ma'am, Your Son is Dead

72. I Fly the Line

Tune: I Walk the Line

73. Oscar Deuce

Tune: Railroad Bill

74. Buffalo FAC Won't You Come Out Tonight?

Tune: Buffalo Gals

75. Sycamore Tree

76. Mighty Dust Off

Tune: Wreck of the Old 97

77. Attopeu Town

Tune: Jamaica Farewell

78. Covey Bill

Tune: Railroad Bill

79. Silver Wings [The Inventory]

Tune: Ballad of the Green Berets

80. Tchepone

Tune: Strawberry Roan

81. Ode to the Operations Officer

82. Whiffenpoof Song

83. Just Give Me Operations [Give Me Operations]

84. Sydney Leave

Note: Variant of "The Lousy Lance-Corporal

85. Saigon City

Note: Contains "Shovelling shit on the Isle of Capri" stanza

86. You Can Tell a Fighter Pilot

Tune: Battle Hymn of the Republic

87. Save a Fighter Pilot's Ass

Tune: Throw a Nickel on the Drum

88. VNAF Waterfall [Beside a VNAF Waterfall]

Tune: The Dying Hobo

89. Here's to the Regular Air Force

Tune: My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean

Note: Korean War version with "Some mothers have sons in the service" tacked onto the end

90. The Stooge [I Am the Co-pilot, I Sit On the Right]

Tune: Sweet Betsy From Pike

91. The Last of the Bombardiers

92. Man on the Flying Trapeze [When Flying in the Fighters ...]

Tune: The Man on the Flying Trapeze

93. Don't Fence Me In [Please Fence Me In]

Tune: Don't Fence Me In

94. Cool Water [Water, Cold Salt Water]

Tune: Cool, Clear Water

95. EOD's Answer to the Green Berets [Silver Bombs Upon Our Chests]

Tune: Ballad of the Green Berets

96. C-124 Song

97. The Pleiku Air Base Blues

Tune: Folsom Prison?

98. SOP for the Air Force Wife

99. Little Brown Outhouse [Don't Tear That Little Brown Building Down]

100. A Real AC

101. Ballad of Bull Durham

102. Terms and Definitions

Note: "Translation" of terms from ER

NOTES UPDATED: 11 April 2025