Don’t know where I’ve heard this before, but I knew it was Boots. I saw 28 years later, ago few weeks ago and it bugged me, as I’ve heard it before-just can’t put my finger on it.

My maternal grandmother was an English teacher, grandfather was a teacher and my other grandmother was a teacher, so I can only assume one of them made me reading it, or it was Mrs. Howell from Sixth grade.

quote:

Originally posted by Herkdriver:

quote:

Director Danny Boyle and the creative team chose this nearly 120-year-old recital for its intense psychological effect—it’s so unnerving that the U.S. military’s SERE training used it to break down captives through sheer monotony and mental stress

Yep. This poem is permanently stuck in my head.

Looking at your Username, I'm guessing a nice little school out in the woods?

"I am an American, fighting in the forces which guard my country and our way of life..."

It occasionally pops up in the back of my head too.
Ask me why I hate "beeping" alarms

.

Music Credits for the movie "28 Years Later" and information about the movie's soundtrack is posted here:

www.EN.Wikipedia.org/wiki/28_Years_Later_(soundtrack)


Wikipedia has a separate article about the "Boots," poem by Rudyard Kipling. This article references 5 recordings of "Boots" and the actual 1915 recording of the performance by Taylor Holmes can be heard on the page:
www.EN.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Boots_(poem)
I think the "28 Years Later" soundtrack edited Holmes' performance for the movie.

Here is the full Poem:
We're foot—slog—slog—slog—sloggin' over Africa
Foot—foot—foot—foot—sloggin' over Africa --
(Boots—boots—boots—boots—movin' up and down again!)
There's no discharge in the war!

Seven—six—eleven—five—nine-an'-twenty mile to-day
Four—eleven—seventeen—thirty-two the day before --
(Boots—boots—boots—boots—movin' up and down again!)
There's no discharge in the war!

Don't—don't—don't—don't—look at what's in front of you.
(Boots—boots—boots—boots—movin' up an' down again);
Men—men—men—men—men go mad with watchin' em,
An' there's no discharge in the war!

Count—count—count—count—the bullets in the bandoliers.
If—your—eyes—drop—they will get atop o' you!
(Boots—boots—boots—boots—movin' up and down again) --
There's no discharge in the war!

We—can—stick—out—'unger, thirst, an' weariness,
But—not—not—not—not the chronic sight of 'em,
Boot—boots—boots—boots—movin' up an' down again,
An' there's no discharge in the war!

'Taint—so—bad—by—day because o' company,
But night—brings—long—strings—o' forty thousand million
Boots—boots—boots—boots—movin' up an' down again.
There's no discharge in the war!

I—'ave—marched—six—weeks in 'Ell an' certify
It—is—not—fire—devils, dark, or anything,
But boots—boots—boots—boots—movin' up an' down again,
An' there's no discharge in the war!

Try—try—try—try—to think o' something different
Oh—my—God—keep—me from goin' lunatic!
(Boots—boots—boots—boots—movin' up an' down again!)
There's no discharge in the war!

.

quote:

Originally posted by CPD SIG:

Snip

Looking at your Username, I'm guessing a nice little school out in the woods?

"I am an American, fighting in the forces which guard my country and our way of life..."

It occasionally pops up in the back of my head too.
Ask me why I hate "beeping" alarms

Yeah, a little vacation in the Pacific Northwest. My class was just late enough in the spring that we did not have to carry snowshoes with us in the woods. I actually liked the surviving in the woods part. The POW camp kinda messed my brain up for a bit. Good training but nothing I want to repeat.