Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition

Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition

Song from World War II.

This is an American patriotic song about the attack on Pearl Harbor that drew the United States into World War II. It was written by Frank Loesser and published as sheet music in 1942. The song is based on stories of a military chaplain that supposedly was with soldiers during the attack and was asked to say a prayer for the soldiers as they engaged in firing at oncoming planes. Some stories say that in response the chaplain put down his bible and took up a gun uttering the phrase “Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition”. Other accounts are that the phrase was simply uttered as a chaplain supported men in the ammunition line.

Rumor has it that the phrase came from a Chaplain Forgy aboard the USS New Orleans.

Frank Loesser

1942

Down went the gunner, a bullet was his fate
Down went the gunner and then the gunner’s mate
Up jumped the sky pilot, gave the boys a look
And manned the gun himself as he laid aside the book, shouting

Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition
Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition
Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition
And we’ll all stay free

Praise the Lord and swing into position
Can’t afford to sit around a-wishin’
(Or can’t afford to be a politician)
Praise the Lord, we’re all between perdition
And the deep blue sea

Yes, the sky pilot said it
You gotta give him credit
For a sonofagun of a gunner was he, shouting

Praise the Lord, we’re on a mighty mission
All aboard, we’re not a-goin’ fishin’
Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition
And we’ll all stay free

Song

2:30