Talk:Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition

Irony?
I don't understand, was the phrase intended to be ironic? Or did the irony escape them? 74.78.98.109 (talk) 08:54, 19 March 2008 (UTC)


 * From what I read at the Smithsonian link, lyricist Frank Loesser attributed the phrase to a sky pilot replacing a downed gunner; I suspect that was done for dramatic effect, as describing in a song a chaplain passing along a row of men, encouraging them to "praise the lord and pass the ammunition" would, I imagine, be difficult. But that's only a personal speculation.  The truth seems to be that the phrase was used as encouragement by the lieutenant chaplain on a naval ship during the Pearl Harbor attack.  During a surprise attack in 1941, I can't see how it could have been intended as ironic: fear must have been enormous, and traditional religion was a lot stronger then than it is today.  In a time of stress, it must have been intended as, and received as, a comfort and exhortation i.e., "do your part and let the Lord take care of the rest".  The current use as an ironic antiwar phrase comes generations later, during a time of protest.Sallijane (talk) 11:26, 5 May 2009 (UTC)

Origin of phrase?
Hi there,

Thou hast no right but to do thy will.

The page attributes the title's origin to a WWII chaplain, apparently following the statement on the Smithsonian site :

http://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object.cfm?key=35&objkey=81

However, book descriptions of a reprint of the 1870 book "Army Life in a Black Regiment" by Thomas Wentworth Higginson ("a Union colonel from New England, in charge of black troops training off the coast of the Carolinas") quote "historian Henry Steele Commager" as saying that "Higginson's picture of the battle ... was the origin of 'praise the Lord and pass the ammunition' ...".

See eg:

http://www.powells.com/biblio/0486424820?&PID=30732

I haven't been able to confirm this statement outside of these book descriptions -- but you're the historians ;) Could somene with more expertise please look into this, anc correct if appropriate (and refute the myth if not)?

Thanks!

Mikalra 19:03, 1 December 2006 (UTC)


 * The exact phrase does not appear in Higginson's writings in that book. Henry Steele Commager makes the claim that Higginson's vivid writings inspired the phrase, but it's not clear what Commager bases this claim on. The published song appears to be the first instance in print based on a quick online search, but there could certainly be other instances. Jokestress 00:58, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

Serj Tankian actually included a song called "Praise the lord and pass the ammunition" in his new CD, Elect the Dead. Should this be added to the article? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 193.144.2.254 (talk) 08:00, 14 April 2008 (UTC)

The article is almost entirely written on the basis that the saying originated in Pearl Harbour. Yet the last sentence refers to a 1939 film which presumably included the phrase. It is logical that the PH chaplain was quoting from the film. So the origin is the film - or earlier. I suspect that the saying is actually much earlier.203.184.41.226 (talk) 07:14, 29 June 2013 (UTC)

"Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition"
I remember seeing the original "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" chaplain on a TV panel show in the 1950's, possibly "I've Got a Secret". His story was that the ship had been attacked and the Japanese had disabled the ammunition elevator, so the sailors formed a bucket brigade to pass ammo up to the guns. One of the sailors asked the chaplain what they should do now, and his reply became the song. I don't remember which battle (may not have been Pearl Harbor) or which ship, but the TV archives should have the show.

Smithsonian recordings has a Black Gospel version that (I think) was much later than the original popular song during the war. It leads off with a strafing run and a bomb drop. Bitbanger (talk) 02:45, 28 August 2010 (UTC)


 * You are remembering the Armed Forces Week episode of "I've Got a Secret" from May 18, 1955, hosted by Ralph Bellamy, in which Howell Forgy appeared. I have the episode and can check to see if it conveys any information not already included. Richard K. Carson (talk) 05:56, 16 November 2010 (UTC)
 * Someone changed the guest host Ralph Bellamy to the regular host Garry Moore, which is not true for that episode. Rather than go back and forth, I have simply deleted the mention of the host, since it's not particularly relevant. Richard K. Carson (talk) 05:46, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

Modern remake
Should a mention be made of the modern remake?