The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
The heart of every man in our platoon must swell with pride
For the nation's youth, the cream of which is marching at his side
For the fascinating rules and regulations that we share
And the quaint and curious costumes that we're called upon to wear
Now al joined up to do his part defending you and me
He wants to fight and bleed and kill and die for liberty
With the hell of war he's come to grips
Policing up the filter tips
It makes a fellow proud to be a soldier
When pete was only in the seventh grade, he stabbed a cop
He's real aa material, and he was glad to swap
His switch-blade and his old zip-gun
For a bayonet and a new M-1
It makes a fellow proud to be a soldier
After johnny got through basic training, he
Was a soldier through and through when he was done
Its effects were so well rooted
That the next day he saluted
A good-humor man, an usher, and a nun
Now fred's an intellectual, brings a book to every meal
He likes the deep philosophers, like norman vincent peale
He thinks the army's "Just the thing"
Because he finds it "Broadening"
It makes a fellow proud to be a soldier
Now ed flunked out of second grade and never finished school
He doesn't know a shelter-half from an entrenching tool
But he's going to be a big success
He heads his class at OCS
It makes a fellow proud to be a soldier
Our old mess sergeant's taste buds had been shot off in the war
Buit his savory collations add to our esprit de corps
To think of all the marvelous ways
They're using plastics nowadays
It makes a fellow proud to be a soldier
Our lieutenant is the up and coming type
Played with solders as a boy, you just can bet
It is written in the stars
He will get his captain's bars
But he hasn't got enough boxtops yet
Our captain has a handicap to cope with, sad to tell
He's from georgia, and he doesn't speak the language very well
He used to be, so rumor has
The dean of men at Alcatraz
It makes a fellow proud to be
What as a kid I vowed to be
What luck to be allowed to be a soldier
At ease
For the nation's youth, the cream of which is marching at his side
For the fascinating rules and regulations that we share
And the quaint and curious costumes that we're called upon to wear
Now al joined up to do his part defending you and me
He wants to fight and bleed and kill and die for liberty
With the hell of war he's come to grips
Policing up the filter tips
It makes a fellow proud to be a soldier
When pete was only in the seventh grade, he stabbed a cop
He's real aa material, and he was glad to swap
His switch-blade and his old zip-gun
For a bayonet and a new M-1
It makes a fellow proud to be a soldier
After johnny got through basic training, he
Was a soldier through and through when he was done
Its effects were so well rooted
That the next day he saluted
A good-humor man, an usher, and a nun
Now fred's an intellectual, brings a book to every meal
He likes the deep philosophers, like norman vincent peale
He thinks the army's "Just the thing"
Because he finds it "Broadening"
It makes a fellow proud to be a soldier
Now ed flunked out of second grade and never finished school
He doesn't know a shelter-half from an entrenching tool
But he's going to be a big success
He heads his class at OCS
It makes a fellow proud to be a soldier
Our old mess sergeant's taste buds had been shot off in the war
Buit his savory collations add to our esprit de corps
To think of all the marvelous ways
They're using plastics nowadays
It makes a fellow proud to be a soldier
Our lieutenant is the up and coming type
Played with solders as a boy, you just can bet
It is written in the stars
He will get his captain's bars
But he hasn't got enough boxtops yet
Our captain has a handicap to cope with, sad to tell
He's from georgia, and he doesn't speak the language very well
He used to be, so rumor has
The dean of men at Alcatraz
It makes a fellow proud to be
What as a kid I vowed to be
What luck to be allowed to be a soldier
At ease
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
It Makes a Fellow Proud to Be a Soldier Lyrics as written by Tom Thomas Lehrer
Lyrics © Public Domain
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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