yalla yalla

"Yalla" is a common arabic expression, loosely meaning "hurry up" and often used by american soldiers in place of "hurry up" or "let's go". Like every war Iraq war soldiers have developed their own unique slang based on their experiences. Oftentimes these slang words creep into our nations vocabulary many years after the original conflict. ."Yalla" or "Yalla Yalla" may not become as common as RADAR, AWOL or SNAFU but it will certainly be used by soldiers for many years to come. This song takes no position on the war in Iraq*. It is a exploration and a celebration of a certain kind of bravado and swagger one finds in the speech of soldiers. I find it nicely matches the kind of swagger often exhibited by rock, blues and hip hop singers. I suppose that is why it was so much fun (and relatively easy) to take this arcane slang and anacronyms and build a song out of it. If I got some of it wrong, well i apologize. There seemed to be some disagreement among my small sample of soldiers (and marines) about the pronunciation or precise meaning of some of the terms i use. case in point whether anyone really refers to Camp Anaconda as Bombaconda, or the precise definition (and spelling!) of a "pogue". My questioning at the Atlanta airport set off a heated argument between two servicemen. It's all in good fun, so don't kick my ass. please.
Finally most of this footage was taken from YouTube. Who knew the internets were full of soldiers marines, sailors and airmen dancing, lip syncing and headbanging to their favorite music? IF YOU ARE IN THIS AND DON"T WANT TO BE: politely write us and we will edit you out.
David Lowery
* Due diligence: I opposed the war in Iraq. I viewed it as a distraction from the fight in Afghanistan. However now that we are in Iraq I believe we shouldn't leave until there is a stable and humane government in that country. I'll leave the notions of timetables, troop levels etc etc to the professionals.

LYRICS:
jesus christ it's hot out here
but i'm the lucky mother
tip of the spear

give me water and cannon fodder
good to be outta the CHU


i been thru basra
fucked up falluja
sadr city mosul


there weren't no chocolates
no pretty flowers
just kill them all or we'll die

yalla yalla
yalla yalla
yalla yalla
yalla yalla

At bombaconda the hajis missed me
Send them on their way to paradise

Whisky tango foxtrot gunners
Too many pogues in the way

No r n r in kuwait city
Abu dhabi Dubai

I want my boots on
My battle rattle
When it's my time to die.
Ya la la
Yalla yalla

Ya la la
Yalla yalla

i had a girl her name was gwendolyn wanda
she rocked my world she loved my anaconda

i had a girl her name was alda salas
we never stopped she'd holler yalla yalla

i had a girl nantucket massachusettes
she had lisp but man her ass was perfect

i had a girl her name was alda salas ++++
i couldn't stop she'd holler yalla yalla

i had a girl she volunteered for PETA
she liked my gun all fifty millimeters

i had a girl she liked to live with danger
she liked it best when it was with a stranger

i had a girl her name was gwendolyn wanda
she rocked my world she loved my anaconda

i had a girl nantucket massachussettes
she had a lisp but man her ass was perfect

• Category

  Music

[crackerrocks]

also some of you were taken in by khmerdog. a very twisted and sick individual. get this, he is pretending to be an anti-american foreigner but all his posts refer back to US right wing extremist websites. if you think about this his only intent is to stoke hatred and division among americans. in particular among serviceman. i guess he wants to create another McVeigh or SLA (ex serviceman who turned on their countrymen). don't fall for this guy.

[crackerrocks]

We remove comments when people are needlessly rude profane and hateful. also anyone who is "spoofing'" or posting under multiple identities.

Some of you who did not do any of the above had your comments removed. Why? because you were understandably responding to some idiot posting ridiculous comments. Our view is that lets not even give the idiots the time of day.

[carkemish]

Analogous to Raus! Raus!

[kawasakiis2fast4u]

Why does this piece of art only have 132,811 views?

[horsearcher1]

This is fantastic. Where did you find the source video? Best album of that year, period . . . I think the video does the album's honest reportage justice, for what that is worth.

[Peat Willcutt]

Cracker expresses my American soul and experience... Keep rocking for the better forever! OR ELSE!!!! ;)

[Steve Barton]

This is Cracker Soul.

[acerb45666555]

*Natacha*

[acerb45666555]

even Israelis say Yalla. its quite a common word. even better when Natach Atlas sings it! its one of her best tunes!,.."Yalla, Yalla"!

[touchinstinct]

Hooah to the soldiers and OOH-MUTHA FUCKIN-RAH to My Devil Dogs over there and in The Stan!