What Do Soldiers Listen To on Their Earphones?

For George Washington, music was vital to the morale of his troops. During the Revolutionary War of 1775-1783, the drums and the penny whistle served to cheer up the soldiers after battle. In the historic chronicles of the 14th Regiment of the Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, it is written that when “The Star Spangled Banner,” “The Red, White and Blue” and “Yankee Doodle” were played, the soldiers fought better, as if these songs had a magical effect on these men. After reading, listening to music was the best pastime for American soldiers during the Civil War.

Jonathan Pieslak’s “Sound Targets” states that during World War II, the German military radio stations would play music to inspire the troops on the battlefield. “Ride of the Valkyries” would motivate the troops during the most hostile face-offs. Nowadays, the influence of heavy metal on military recruitment is also reflected on the proliferation of music videos created by soldiers themselves. On the Grouchy Media website, there are dozens of music videos by American soldiers. In this multitude, there are videos with heavy metal music in sync with snapshots by soldiers from the battlefields, above all in Iraq and Afghanistan. “Bodies” (Drowning Pool), “Die MF Die” (Dope), and “Hit the Floor” (Linkin Park) are the musical score to images of military action or scenes of violence.

The marines listen to a little bit of everything, but more than anything else to a piece by the Bloodhound Gang called “Fire Water Burn.”

“The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire!

We don’t need no water ― Let the motherfucker burn!”

It’s such a violent song that over the years, it has taken the place of “Eye of the Tiger,” which reminded of Rocky’s feats. Among the groups that American soldiers have chosen are also Metallica with “Enter Sandman,” “All Nightmare Long,” “Don’t Tread On Me” and “Whiskey in the Jar,” and also Manowar with the song “Hail & Kill,” a hymn to violence and destruction. Pieslak found out that jazz served for the rare moments of rest granted in the trenches, R&B is prohibited and country relegated to itself.

If being cool headed and fast is helpful on the front lines, it’s where you listen to rock, hard rock, and Eminem’s rap. Soldiers put their iPod Nanos in their military fatigues and are ready to go into battle. Each one has a personal playlist. The difference between one contingent and another is also evident in what they listen to on their earphones.

However, American soldiers received iPods in order to be able to use applications useful to their operational duties, not to exchange songs that encourage war. Barry McGuire in 1965 used to sing “Eve of Destruction,” a sort of warning about a possible imminent apocalypse; it was considered by many as the highest example of a protest song.

“But you tell me

Over and over and over again my friend

Ah, you don’t believe

We’re on the eve of destruction.”