The Anatomy of a Race*
Dedicated on 27 April 2019 to the Navy and Penn lightweight rowers of 2019 and to the Penn and Navy lightweight rowers on 31 May 1919
This verse is whimsical but true;
And humor is always best when based in truth.
Catch—catch—catch—catch—square your blade and drop it in.
Breathe—breathe—breathe—breathe—soon we’ll all be suckin’ wind!
Catch—catch—catch—catch—pain will soon be settin’ in—
But there’s no rest till way enuff!
Drive!—Drive!—Drive!—Drive!—set the boat and make ‘er swing.
Pain—pain—pain—pain—legs an’ back are all a-sting!
DRIVE!—DRIVE!—DRIVE!—DRIVE!—ears and teeth begin to ring!
An’ there’s no rest till way enuff!
Release—release—release—release—release and feather your oar.
Recover—recover—recover—recover—control your slide and make ‘er soar!
RUN!—RUN!—RUN!—RUN!—eight oars to bow in uni-son—
An’ there’s no rest till way enuff!
Twenty—fifteen—ten—five—hun-dred meters to the end.
Don’t—don’t—don’t—don’t—your demon quitters-voice befriend!
Keep—keep—keep—keep—o’er the keel and row as one!
Cuz there’s no rest till way enuff!
T’ain’t—so—bad—when—the cox knocks the end is near.
Power—twenty—thirty—nine!—we’ll sprint to the finish line!
SET!—SWING!—RUN!—the—boat an’ rowers look mighty fine!
An’ then the cox cries, “WAY ENUFF….!”
I tell you true, memories o’ them days are sure better than experiencin’ ‘em again for real today, you betchya!
Gary Arthur Lundeen, Marine
A starboard 5 from ’75—
And a Jarhead who loves Kipling!
* This ditty is said to the cadence of Rudyard Kipling’s Boots and is recorded here by LCDR Jocko Willink, USN (Ret), United States Navy SEALs