The U.S. version of "Reveille"
"Reveille" is a bugle call most often associated with the military; it is chiefly used to wake military personnel at sunrise. The name comes from the French for "wake up".
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The tune used in the Commonwealth of Nations is different from the one used in the United States, but they are used in analogous ways: to ceremonially start the day.
In modern times the U.S. military plays (or sounds) "Reveille" in the morning, generally near sunrise, though its exact time varies from base to base. On U.S. Army posts, the national flag is raised while Reveille is played (on board U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard facilities, the flag is generally raised at 0800 while the National Anthem or the bugle call "To the Colors" is played). On some U.S. military bases, it is accompanied with a cannon shot. As it is played all uniformed personnel are required to come to attention and present a salute either to the flag or in the direction of the music if the flag is not visible. [1]
In the Indian Army, "Reveille" is sounded at 06:00 (or sunrise), and the regimental colours are hoisted. As this also signals the start of the physical training parade, servicemen for practical reasons must awake prior to the sounding of Reveille.
In the Irish Army, "Reveille" is sounded at dawn and at military wreath-laying ceremonies, as on the National Day of Commemoration.
In Commonwealth Remembrance Day and Remembrance Sunday services, "The Last Post" begins the period of silent reflection, and "Reveille" ends it. The two tunes symbolize sunset and sunrise respectively, and therefore death and resurrection. ("Reveille" is often replaced by The Rouse, a bugle call commonly mistaken for "Reveille", although these are actually two different tunes.)
Both Commonwealth and United States "Reveilles" can be played with any combination of valves (or all open valves), because they were first played on a bugle, which lacks valves and is played by altering the embouchure.
Reveille can also be played on the drums. An old 1800s sheet exists at http://www.fifedrum.org/resources/music/ashworth/Ashworth_p12.jpg
Although there are no official lyrics to Reveille, these unofficial lyrics for the Commonwealth "Reveille" have been recently popularized[2]:
Rev-eil-lee! Rev-eil-lee is sounding
The bugle calls you from your sleep; it is the break of day.
You've got to do your duty or you will get no pay.
Come, wake yourself, rouse yourself out of your sleep
And throw off the blankets and take a good peek at all
The bright signs of the break of day, so get up and do not delay.
Get Up!
Or-der-ly officer is on his round!
And if you're still a-bed he will send you to the guard
And then you'll get a drill and that will be a bitter pill:
So be up when he comes, be up when he comes,
Like a soldier at his post, a soldier at his post, all ser-ene.
To the U.S. tune:
An alternate rendition to the U.S. tune above:
Still another U.S. version goes:
Irving Berlin cited the lyrics in part of his song, "Oh How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning"; from the musical, This Is the Army:
Reveille and Rouse are composed, like all bugle music, solely from the notes of the major triad, usually notated in C as: C, the tonic; E, the major third; and G, the dominant.
In Sweden revelj (reveille) can be played on bugle, trumpet or drum. Today it is usually played from a recording. There is also a reveille for military band composed by Johann Heinrich Walch, which is used as the reveille of the Swedish Armed Forces.
