Yellow Ribbon

[DISCLAIMER]

Being that today is May 1, 2025, and given that my mind sporadically recalls songs at random times, a military cadence (a call-and-response work song sung by military personnel while running or marching) suddenly popped into my mind, as the lyrics of Yellow Ribbon are thus:

Around her hair she wore a yellow ribbon [repeat]

She wore it in the springtime, in the early month of May [repeat]

And if you asked her why the hell she wore it [repeat]

She wore it for that young Marine who’s far, far away [repeat]

Far away [repeat]

Far away [repeat]

She wore it for that young Marine who’s far, far away [repeat]

Around the block she pushed a baby carriage [repeat]

She pushed it in the springtime, in the early month of May [repeat]

And if you asked her why the hell she pushed it [repeat]

She pushed it for that young Marine who’s far, far away [repeat]

Far away [repeat]

Far away [repeat]

She pushed it for that young Marine who’s far, far away [repeat]

Behind the door her daddy kept a shotgun [repeat]

He kept it in the springtime, in the early month of May [repeat]

And if you asked him why the hell he kept it [repeat]

He kept it just to blow that young Marine’s ass away [repeat]

Far away [repeat]

Far away [repeat]

He kept it just to blow that young Marine’s ass away [repeat]

Upon a grave a boy laid pretty flowers [repeat]

He laid ‘em in the springtime, in the early month of May [repeat]

And if you asked him why the hell he laid ‘em [repeat]

He laid ‘em for that young Marine who’s far, far away [repeat]

Far away [repeat]

Far away [repeat]

He laid ‘em for that young Marine who’s far, far away [no repeat]

As is the case with military cadences, each service branch and different units use liberal editorial privileges when altering lyrics to suit a particular situation. As such, not all members of the United States Marine Corps may be familiar with the Yellow Ribbon cadence that I learned.

Although subsequently used for cancer awareness, the yellow ribbon has a history of association with deployment of military servicemen (men, in particular). According to one source:

In the United States military, the symbol of the yellow ribbon is used in a popular marching song. The first version copyrighted was the 1917 version by George A. Norton, which he titled “Round Her Neck She Wears a Yeller Ribbon (For Her Lover Who Is Far, Far Away)”. While he tells in the song about the love between Susie Simpkins and her soldier lover Silas Hubbard, his chorus goes:

‘Round her neck she wears a yeller ribbon,

 She wears it in winter and the summer so they say,

 If you ask her “Why the decoration?”

 She’ll say “It’s for my lover who is far, far away.”

Perhaps you wonder, as I did when initially hearing the cadence, “Who’s the boy who laid pretty flowers upon the grave of the deceased young Marine?” Remember the daddy with a shotgun who blew that young Marine’s ass away? The child is the Marine’s son.

Out of respect, the final line of the cadence isn’t repeated. This deliberate inaction is meant to make Marines contemplate the finality of death. For a moment, let’s set aside the unhealthy negative emotion of jealousy regarding a dad who murdered the Marine.

Instead, I invite you to think about the impermanent and uncertain experience of life. Intentionally, the cadence uses springtime which is widely recognized as a symbol of life, renewal, and new beginnings. The woman in the beginning of the cadence wears a yellow ribbon during this time.

As well, the token of a yellow ribbon symbolizes hope for the young Marine to return home from deployment. One presumes it’s of a combat nature. Without a guarantee that such an event would occur, the looming possibility of death is intertwined with the yellow ribbon.

Then, during the next month of May, this same woman has already given birth while still awaiting the Marine’s return. Hope is expressed for reunification with the deployed serviceman, as the life of a new baby boy also brings with him optimism.

Simultaneously, the woman’s dad awaits the young Marine’s return. When the service member eventually makes his way home, hope is dashed by buckshot from shotgun shells. The Marine is here one moment and gone the next. All this being the case, despite having survived deployment.

Thus, a young child places flowers upon his dad’s grave during the springtime, in the early month of May. This is life. This is death. Now, this psychoeducational lesson, through use of a military cadence, is what I offer you so that you may contemplate existentialist wisdom.

We’re here (alive) for a relatively brief time, and then we aren’t. Even during the springtime, when new beginnings are contemplated, I invite you to consider your inescapable death. If you’re able to do this with unconditional acceptance, then my efforts herein will not have been in vain.

If you’re looking for a provider who tries to work to help understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life—helping you to sharpen your critical thinking skills, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.

As a psychotherapist, I’m pleased to try to help people with an assortment of issues ranging from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.

At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply trying to help you to feel better, I want to try to help you get better!

Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW

Photo credit (edited), photo credit (edited), photo credit (edited), fair use

References:

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Sheet Music Singer. (2017, September 20). Round Her Neck She Wears a Yeller Ribbon (1917) [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/dOjkceTlVy0?si=PcwVYtytNe7wLFvb

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Wikipedia. (n.d.). Yellow ribbon. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_ribbon