I served for 22. This is a good song. It was offered free to the navy for recruiting and they declined to use it. When their YMCA song was used by the YMCA membership sky rocketed.
When at the time the military banned homosexual people from joining, and would kick out any they found out, having a bunch of gay guys as your spokesmen would be sending major mixed messages.
No, it was a subtle gay innuendo song about the Navy. Most all of the Village People songs were filled with coded references that LGBTQ people and their straight friends picked up on - but were not apparent to the mainstream in the 70s.
This was the music played at the end of dads funeral. 3 years today. A proud second war navvy man .Who died at 96.A great fitting song that everyone approved.
@@louisastewart8862 Thanks. His opening funeral music was..Theme music for SUPERMAN. Close you eyes and listen to it .SUPERMAN man music for a SUPERMAN...OUR HERO.
Ok but just how many seamen were actually gay? I have to imagine it was a lot. Numbers we have now suggest as much as 60% of the navy men are queer now
Being that I am X-Navy myself, This is hilarious! They (U.S.Navy) did not know that the village people were of ahhh, let's say, "alternative lifestyle" when they allowed them to shoot this video onboard the frigate USS Reasoner! This was a huge trolling on behalf of the gay community at the time and has now become legend.
@@wesleyblisard5416 A bunch of crusty old conservative men who spend their days worrying about uniform regulations and piddly shit are not going to have any sort of gaydar but will most definitely be making major decisions regarding advertising.
That is so amazing! I loved this video when I was a kid. My dad, who had been in the Navy did not. ;) Thank you for being a part of such a great fun song. :)
I was stationed on the USS Reasoner when that video was shot. In fact I was in the video. That video shoot took all day and The Village People were getting kind of pissed as the day went on. The Indian and the Biker almost got into a fight because the Indian's headdress kept hitting the Biker in the face. But we got through it and everything worked out. They were really cool, down to earth guys even though at the time they were a pretty big deal on the music scene.
@@michaelrobinson7303 lucky you! I served in Yokosuka and my ship got tasked with so many dog and pony shows. Once, we were moving off ship for a maintenance period and we got told to drop what we were doing to paint topside for some promotional video dealing with that whack ass *Battleship* movie that had come out. Why a crew in Yokosuka, Japan was tasked with this and not, I dunno, goddamn 3rd fleet San Diego in driving distance of Universal Studios is beyond me, but I'm pissed I had to lose a pair of new coveralls for it, hahaha
You might be surprised by how many people show up at boot unable to swim. Mad props to the Navy instructors for the overnight miracle they perform there.
I'll always love The Village People for their natural talent but mostly how they changed the world through their music. Still love me some Victor Willis! Thank you for the love in your performances and music...
China's launching dozens of anti-ship missiles at American aircraft carriers... one lone sailor dances on the flight deck, taunting the Chinese, as CIWS Phalanx systems knock missles out of the sky around him. "Nuh-uh, you ol' commies are gonna have to do better that that!"
i was a born and raised Navy brat until 72, but still lived in Long Beach. That era was freaking amazing! i enlisted in 81, and ended up seeing 20% of the World, according to Trip Advisor map anyways, or 25 countries, on 3 different Warships! Let me promise you, i lived more in the 80's then ten common people today could in their whole life, i shit you not! i absolutely made the best of the 80's, not knowing just how damn lucky and fortunate i was at the time!!!!!!!!!!!!💯
I remember well I met several Navy men in 1981 in Pensacola Florida who were stationed on a ship there. This song was great for recruitment. There were hundreds and hundreds of sailors haunting the town's bars during the day. Wonderful times during the 80's. HIV became the big downer.
My son has been in the Navy stationed on Submarines for 20 years. When he enlisted in 1998 at the age of 17. I bought this song for him. He laughed. I'm very proud of him. 🇺🇸. He is still in the Navy. He is going to serve for 24 years.
Why 24? Why not just 20 years for retirement? Regardless I'm proud of your son for serving this great country It's been 21 years hope he's having a great time :)
You know what they say about sub sailors.. 134 sailors board for a 6 month cruise.. and 67 couples disembark! LOL!.. Sorry. I entered the navy 10 years before your son and left after 4. Sadly that jab is a bit more pointed in this day and age. Thank your son for his service! I'm sure he's a chief or higher!
Yup, it is. When this song played after we heardymca, my dad told me and my sister about this song being having lyrics related to war and the army. It was sad and made this song sound like what every us army did to get soldiers in the war. I only listen to this as a song, but after hearing what my dad said, it made me feel a sense of sadness
Idk if you were around in 1979 but if you were then think about Carter restarting the draft, hostages in Iran, Soviets invading Afghanistan, the oil crisis going on -- yep, that part really was ominous.
This is the most pro positive song I've ever heard growing up boy was it cool being black in the navy it definitely helped us outside of service with a good retirement
Back in the day, I was fortunate enough to see the Village People perform live at a taping of the tv sho,w, "Don Kirshner's Rock Concert". To this day, the original "People" were and still are the greatest!.
For those of you saying The USN ought to use this, This song was thought by the navy to be a way of recruiting people. Thats the reason why the Navy lent the ship to these people. Of course this song was never officially endorsed by the Navy because they figured out how gay the song was and during the time the military was having allot of problems with figuring out what to do with gays in the military.
XXX TARANTULA I was in the US Navy from Aug 2001 to Dec 2010, and served on the USS Pennsylvania SSBN 735 Ohio Class submarine. And you? Thank you for your service! ET2(SS) Scroggins
@@tyrongkojy it's also one of the reasons they've endured for this long. Most disco was dropped in the 80s and has long since been forgotten, but the Village People endure because of the historical context to many of their songs.
“shtick”??? this is complete gayness, one of the gayest music videos i’ve ever seen… And why can’t this video be BOTH gay and great? Oh that’s right, you’re probably perpetuating internalized homophobia.
Even though I enjoyed this song back in the disco landscapes of the '80s, I still like it as a song that is relevant to this day. Had a lot of relatives that were in the US Navy and am proud of their service
They were going to- and then it became public knowledge they were gay, which would have made it incredibly controversial. I'm pretty sure they even filmed one.
Kiwanis Hinton The times were different, actually the Navy did not understand the context. It was probably easier to get recruits back then and make joining up seem fun since we weren't at war with anyone. (There was the Cold War but that was superpowers aiming nukes at each other).
@Rona Smith; Okay, now that the children have thrown their temper tantrum, voiced their volatile ire for some stupid reason to hate something nice, please give control of your device back to a responsible adult. Mommy and Daddy shouldn't let you have access to these implements, but please, when you do mature, come back and make a logical argument. I know you tried your best, sweetie, but you can really be a better person than that.
Dumbass, this video was made in the 70s. Obviously the Navy allowed the use of the ship. That's pretty much a blessing. I'm much younger, but it doesn't take a rocket surgeon that a lot of straight people bought their music for the group to be so popular. Now tell your mom I'm going to be late and she better have on that costume I really like and be in my favorite position when I get there or there'll be hell to pay.
I'm not saying I joined the Navy because of this song, but in the summer of 1979, every FM station in the DC area was playing it every hour, or so it seemed. Finally, after a couple months of listening to it, I started thinking....I was 18 and on the fast-track to nowhere. I graduated from high school the year before and had taken some courses at the local community college (and managed a mediocre, wholly-uninspiring 1.8 GPA), but I didn't have the faintest idea of what I wanted to study or what I wanted to do in life. I had no marketable office skills, nor any skills of the mechanical/technical variety. I was working the night shift as a security guard at a condominium complex outside DC which was never going to lead to anything......so why SHOULDN'T I join the Navy??? The more I heard the song, the more I thought about my situation and the more convinced I became that the Navy was the only viable option for getting out of my parent's basement and into The World. So I enlisted in the Navy and headed off to boot camp on July 23rd, 1979.....42 years ago tomorrow. All I will say about the Navy was that, well, it was the Navy. Long work hours (14 hour workdays, 7 days a week when the squadron was embarked...typically 50-60 hour work-weeks when ashore, which included standing watch, etc.), months spent at sea sweltering along the Pacific equator, an unforgiving work environment that would literally kill you if you weren't very, very careful, etc. Yet, despite all its drawbacks, all in all, I have to admit that the Navy was a great maturing experience. Furthermore, the guys with whom I worked and lived during those 4 years were, with one or two rare exceptions, the best guys I've ever known, bar none. Consequently, I consider my enlistment a highly profitable investment in that I learned a lot about life in a very brief period of time (by the time I was 21, I knew a hell of a lot more about life than any kid who had spent the intervening years attending college), but Lord knows, I would never do it again. Once was enough. I haven't listened to this song since the summer I left for boot camp and probably won't listen to it again before I pass on, but it was nice to listen to it once more and let the flood of memories from that summer and all those emotions from so long ago wash over me once more....the excitement of being 18 and heading off to parts unknown....of leaving home for the first time....of Mom and Dad watching me board the bus to boot camp....of meeting new people and making new friends in far-flung ports and naval air stations. Funny story...my father was a career naval officer. When I informed my parents that I had enlisted, my father blurted out "Oh, Jesus Christ, NO!!!!". I thought that a rather unusual reaction coming from a former company man, so I wondered what he knew that I didn't. Well, I found out in due course.....oh boy did I find out.
I was a little youngster when this group came out. I had my first crush on the construction guy, Indian, and the biker dude. They all were outstanding performers. Even to this day, I still love them! Love y'all!
"In The Navy" Where can you find pleasure Search the world for treasure Learn science technology Where can you begin to make your dreams all come true On the land or on the sea Where can you learn to fly Play in sports and skin dive Study oceanography Sign up for the big band Or sit in the grandstand When your team and others meet In the navy Yes, you can sail the seven seas In the navy Yes, you can put your mind at ease In the navy Come on now, people, make a stand In the navy, in the navy Can't you see we need a hand In the navy Come on, protect the mother land In the navy Come on and join your fellow man In the navy Come on people, and make a stand In the navy, in the navy, in the navy (in the navy) They want you, they want you They want you as a new recruit If you like adventure Don't you wait to enter The recruiting office fast Don't you hesitate There is no need to wait They're signing up new seamen fast Maybe you are too young To join up today Bout don't you worry 'bout a thing For I'm sure there will be Always a good navy Protecting the land and sea In the navy Yes, you can sail the seven seas In the navy Yes, you can put your mind at ease In the navy Come on be bold and make a stand In the navy, in the navy Can't you see we need a hand In the navy Come on, protect the motherland In the navy Come on and join your fellow man In the navy Come on be bold and make a stand In the navy, in the navy, in the navy (in the navy) They want you, they want you They want you as a new recruit Who me? They want you, they want you They want you as a new recruit But, but, but, I'm afraid of water. Hey, hey look Man, I get seasick even watchin' it on the TV! They want you, they want you in the navy Oh my goodness. What am I gonna do in a submarine? They want you, they want you in the navy In the navy Yes, you can sail the seven seas In the navy Yes, you can put your mind at ease In the navy Come on be bold and make a stand In the navy, in the navy Can't you see we need a hand In the navy Come protect the motherland In the navy Come on and join your fellow man In the navy Come on be bold and make a stand
i dont think these mofo's search the world for treasure like jack sparrow; lol..... and if they happen to stumbke across any treasure i promise it goes to the globalist shareholders and not seaman Dickens Han's
This was my grandfather's all time favorite when he served. This song will never get old. He always made sure this song was played at ever war ceremony where he was honored.
It was thought this song was a recruitment video, after all they lent a ship to them, however during the time made, the government wasn’t so keen on homosexuality
According to Wikipedia, the song was created by the band. When it got popular the Navy decided to use it as a recruitment tool. The band was willing to let them use it for free as long as the Navy paid for the video to be shot and let them use a Navy ship. By the time it was done, the Navy realized it was too gay for them to use.
jojo part 9 confirmed When you leave the Navy, you leave your best friend's behind 😅 I absolutely cracked up when they started waving those banners around rofl
Lyrics so you can sing along: Where can you find pleasure, search the world for treasure Learn science technology? Where can you begin to make your dreams all come true On the land or on the sea? Where can you learn to fly, play in sports and skin dive Study oceanography? Sign off for the big band or sit in the grandstand When your team and others meet In the navy Yes, you can sail the seven seas In the navy Yes, you can put your mind at ease In the navy Come on people, fall an' make a stand In the navy, in the navy Can't you see we need a hand In the navy Come on, protect the motherland In the navy Come on and join your fellow man In the navy Come on people and make a stand In the navy, in the navy, in the navy, oh They want you, they want you They want you as a new recruit If you like adventure, don't you wait to enter The recruiting office fast Don't you hesitate, there is no need to wait They're signing up new seamen fast Maybe you are too young to join up today But don't you worry 'bout a thing For I'm sure there will be always a good navy Protecting the land and sea In the navy Yes, you can sail the seven seas In the navy Yes, you can put your mind at ease In the navy Come on people, fall an' make a stand In the navy, in the navy Can't you see we need a hand In the navy Come on, protect the motherland In the navy Come on and join your fellow man In the navy Come on people and make a stand In the navy, in the navy, in the navy, in the navy They want you, they want you They want you as a new recruit Who me? They want you, they want you They want you as a new recruit But, but, but, I'm afraid of water Hey, hey look man I get seasick even watchin' it on TV They want you, they want you in the navy Oh my goodness They want you What am I gonna do in a submarine? They want you They want you, they want you in the navy In the navy Yes, you can sail the seven seas In the navy Yes, you can put your mind at ease In the navy Come on people, fall in make a stand In the navy, in the navy Can't you see we need a hand In the navy Come on, protect the motherland In the navy Come on and join your fellow man In the navy Come on people and make a stand
From what I understand, Alex Briley - who was the G.I. - asked the group's producer, Jacques Morali, to put him in the Navy because he wanted to dress like a sailor. In response, Jacques came up with this song. Such is the stuff of legends.
This song was playing when I joined the US Navy and saw the world and plenty of ocean. As an older veteran today, I take pride in joining and serving at sea and ashore. Thank you, US Navy!
I work on an Army post where mostly everyone is a veteran. I was Air Force, most are Army, and a couple are ex-Navy. We have a friendly rivalry between branches and I play this song when I'm taking a dig at the Navy dudes. Seriously I loved the Village People though back in the seventies.
> We have a friendly rivalry between branches Well, speaking from my experience in doing soldiery thingies for twelve years in my salad days, that seems to be one of the universal core principles of any armed forces: You take the piss out of everybody else whenever possible - but as soon as the stinky stuff collides with the rotary wossname, you always have each others backs. :-)
@@BigDeezol Exactly. A friend of mine who was in the US Navy in his salad days liked to pull my leg sometimes with the argument that: "Well, we from the Navy have way bigger guns than you Austrian grunts with that puny AUG". Then I countered with "That may be true, my friend, but: not only can I easily carry my AUG with 150 rounds of ammo around without needing a fucking _boat_ - it also has a rate of fire your big naval guns will never even come close to". And then we both chuckled, toasted each other and enjoyed the rest of the evening (and sometimes ordered the next round of shots). :-)
The lead singer, Victor Willis, was once married to Phylicia Rashad, who played on the Bill Cosby show, as his wife. The Village People group are great singers, wish they had sung more songs then. Good to dance to and exercise to. Most of the songs from that time are still Great songs!
