In 2017, Jason Hall wrote and directed a movie about Iraq War veterans suffering from PTSD. The movie was based on and shares its name with a book by David Finkel, Thank You For Your Service, based on the true experiences of Staff Sergeant Adam Schumann. While making the movie, Schumann recalled and recounted the cadence he’d sung in bootcamp, and producer Jon Kilik recorded it on his phone. Jon played it for his friend Bruce Springsteen, who loved both the cadence and the movie. Bruce asked Jon for the recording of the cadence, and asked Jon and Schumann to come and see him. They did, and that’s how Schumann ended up providing backing vocals (along with Kilik) on Bruce’s recording of "Freedom Cadence," which played over the end credits of the film upon its release. Bruce didn’t alter the melody one bit, but he arranged it for pump organ and banjo, anchoring the song in its history, while carrying it forward through Ron Aniello’s drum loops and electric keyboards. ( E Street Shuffle )

 

 

 

"Some Say Freedom is Free" is a soldier’s marching cadence originally credited to Private First Class Roger L. Southard. With each generation, the cadence is passed down, its lyrics altered and (tragically) updated with each successive war.