| "G.I. Jive" | |
|---|---|
| Single byJohnny Mercer | |
| Released | 1943 (1943) |
| Genre | R&B |
| Songwriter | Johnny Mercer |
"G.I. Jive" is a 1943 comical song about the drudgery of military life written and originally performed byJohnny Mercer.[1] Mercer recorded the song with Paul Weston and his Orchestra on October 15, 1943 for his ownCapitol Records label.[2] The song was released on Capitol 141 in December 1943 and reviewed by Billboard magazine in its December 11, 1943 issue.[3]
Mercer intended to write a song that the soldiers would like,[1] and the song was the biggest hit of all the songs dealing with soldier life duringWorld War II.[4]
The single was a hit twice in 1944 by two different performers: Johnny Mercer hit number one on theHarlem Hit Parade for one week and peaked at number thirteen on the pop charts.[5] Three months later,Louis Jordan also made it to number one on both the Harlem Hit Parade and the pop chart with "G.I. Jive".[6]