--- title: "Why ‘Rooster’ was the greatest song to honor a father’s service" date: "2019-01-28" modified: "2020-10-22" authors: - name: "Eric Milzarski" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/eric.md" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/music/why-rooster-was-the-greatest-song-to-honor-a-fathers-service/" categories: - "History" - "Vietnam War" - "War History" --- # Why ‘Rooster’ was the greatest song to honor a father’s service ![]() Alice in Chains was a widely-successful Grunge band in the 1990s. Alongside Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden, they helped define an entire generation of musicians. While songs like [*Would?*]() and [*Man in the Box*]() are their most well-known, *Rooster* is the most beloved within the military community. --- Jerry Cantrell Jr., the guitarist, co-vocalist, and songwriter, was the son of a Vietnam War veteran, Jerry Cantrell Sr. The younger Cantrell watched his father deploy twice and never talk about what happened in Vietnam. He watched as his father struggled with PTSD throughout his childhood until, eventually, it destroyed his family. So, he wrote a song dedicated to his father and his experience in Vietnam. ### Also Read: [This insane cavalry charge inspired Iron Maiden's 'The Trooper']() The name, *Rooster*, is a play on three meanings: It was a childhood nickname of his father's. 'Rooster' was also a nickname for M60 machine gunners because the muzzle flash looked like a rooster's tail. It's also a play on how the Vietnamese saw 101st Airborne Division soldiers who wore the Screaming Eagle on their sleeves. It's said that because bald eagles aren't native to Vietnam, the locals referred to 101st soldiers as "chicken men" or "roosters." All three meanings perfectly describe Jerry Cantrell Sr. ![]() *Trust me, as a vet who served in the 101st, this song became our unofficial anthem. (Photo courtesy of the National Archive)* The lyrics run deep with symbolism calling back to Vietnam. Cantrell Jr. was only able to piece together little things from what he heard his father occasionally say. "Walking tall machine gun man. They spit on me in my homeland. Gloria sent me pictures of my boy. Got my pills 'gainst mosquito death, My buddy's breathing his dying breath. Oh, God, please won't you help me make it through." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAE6Il6OTcs ### Also Read: [How this WWI veteran became Metallica's 'One']() In a 1992 [interview]() with Guitar for the Practicing Musician, he was asked if his father ever heard the song. He did, but only once live. Cantrell Jr recalled, Yeah. He's heard this song. He's only seen us play once, and I played this song for him when we were in this club opening for Iggy Pop. I'll never forget it. He was standing in the back and he heard all the words and stuff. Of course, I was never in Vietnam and he won't talk about it, but when I wrote this, it felt right... like these were things he might have felt or thought. And I remember when we played it he was back by the soundboard and I could see him. He was back there with his big gray Stetson and his cowboy boots — he's a total Oklahoma man — and at the end, he took his hat off and just held it in the air. And he was crying the whole time. This song means a lot to me. A lot. ## Author Eric is a U.S. Army veteran and was deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan with the 101st Airborne Division where he served as a radio operator. After being honorably discharged, he then pursued a career in the film and television world.He is now the resident "nerd" at We Are The Mighty. To follow Eric on social media: please check out the links below. [Facebook]() ## More - [6 perfect songs for your deployment video that aren’t overused]() - [Taylor Swift honors grandfather’s WWII service with song ‘epiphany’]() - [This World War II veteran played a song for the sniper trying to kill him]() - [Army veteran Craig Morgan releases new album, includes a song he wrote with 2 Army Rangers before deployment]() - [The 9 greatest military-themed pop songs in modern history]() - [The 6 greatest celebrity foreign policy gaffes in the last 50 years]() - [Bob Gunton: From the front lines of Vietnam to ‘Shawshank Redemption,’ an incredible life]() - [Understanding the depth of loss: A daughter reflects on faith after her father’s suicide]()