First of the Flight Deck

[Verse 1]
Raise up the bird from the hangar below
Turn and burn, feel the hot winds blow
Grease in my nails, jet wash in my face
I’m the one that sends her screaming into space
[Chorus]
Hey ho, for the first of the flight deck
Turn the wrench and sign the check
United States sailor, wings on my chest
Aviation mate, we’re the ones who test
Hey ho, when the engines light
ADs keep ‘em flying right
From the ship to the sky, remember this:
We were the first, the machinist mate ADs (hey!)
[Verse 2]
Midwatch calls and the salt air bites
Safety wire glows in the hangar lights
Logbook’s stained with coffee and oil
Every cleared gripe is another mile of coil
[Chorus]
Hey ho, for the first of the flight deck
Turn the wrench and sign the check
United States sailor, wings on my chest
Aviation mate, we’re the ones who test
Hey ho, when the engines light
ADs keep ‘em flying right
From the ship to the sky, remember this:
We were the first, the machinist mate ADs (oh-ay!)
[Bridge]
From canvas wings to the thunder we hear
Every new bird, we were there the first year
If it spins, if it roars, if it drinks that fuel
Ask who keeps it alive—AD’s the rule
[Chorus]
Hey ho, for the first of the flight deck
Turn the wrench and sign the check
United States sailor, wings on my chest
Aviation mate, we’re the ones who test
Hey ho, when the engines light
ADs keep ‘em flying right
From the ship to the sky, remember this:
We were the first, the machinist mate ADs (hey!)
We were the first, the machinist mate ADs

Raucous sea shanty with stomp-and-clap groove, male vocals in a rowdy call-and-response style. Fiddle and accordion ride over a swung acoustic rhythm guitar, with gang vocals on the hook. Verses stay tight and storytelling; chorus explodes into shouted harmonies perfect for a mess-deck singalong. Kick on the downbeat like boots on steel, with a brief a cappella break before the final chorus., shanty