In the Army Now (song)

"You're in the Army Now"
Single by Bolland & Bolland
from the album The Domino Theory
B-side	"The Domino Theory Theme"
Released	1981
Length	3:15
Label	TELDEC
Songwriter(s)	Rob Bolland Ferdi Bolland
Producer(s)	Rob Bolland Ferdi Bolland
Bolland & Bolland singles chronology
"Way Back in the Sixties" (1980) "You're in the Army Now" (1981) "Cambodia Moon" (1982)

"You're in the Army Now" is a song by the South African-born Dutch duo Bolland & Bolland, released in 1981. The song spent six consecutive weeks on the top of the Norwegian singles chart. ^[1] A cover by British rock band Status Quo, simplified as "In the Army Now", was internationally successful in 1986.

Charts

Chart (1982)	Peak position
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) [2]	1
Norway (VG-lista) [1]	1
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [3]	2
South Africa (Springbok Radio) [4]	9

Status Quo version

"In the Army Now"
Single by Status Quo
from the album In the Army Now
B-side	"Heartburn"
Released	22 September 1986 (1986-09-22) [5]
Genre	Arena rock [6]
Length	4:40 3:52 (single version)
Label	Vertigo
Songwriter(s)	Rob Bolland Ferdi Bolland
Producer(s)	Pip Williams
Status Quo singles chronology
"Red Sky" (1986) "In the Army Now" (1986) "Dreamin'" (1986)
Music video
"In the Army Now" on YouTube

In 1986, British rock band Status Quo covered "In the Army Now" on their 1986 album of the same name. Their version added a prominent synth riff and changed the line "Smiling faces on the way to 'Nam" to "Smiling faces as you wait to land", thus removing the explicit reference to the Vietnam War. The version peaked at number 2 in the UK Singles Chart. It reached the top of the charts in German-speaking Europe as well as Ireland, whilst peaking highly in Norway, Spain and Sweden.

In September 2010, Status Quo released a new version of the song with the Corps of Army Choir through their label Universal/UMC as a special release. The lyrics were further changed to a pro-soldier version. ^[7] This version charted at no. 31 in the UK Singles charts upon its release. All profits from this updated version were donated equally to the British Forces Foundation and Help for Heroes charities.^{[ citation needed ]}

Track listings

7-inch single

1. "In the Army Now" (Bolland/Bolland) – 3:52
2. "Heartburn" (Patrick/Parfitt/Rossi) – 4:44

12-inch maxi

A1. "In the Army Now" (military mix) – 5:55

B1. "Heartburn" (Patrick/Parfitt/Rossi) – 4:44

B2. "Late Last Night" (Young/Parfitt/Rossi) – 2:58

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for "In the Army Now" Chart (1986–1987) Peak position Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [8] 1 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [9] 15 Europe (European Hot 100 Singles) [10] 5 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) [2] 20 France (SNEP) [11] 2 Iceland (RÚV) [12] 1 Ireland (IRMA) [13] 1 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [14] 11 Netherlands (Single Top 100) [5] 15 Norway (VG-lista) [15] 2 Portugal (AFP) [16] 3 Spain (AFYVE) [17] 2 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [18] 6 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [19] 1 UK Singles (OCC) [20] 2 West Germany (GfK) [21] 1 Chart (2010) Peak position UK Singles (OCC) [22] 31 Chart (2024) Peak position Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100) [23] 43

Year-end charts 1986 year-end chart performance for "In the Army Now" Chart (1986) Position Europe (European Hot 100 Singles) [24] 90 UK Singles (OCC) [25] 24 1987 year-end chart performance for "In the Army Now" Chart (1987) Position Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [26] 11 Europe (European Hot 100 Singles) [27] 60 France (SNEP) [28] 10 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [29] 25 West Germany (Media Control) [30] 40

Certifications and sales

Certifications and sales for "In the Army Now"

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
France (SNEP) [31]	Gold	500,000*
United Kingdom (BPI) [32]	Silver	250,000^
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Other covers

The song was adapted for the 2012 musical An Officer and a Gentleman , based on the 1982 film; the title and chorus were changed to "In the Navy Now" to fit the plot. ^[33]

Another cover of "In the Army Now" was released by the Swedish power metal band Sabaton, on their 2012 album Carolus Rex and as a stand-alone digital single in 2016. ^[34]

See also

• Lists of number-one singles (Austria)
• List of number-one hits of 1986 (Germany)
• List of number-one singles of 1986 (Ireland)
• List of number-one songs in Norway
• List of number-one singles of the 1980s (Switzerland)

References

1. "Bolland – You're in the Army Now". VG-lista. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
2. Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN   978-951-1-21053-5.
3. "Bolland – You're in the Army Now". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
4. "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (B)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
5. "Status Quo – In The Army Now" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
6. Greene, Doyle (2014). "Part Three—Sign of the Times: Cover Songs in Context". The Rock Cover Song: Culture, History, Politics. McFarland & Company. p. 138. ISBN   978-0-7864-7908-5.
7. "Status Quo Lyrics "In The Army Now [2010 Version]". LyricsBOX.com. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
8. "Status Quo – In The Army Now" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
9. "Status Quo – In The Army Now" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
10. "European Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 3, no. 50. 20 December 1986. p. 16. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
11. "Status Quo – In The Army Now" (in French). Le classement de singles. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
12. "Topp 10". DV (in Icelandic). 7 November 1986. p. 43. ISSN   1021-8254 . Retrieved 2 September 2020– via Timarit.is.
13. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – In the Army Now". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 15 April 2008.
14. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 48, 1986" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
15. "Status Quo – In The Army Now". VG-lista. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
16. "Top 3 in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 4, no. 2. 17 January 1987. p. 14. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
17. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN   84-8048-639-2.
18. "Status Quo – In The Army Now". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
19. "Status Quo – In The Army Now". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
20. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
21. "Offiziellecharts.de – Status Quo – In The Army Now" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
22. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
23. "OLiS – oficjalna lista airplay" (Select week 26.10.2024–01.11.2024.) (in Polish). OLiS . Retrieved 4 November 2024.
24. "European Hot 100 Singles: Hot 100 of the Year 1986" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 3, no. 51/52. 27 December 1986. p. 29. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
25. "Top 100 Singles". Music Week . London, England: Spotlight Publications. 24 January 1987. p. 24.
26. "Jahreshitparade 1987" (in German). Austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 August 2008.
27. "European Charts of the Year 1987 > Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 4, no. 51/52. 26 December 1987. p. 34. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
28. "Top Sellers 1987" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 5, no. 11. 12 March 1988. p. 25. OCLC   29800226 . Retrieved 6 October 2021– via World Radio History.
29. "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1987" (in German). Hitparade.ch. Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 August 2008.
30. "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts: 1987". Offiziellecharts.de (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Archived from the original on 9 May 2015.
31. "French single certifications – Status Quo – In The Army Now" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved 18 November 2021.Select STATUS QUO and click OK. 
32. "British single certifications – Status Quo – In The Army Now". British Phonographic Industry.
33. Graham, Stan (24 April 2018). "An Officer and a Gentleman at Leeds Grand Theatre until 28 April". Leeds Living. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
34. "In The Army Now". sabaton.net. Retrieved 4 July 2025.