For over 40 years, we only thought of one person when thinking of Star Wars music: John WilliamsOpens in a new tab. His themes formed the core of musical arrangements in the galaxy far, far away. But that all changed in 2019, when The Mandalorian hit Disney+Opens in a new tab. The Mando theme by composer Ludwig GöranssonOpens in a new tab became instantly iconic. Maybe the first Star Wars theme by a composer not named John Williams to achieve that status.
Now, via Geeks are Sexy,Opens in a new tab we’ve learned that the US Army Band has performed a very faithful rendition of The Mandalorian themeOpens in a new tab, which they originally released on May the 4th (because of course). We’ll say this right off the bat: The US Army Band, called Pershing’s Own, sure knows how to work those recordersOpens in a new tab. You can watch the full performance right here.
This performance is pretty much perfect. They even include a backdrop of a desert planetOpens in a new tab to complete the mood. But it would have been cool if the guitar player wore a proper Mandalorian helmet. Or had a Grogu hanging out. We get it, though; military protocol and all that probably doesn’t allow for it.
Speaking of military protocol, in case you’re wondering why the US Army Band is called Pershing’s Own, there is a very logical reason for this. The US Army Band was formed on January 25, 1922 by order of General John J. Pershing. And the name just stuck. Nearly a century later, the US Army continues to honor the General.
Pershing’s Own
If one visits the Pershing’s Own YouTube channelOpens in a new tab, it’s mostly the kind of music you’d expect. An “America the Beautiful” here, a “Star-Spangled Banner” there. Some Christmas music. But we heartily encourage more nerdy musical material from the US Army Band. We bet they’d give us some epic renditions of music from Lord of the Rings, or maybe the Avengers themeOpens in a new tab. So we issue this challenge to you, Pershing’s Own.
