Breakaway music
Breakaway music is a modern U.S. Naval tradition used to motivate sailors upon the conclusion of underway replenishment UNREP, although using breakaway music is at the discretion of the Captain, and not all commands use it. When the two ships involved in the UNREP conclude their transfer of fuels and stores and commence their breakaway, a song (usually selected by the Captain, but sometimes picked by the OOD or Navigation Officer) is played over the 1MC. Breakaway music may sometimes be related to the name of the ship, such as the "Theme from Star Trek" (USS Enterprise (CVN-65)) or "Kansas City Lights" (USS Kansas City (AOR-3)). The fast Combat Support Ship, and oiler, USS Camden (AOE-2) played the "Baby Elephant Walk" (written in 1961 by composer Henry Mancini, for the 1962 release of the movie Hatari!) after each unrep in honor of its title as "The Powerful Pachyderm of the Pacific".
Popular breakaway songs
- "East Bound and Down" by Jerry Reed (USS Guam (LPH-9)) 1982 Enroute to/in Mediterranean
- "America" by Neil Diamond (USS Guam (LPH-9)) 1982 Enroute to U.S. from Beirut/Mediterranean
- "Start Me Up" by The Rolling Stones (USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69)) 1990-1993
- "On the Road Again" by Willie Nelson
- "Smuggler's Blues" by Glenn Frey (USS McCloy (FF-1038))
- "Cheeseburger in Paradise" by Jimmy Buffett
- "Rock and Roll" by Led Zeppelin
- "Hells Bells" by AC/DC
- "Takin' Care of Business" by Bachman–Turner Overdrive
- "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix-a-Lot
- "Life in the Fast Lane" by The Eagles
- "Little Deuce Coupe" by The Beach Boys
- "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor
- "Crazy Train" by Ozzy Osbourne (USS Howard DDG-83)
- "I Feel Good" by James Brown
- "Still Fly" by Big Tymers (USS Harpers Ferry (LSD-49))
- "Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me)"
- "Ride of the Valkyries" by Richard Wagner
- The William Tell Overture
- "Panama" by Van Halen
- "Roam" by the B-52's"
- "Hot Rod Lincoln" by Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen (USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72)) 2000-2001
- "Born to Be Wild" by Steppenwolf
- "Top Gun Anthem" by Harold Faltermeyer
- "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley
- "Bad Company" by Bad Company (USS Forrestal (CV-59), USS Arctic (AOE-8))
- "Theme from The Final Countdown" (USS Nimitz (CVN-68))
- "The Hustle" (USS Kalamazoo (AOR-6))
- "Theme from Star Wars" (USS Constellation (CV-64)) (USS Fife (DD-991))
- "Born in the U.S.A." by Bruce Springsteen (USS Caron (DD-970))
- "1000 Miles Away" by The Hoodoo Gurus (HMAS Canberra (FFG 02))
- "The Hawaii 5-0 Theme" USNS Honolulu
- "Harold's Super Service" by Merle Haggard (USS Mispillion (AO-105) w/Capt. Harold Barker, 1972)
- "California" by Joni Mitchell (USS Mispillion (AO-105), upon receiving orders to return to U.S.A. late 1972)
- "Pipeline" by The Ventures (USS John Rodgers (DD-983))
- "Bad to the Bone" by George Thorogood and the Destroyers (USS Conolly (DD-979))
- "Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown By Jim Croce (USS Jesse L. Brown (FF-1089))
- "I Want To Break Free" by Queen (USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108))