The Dark Humor Is the Point
To someone unfamiliar with military culture, the song can seem almost unbelievably morbid.
Why would soldiers sing about somebody getting killed?
Why would they laugh about it?
Why would they sing it before jumping out of an airplane?
The answer lies partly in gallows humor.
Paratroopers were doing something inherently terrifying. They were expected to overcome fear, trust their equipment, trust their training, and step out of an airplane thousands of feet above the ground.
You can respond to that fear by pretending it doesn't exist.
Or you can make jokes about it.
“Blood on the Risers” does the latter.
Military.com describes the song as having been used partly to emphasize the dangers of airborne training while simultaneously reflecting the pride associated with becoming a paratrooper. (Military.com)
That makes the song more interesting than simply being a gruesome novelty.
It isn't necessarily saying:
“Dying is funny.”
It's closer to:
“Yes, this is terrifying. Yes, people can die. Now let's sing about it anyway.”
That's a very different kind of humor.
