The U.S.A. Soldier

Annotation

The song "The U.S.A. Soldier" (Double Shot Records # 155) by the Adams Brothers, released in Hollywood, California, also viewed Calley as a scapegoat for the horrors of war: "a scapegoat to offer for a sacrifice". The narrator argued that in "all wars...even innocent folks die". The track started out with the story of Uncle Sam drafting a young man to fight in Vietnam. When he returned to the US, he faced criminal charges for the My Lai incident. Once again, the narrator compared the plight of Calley to the story of Jesus: "he took the blame, he took it for us all". While the lyrics showed solidarity with the soldier, it did not take a strong pro-government / patriotic foreign policy position, or anti-war stance. Composed by Billy Adams, arranged and produced by Bur-K Studios Promotion in Motion Irwin Zucker.

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: Now old Uncle Sam he just can't hardly wait to give a young fellow time to graduate / He calls him green when his life has just begun / There's a knock at his door: 'come here son' / I'm giving you a rifle, this here's your best friend, use it boy / The young lad, with a smile on his face sdays farewell to his old home place, his ma and his pa / He catches a big bird out to old My Lai / Yeah there is a war going on there... / The young lad, with his nerves of steal finds himself in the battle / And this time it's for real... / Then like all wars...even innocent folks die / The same man they sent away, they send him back to the USA to stand trial / They found him guilty too, gave him life / My mind goes back to the yesterdays when another man I know was treated this way / With a cross so heavy that it made him fall / He took the blame, he took it for us all... / He found a scapegoat to offer for a sacrifice... / Everyone of us should share this guilt / Take a long hard look at the thing that's been done / See if our hands don't fit those guns that fired the shots / That took the lives at old My Lai

Notes

Double Shot Records 155 (DS 354), 6565 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, Calif. 90028; "The U.S.A. Soldier" (Billy Adams), time 3:00, Chett Publ./Hot Shot Music, BMI; arranged and produced by Bur-K Studios; promotion In Motion, Irwin Zucker. A Double Shot & Whiz Records "New Rush Release! Special!" promotional sheet, signed by Irwin Zucker, names the flip side "Place No Roses on My Grave", states that the record never mentions Lt. Calley's name but alludes to the episode and the Vietnam War, reports that it first broke with DJ John Elliott, WZKY, Louisa, Ky. ("phenomenal, unusual response"), and describes the Adams Brothers as well-known Evangelistic performers in the South, touring on behalf of the recording; it carries a photograph captioned "Fatigued G.I. at Lang Vei" and a red stamp "We're All Guilty!". A lyric sheet, "written & recorded by the Adams Brothers", Copyright 1971, published by…

Themes

My Lai · Patriotic · Draft · Anti-Government · Pro-Calley · Calley-Jesus · Helicopter · Calley-Chaos · Calley-Scapegoat · Calley-Justice · Pro-Soldier

In collections

Draft Songs · My Lai & Lt. William Calley Songs · US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs [War Years]