An American's Answer (To Gordon Sinclair)

Annotation

The song "An American's Answer (To Gordon Sinclair)" (Dot Records # DOA-17507), as the title suggested, was in response to Gordon Sinclair's 1973 The Americans (A Canadian's Opinion), an editorial inspired by the news that the American Red Cross had run out of funds because of recent aid efforts in reaction to natural disasters. Sinclair praised US policies, and referenced the Vietnam war in the section on American democracy: "even the draft dodgers are not pursued and hounded". So in 1974 Charles Ashman (biography unknown) released his answer to Sinclair - not a retort, but more of a 'thank you' and patriotic comment on US foreign policy after the Paris Peace Accords.

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: The other day, on radio, I heard your moving letter / You're right - we're down - but it's okay / We'll soon be doing better / You see...as a nation we're very young... / We've fought for causes not our own... / But as you say, we get no thanks / Instead, somehow, we're hated... / Too many times our fine young men have gone in droves / Like cattle, across the sea, to lose their lives / In someone else's battle... / So Gordon Sinclair, thanks a lot, your words are reassuring / But please don't worry, we'll survive and do some more... / Our teapot domes, our Watergates / Our every scrape and scandal will not defeat us... / With love from the United State / This great world's greatest nation

Notes

Dot Records DOA-17507, matrix MB-28403-S, stereo, white "Ultra High Fidelity" label marked "Promotion Copy Not for Sale", ℗ 1974 Dot Records; "An American's Answer (To Gordon Sinclair)" (Maureen C. Dupuy-Charles Ashman), time 2:50, intro :08, end cold; produced by Jim Foglesong; Media Communications, Ltd./Famous Music Corporation, ASCAP; "Dot Records, a division of Famous Music Corporation, New York, New York". The picture sleeve front, blue with white stars and a pink star border, gives the title b/w "The Middle Class Is in the Middle Now". The back prints the full text of the poem, addressed to Gordon Sinclair, beginning "The other day, on radio, I heard your moving letter" and closing "with love, from the United States, this great world's greatest nation", with lines on young men lost "in someone else's battle" and "unnecessary rows of neatly placed white crosses"; copyright © 1974…

Themes

Patriotic · Answer to Americans

In collections

US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs [War Years]