Another Christmas Without My Son
1970 · Jewel 155 · Shreveport, Louisiana
- Artist
- Rev Oris Mays
- Title
- Another Christmas Without My Son
- Release
- Another Christmas Without My Son / Stand Still
- Year
- 1970
- Label
- Jewel # 155
- Format
- 7" · Single
- Language
- English
- Country
- Shreveport, Louisiana, USA
- Songwriter
- Rev Oris Mays, J. Wyatt
- Genre
- Soul, Gospel & Funk · Gospel · Soul
- Primary theme
- Peace, Protest & Anti-War
Annotation
The track "Another Christmas Without My Son" (Jewel Records # 155) is a monologue by Rev. Oris Mays, backed by a gospel choir. Oris Mays, born in Lambert, Mississippi, 1935, moved to Memphis, Tennessee where he worked at the Boston Street Baptist Church. In Memphis he fronted the first African-American TV gospel program. He died in Memphis on 21 April 1996. In 1966, Oris Mays released the patriotic Vietnam record "Tribute in Prayer (From a Soldier in Viet Nam)". However, by 1970 Rev. Oris Mays' views on Vietnam had taken a radical change, presented here from the perspective of a father who lost his son in the war. He particularly considered the discrepancy between the draft and voting age: "he was just eighteen when they took him away, he couldn't even vote", and thus posed the question to the politicians: "will Congress do something to right these wrongs?"
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
About the artist
Born 1935, Lambert, Mississippi, USA. Died 21 April 1996, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
Themes
Anti-War · Christmas · Home Front Perspective · K.I.A. · Voting Rights · Anti-Government
In collections
Christmas Songs · Draft Songs · Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs · Soul, Gospel, & Funk Songs