Back to the World

Annotation — Civil Rights Songs

Curtis Mayfield's concept album (Curtom Records # CRS 8015) dealing with American GIs returning back from Vietnam to America ("The World"), and a social commentary on early 70s America, including Civil Rights. It's one of the first, and most important, albums to deal with the aftermath of the war, released in 1973. It is a particularly bleak perspective. The title song "Back to the World" is dealt with immediately below, which specifically referred to a Vietnam veteran returning home. In the song "Future Shock", a black man is faced with poverty: "We got to stop all men from messing up the land. Everybody, it's a future shock". While the track "If I Were Only a Child Again", Mayfield reflected on the realisation of war that as a child he did not comprehend.

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — Soul, Gospel, & Funk Songs

Curtis Mayfield's concept album (Curtom Records # CRS 8015) dealing with American GIs returning back from Vietnam to America ("The World"), and a social commentary on early 70s America. It's one of the first, and most important, albums to deal with the aftermath of the war, released in 1973. It is a particularly bleak perspective. The title song "Back to the World" is dealt with immediately below, which specifically referred to a Vietnam veteran returning home. In the song "Future Shock", a black man is faced with poverty: "We got to stop all men from messing up the land. Everybody, it's a future shock". While the track "If I Were Only a Child Again", Mayfield reflected on the realisation of war that as a child he did not comprehend.

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

About the artist

American soul singer-songwriter, born 3 June 1942 in Chicago, Illinois; died 26 December 1999 in Roswell, Georgia. [Source: Wikipedia]

Themes

Soldier's Perspective · Civil Rights

In collections

Civil Rights Songs · Soul, Gospel, & Funk Songs