Credited on the record as Eddie Bond and the Stompers.
Back to Viet Nam
Millionaire MC-108 · USA
- Artist
- Eddie Bond
- Credited on the record as
- Eddie Bond and the Stompers
- Title
- Back to Viet Nam
- Release
- Back to Viet Nam / I Just Found Out
- Label
- Millionaire # MC-108
- Format
- 7" · Single
- Language
- English
- Country
- USA
- Songwriter
- Jim Climer, Gary Climer
- Genre
- Country · Honky Tonk
- Primary theme
- US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs
Annotation
Eddie Bond and the Stompers’ song "Back to Viet Nam" (Millionaire Record Co. # MC-108) took the perspective of a soldier addressing his wife. The soldier had previous served his country in Korea, thinking that "our fighting days were done". However, the government called him to serve again, in Vietnam, and he will do his patriotic duty: "My country needs me, so I’m on my way". The soldier says goodbye to his wife and kids, and asks that his wife pray every night for the war to end, and thus he will return home:
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Lyrics
English: Vietnam, Vietnam, yes they’re calling my back to Vietnam / I thought that I was through with army life / Back home with my kids and you my darling wife / But I got my notice in the mail today / My country needs me, so I’m on my way / I fought in Korea, did my best / Made it back cause I was luckily than some of the rest / We thought our fighting days were done / But here I go again to Vietnam... / The hour is almost here so I guess I’ll have to say goodbye / Don’t wake the kids just, kiss them for me, tell them that daddy said goodbye / And you my darling, you try to be brave / But don’t forget each night / To pray that soon a lasting peace will come
Notes
Millionaire Record Co., Memphis, Tennessee, MC-108 (SK4M-0935), yellow label with the slogan "That Million Dollar Memphis Sound"; "Back to Viet Nam" (Jim & Gary Climer), time 2:33, Millionaire Music Pub. Co., BMI; "A Division of Millionaire Music, Inc., 1254 Lamar Suite 110". [From the record sleeve and labels]
About the artist
Eddie Bond (born 1 July 1933 in Memphis, Tennessee; died 20 March 2013 in Bolivar, Tennessee) was an American rockabilly and country singer and guitarist, known for his mid-1950s Mercury sides with his band The Stompers and for having turned down the young Elvis Presley at an audition. 'Back to Viet Nam' was issued in 1965 as the flip of 'I Just Found Out', credited to Eddie Bond and The Stompers. [Source: Wikipedia; Discogs]
Themes
In collections
Draft Songs · US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs [War Years]