Ballad of Our P.O.W.'s

Annotation — US Domestic Perspective Songs

The song "Ballad of Our P.O.W.'s" (Priceless # PR-708) by Johnny Price, a country singer based in Nashville, Tennessee, who sounded very similar to Johnny Cash, as suggested in the artist name. A familiar commercial technique, as seen with the country artist Johnny Paycheck. Johnny Price released the song "The Lieutenant's Last Salute" (Rexell # 45-106) in 1971 about the My Lai massacre. The narrator of the song showed concern for the plight of the P.O.W.s, refusing to celebrate the end of the war with marches and beating drums "until we bring back our prisoners of war". It pointed out that many families faced uncertainty about the status of their loved ones - whether, M.I.A., P.O.W., or K.I.A. According to the The Sumter Daily, South Carolina, Price wrote the song in support of Sandy Bagley, the wife of P.O.W. Major Bobby Ray Bagley, captured in North Vietnam on 16 September 1967, and released on 14 March 1973. (1). The article said that "Johnny Price...is ready to release his own recording to help her cause, The Ballad of the POW". (2) She released the 1972 single "POWMIA", as well as co-writing the b-side of this single. On the b-side of this single, the song "Santa Bring My…

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — P.O.W. / M.I.A. Songs

The song "Ballad of Our P.O.W.'s" (Priceless # PR-708) by Johnny Price, a country singer based in Nashville, Tennessee, who sounded very similar to Johnny Cash, as suggested in the artist name. A familiar commercial technique, as seen with the country artist Johnny Paycheck. Johnny Price released the song "The Lieutenant's Last Salute" (Rexell # 45-106) in 1971 about the My Lai massacre. The narrator of the song showed concern for the plight of the P.O.W.s, refusing to celebrate the end of the war with marches and beating drums "until we bring back our prisoners of war". It pointed out that many families faced uncertainty about the status of their loved ones - whether, M.I.A., P.O.W., or K.I.A. According to the The Sumter Daily, South Carolina, Price wrote the song in support of Sandy Bagley, the wife of P.O.W. Major Bobby Ray Bagley, captured in North Vietnam on 16 September 1967, and released on 14 March 1973. (1). The article said that "Johnny Price...is ready to release his own recording to help her cause, The Ballad of the POW". (2) She released the 1972 single "POWMIA", as well as co-writing the b-side of this single. On the b-side of this single, the song "Santa Bring My…

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Themes

P.O.W. · Patriotic

In collections

US Domestic Perspective Songs · Christmas Songs · P.O.W. / M.I.A. Songs