Bring Them Home

Annotation — Pete Seeger Songs

Also important on the album Young vs. Old (Columbia Records # CS 9873) was the song "Ballad of the Fort Hood Three", based on the true story of three soldiers who refused to be deployed to Vietnam in 1966. They were Private First Class James Johnson, Private David Samas, and Private Dennis Mora, stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, in the 142nd Signal Company, 2nd Armored Division. Taking the case to the Supreme Court in 1967, claiming that the Vietnam conflict was an illegal war, the Court dismissed the suit (Mora v. McNamara 389 U.S. 934).3 The three soldiers were imprisoned. The lyrics noted that Mora "cast his vote for Johnson in 1964" (a reference to President Lyndon B. Johnson), but concluded that "this war's illegal, immoral, and unjust". Published in Broadside # 74, September 1966, the lyrics changed slightly for this 1969 album. It said sung to the tune of "Peter Amberly (traditional)". Seeger wrote in Broadside that:"the following verses were written August 20, 1966 right after reading the direct statements of three young soldiers, who showed unusual bravery. The poetry is not as good as it should be; I hope the folk process will improve it. If the choice of melody seems not the best, some singers may want to try and find a better one".Note that Broadside # 76 published another song about this topic, introduced in the magazine by Bill Frederick, which was unrecorded - "The Fort Hood Three's Answer to the Green Berets" by Grace Mora Newman, the sister of Dennis Mora, sung to the tune of Barry Sadler's Ballad of the Green Beret. Sources3Justia: Mora v. McNamara, 389 U.S. 934 (1967)↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs

Also important on the album Young vs. Old (Columbia Records # CS 9873) was the song "Ballad of the Fort Hood Three", based on the true story of three soldiers who refused to be deployed to Vietnam in 1966. They were Private First Class James Johnson, Private David Samas, and Private Dennis Mora, stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, in the 142nd Signal Company, 2nd Armored Division. Taking the case to the Supreme Court in 1967, claiming that the Vietnam conflict was an illegal war, the Court dismissed the suit (Mora v. McNamara 389 U.S. 934).2 The three soldiers were imprisoned. Published in Broadside # 74, September 1966, the lyrics changed slightly for this 1969 album. Broadside # 76 published another song about this topic, introduced in the magazine by Bill Frederick, which was unrecorded - "The Fort Hood Three's Answer to the Green Berets" by Grace Mora Newman, the sister of Dennis Mora, sung to the tune of Barry Sadler's Ballad of the Green Beret. Sources2Justia: Mora v. McNamara, 389 U.S. 934 (1967)↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation

The track "Bring 'Em Home" (Columbia Records # CS 9873) - one of Pete Seeger's most well-known Vietnam protest songs. It also went by the titles "Bring Them Home (If You Love Your Uncle Sam)" and "Bring Them Home". Seeger wrote the song in May 1966, with the lyrics and music published in Broadside # 71 in June 1966. Several artist covered this song, or re-worked the lyrics, such as Tom Winslow, Barbara Dane, and Bruce Springsteen.1 The lyrics took an anti-Vietnam stance, opposed to government policy (rather than general anti-war), but it also displayed a degree of patriotism (for the United States) and support for the soldiers fighting. Firstly, Seeger strongly emphasised his desire for US troops to return home, repeating "bring them home, bring them home" every other line, arguing that that provided the best way "to support our boys in Vietnam". Secondly, Seeger criticised the "generals" for wanting to "tangle with the foe" and to "test their weaponry" (i.e. war-mongering). He also said that the generals "don't have the right weaponry" and lacked "common sense". Seeger thought that the right weapons were "teachers, books and schools". Thirdly, Seeger argued for the "right to sing this song" and protest against the war, even if "I may be wrong" i.e. it did not represent an unpatriotic stance, and that people had a democratic right to express opposition. Fourthly, Seeger claimed that "I'm not really a pacifist", and that if an army invaded the United States, then he would be "out on the firing line", even if the enemy "brought helicopters and napalm" - thus, suggesting, that there are just and unjust wars, and that he considered the Vietnam conflict unjustified. Also important on this album was the song "Ballad of the Fort Hood Three", based on the true story of three soldiers who refused to be deployed to Vietnam in 1966. They were Private First Class James Johnson, Private David Samas, and Private Dennis Mora, stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, in the 142nd Signal Company, 2nd Armored Division. Taking the case to the Supreme Court in 1967, claiming that the Vietnam conflict was an illegal war, the Court dismissed the suit (Mora v. McNamara 389 U.S. 934).2 The three soldiers were imprisoned. Published in Broadside # 74, September 1966, the lyrics changed slightly for this 1969 album. Broadside # 76 published another song about this topic, introduced in the magazine by Bill Frederick, which was unrecorded - "The Fort Hood Three's Answer to the Green Berets" by Grace Mora Newman, the sister of Dennis Mora, sung to the tune of Barry Sadler's Ballad of the Green Beret. Sources1bruce.orel.ws: Bring them home↩2Justia: Mora v. McNamara, 389 U.S. 934 (1967)↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — Pete Seeger Songs

Seeger recorded a new version of "Bring Them Home" (Appleseed Recordings) for the third volume of the Appleseed tribute series. With Ani DiFranco, Steve Earle and Billy Bragg, the lyrics were updated to take into account the 2003 Iraq War.

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: If you love your Uncle Sam, bring them home, bring them home / Support our boys in Vietnam, bring them home, bring them home / It'll make our generals sad, I know... / They want to tangle with the foe... / They want to test their weaponry... / But here is their big fallacy... / I may be right, I may be wrong... / But I got a right to sing this song... / There's one thing I must confess... / I'm not really a pacifist... / If an army invaded this land of mine... / You'd find me out on the firing line... / Even if they brought their planes to bomb... / Even if they brought helicopters and napalm... / Show those generals their fallacy... / They don't have the right weaponry... / For defense you need common sense... / They don't have the right armaments... / The world needs teachers, books, and schools... / Learning a few universal rules Pvt. Dennis Mora, he hails from New York town... / He cast his vote for Johnson in 1964... / Now listen to his own words and tell me what you think / We've been told in training that in Vietnam we must fight / And we may have to kill women and children, and that is quite all right / W say this war's illegal, immoral, and unjust... / They were taken into custody told jail was what they'd get

About the artist

Iconic American contemporary folk singer, Pete Seeger (born 3 May 1919 in Manhattan, New York, USA, died on 27 January 2014, same location) played a key role in the 1950s contemporary folk revival and the 1960s anti-war and Civil Rights movement. He often wrote political songs, protesting against war, segregation, and calling for environmental protection. His body of songs referencing the Vietnam War is significant in both themes and volume: "The Willing Conscript" on the album Broadside Ballads Volume 2 (1963); "Beans in My Ear", "King Henry", and "The Draft Dodger Rag" on Dangerous Songs!?…

Themes

Anti-War · Napalm

In collections

Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs [War Years] · Pete Seeger Songs