Christmas in Viet Nam
1968 · Drew-Blan 1017 · Morgan City, Louisiana
- Artist
- Joyce Brown
- Title
- Christmas in Viet Nam
- Release
- Christmas in Viet Nam / You Just Played for Fun
- Year
- 1968
- Label
- Drew-Blan # 1017
- Format
- 7" · Single
- Language
- English
- Country
- Morgan City, Louisiana, USA
- Songwriter
- G. Giroir
- Genre
- Country · Country
- Primary theme
- Home Front Perspective / Soldier's Perspective
Annotation
Released in 1968, the song "Christmas in Vietnam" (Drew-Blan Records # 1017), by the obscure country singer Joyce Brown on a Morgan City, Louisiana based record label, dealt with the plight of the soldiers and their families. It did not take a pro or anti line. This song title would be used by at least four different artists, although most of them were different songs, discussed above. The narrator recalled her son as a little boy, singing Christmas carols and opening presents, but who would be "alone this Christmas eve in a foreign land". She pondered on the discrepancy between the voting age and the conscription age: "still not old enough to vote, he is fighting for our land" - a familiar topic in Vietnam War songs, mentioned by Barry McGuire on "Eve of Destruction", and several others, and thus also a draft inequality song. Also note:
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Annotation — Christmas Songs
Released in 1968, the song "Christmas in Vietnam" (Drew-Blan Records # 1017), by the obscure country singer Joyce Brown on a Morgan City, Louisiana based record label, dealt with the plight of the soldiers and their families. It did not take a pro or anti line. This song title would be used by at least four different artists, although most of them were different songs, discussed above. The narrator recalled her son as a little boy, singing Christmas carols and opening presents, but who would be "alone this Christmas eve in a foreign land". She pondered on the discrepancy between the voting age and the conscription age: "still not old enough to vote, he is fighting for our land" - a familiar topic in Vietnam War songs, mentioned by Barry McGuire on "Eve of Destruction", and several others, and thus also a draft inequality song.
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Lyrics
English: Our little boy is spending Christmas in Vietnam / It seems that only yesterday he was four years old / And we'd give out the presents wrapped in green and gold / We'd go out on the lawn and sing carols... / Now our little boy is spending Christmas in Vietnam / To us he is still a little boy, to Uncle Sam a man / I can still remember when I held his little hand / To cross the street and climb the stairs... / Still not old enough to vote, he is fighting for our land / He will be alone this Christmas eve in a foreign land
Notes
Drew-Blan Records no. 1017, 45 RPM (LH-4888), stamped "Not for sale"; Pelican Music, BMI, 1620 Federal Ave., Morgan City, La.; "Christmas in Viet Nam" (G. Giroir), 2:14. [From the record sleeve and labels]