Conscription Ramp

Annotation — Draft Songs

Contemporary folk artist Gary Shearston, born 9 January 1939 in Inverell, NSW, Australia. He died 1 July 2013, Tenterfield, NSW, Australia. This album, recorded in 1965 in Sydney, Australia, and produced by Sven E. Libaek (CBS # BP-233186), contained two anti-war songs related to the Vietnam War.. According to the album notes, written by Edgar Walter (1965), the first song "Twenty Summers" was composed by Mona Brand: "Twenty Summers: Mona Brand's words were written as a comment on the recent decision to conscript young Australians for military service overseas. But they are a protest not so much against that decision in itself, as against all warfare. The melody is by Gary Shearston". Mona Brand was a theatre playwright, who taught English in Hanoi with her husband Len Fox in the 1950s. (1) It told the story of a young man, 20 years old, drafted to war: "Johnny is called for a soldier today". His father died in a previous war: "rain in the jungle when Johnny was born, the day that his father lay dying at dawn". The second song "The Conscription Romp" dealt with the Australian draft. The album notes said: Conscription Romp: This is Shearston's own comment on conscription. The words…

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — Australian & New Zealand Songs

Contemporary folk artist Gary Shearston, born 9 January 1939 in Inverell, NSW, Australia. He died 1 July 2013, Tenterfield, NSW, Australia. This album, recorded in 1965 in Sydney, Australia, and produced by Sven E. Libaek (CBS # BP-233186), contained two anti-war songs related to the Vietnam War. According to the album notes, written by Edgar Walter (1965), the first song "Twenty Summers" was composed by Mona Brand: "Twenty Summers: Mona Brand's words were written as a comment on the recent decision to conscript young Australians for military service overseas. But they are a protest not so much against that decision in itself, as against all warfare. The melody is by Gary Shearston". Mona Brand was a theatre playwright, who taught English in Hanoi with her husband Len Fox in the 1950s. (1) It told the story of a young man, 20 years old, drafted to war: "Johnny is called for a soldier today". His father died in a previous war: "rain in the jungle when Johnny was born, the day that his father lay dying at dawn". The second song "The Conscription Romp" dealt with the Australian draft. The album notes said: Conscription Romp: This is Shearston's own comment on conscription. The words…

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

About the artist

Born 9 January 1939 in Inverell, NSW, Australia. He died 1 July 2013, Tenterfield, NSW, Australia

Themes

ANZUS · Draft · Vote

In collections

Australian & New Zealand Songs · Draft Songs · Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs