A Dear John Letter
1965 · Decca DL 74698 · New York City, New York
- Artist
- Johnny Wright
- Title
- A Dear John Letter
- Release
- Hello Vietnam
- Year
- 1965
- Label
- Decca # DL 74698
- Format
- LP · Album
- Language
- English
- Country
- New York City, New York, USA
- Songwriter
- Billy Barton, Fuzzy Owen, Lewis Talley
- Genre
- Country · Nashville Sound
- Primary theme
- Home Front Perspective / Soldier's Perspective
Annotation
This LP, which included the patriotic song "Hello Vietnam", also had some other Vietnam / war related tracks (Decca Records # DL 74698) which fit into the plight of the soldier category.1 First up, the track "Pretty Little Vietnamese", composed by Terry Fell, in which Wright took the role of a soldier who fell in love with a Vietnamese girl while away at war. The second song was a cover of the classic, popular country music track "Dear John Letter", composed by Billy Barton, ..., and Lewis Talley, and made famous during the Korean War by Jean Shepard (A Dear John Letter). Like the track above, Wright sung from a soldier's perspective, receiving a letter while "overseas in battle". His now ex-girlfriend requested he send back her photo, as she has now "wed your brother Don". Finally, Wright covered another famous country track - "Soldier's Last Letter" - composed by Redd Stewart and Ernest Tubb during the Second World War. As suggested in the title, a soldier wrote his last letter - addressed to his mother - before being killed in battle. The mother prayed to "protect all the sons" and to "keep America free" - so ending on a patriotic note. Sources1lpdiscography.com↩
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Annotation — US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs
This LP, which included the patriotic song "Hello Vietnam", also had some other Vietnam / war related tracks (Decca Records # DL 74698) which fit into the soldier's perspective category, including "Pretty Little Vietnamese" and a cover of the classic, popular country music track "Dear John Letter", composed by Billy Barton, Fuzzy Owen, and Lewis Talley, and made famous during the Korean War by Jean Shepard ("A Dear John Letter"). Finally, Wright covered another famous country track - "Soldier's Last Letter" - composed by Redd Stewart and Ernest Tubb during the Second World War. As suggested in the title, a soldier wrote his last letter - addressed to his mother - before being killed in battle. The mother prayed to "protect all the sons" and to "keep America free" - so ending on a patriotic note.
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Lyrics
English: I was overseas in battle when the postman come to me / And he handed me a letter I was happy as I could be / For the fighting was all over and the battle had been won / Then I opened up the letter and it started dear John / Will you please send back my picture my husband wants it now / When I tell you who I'm wedding why you won't care dear anyhow / Now the ceremony has started and I wed your brother Don / Will you wish us happiness forever dear John
About the artist
Born 13 May 1914, Mount Juliet, Tennessee, USA. Died 27 September 2011, Madison, Tennessee, USA
Themes
From the release Hello Vietnam
In collections
US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs [War Years]