Dear Uncle Sam
1966 · Decca 31893 · New York City, New York
- Artist
- Loretta Lynn
- Title
- Dear Uncle Sam
- Release
- Dear Uncle Sam / Hurtin' for Certain
- Year
- 1966
- Label
- Decca # 31893
- Format
- 7" · Single
- Language
- English
- Country
- New York City, New York, USA
- Songwriter
- Loretta Lynn
- Genre
- Country · Country
- Primary theme
- US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs
Annotation
Loretta Lynn (born Loretta Webb, in 1932, Kentucky), one of the most successful country singer-songwriters, released the track "Dear Uncle Sam" (Decca Records # 31893) about a man drafted to war. Released on the album I Like 'Em Country (Decca # DL 74744), Lynn also released a Vietnam related Christmas song in 1966, called "Christmas Without Daddy". Narrated from the perspective of the soldier's sweetheart, she told Uncle Sam that "you don't need him like I do", and thus showing a degree of resentment towards the war. This continued with the final line of the song, when the narrated told the listener that she received the dreaded telegram which said "I'm sorry to inform you". Although she is upset, she made a point of declaring her patriotism and support for government policies: "I know he's fighting for our land, I really love my country...he proudly wears the colors of the old red white and blue" - this is strikingly different from a couple early 1970s country songs, where the soldier's wife / sweetheart turned against the military and government (such as "Congratulations (You Sure Made a Man Out of Him)" by Arlene Harden), thus showing a change of opinion between 1966 and the…
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Annotation — Draft Songs
Loretta Lynn (born Loretta Webb, in 1936, Kentucky), one of the most successful country singer-songwriters, released the track "Dear Uncle Sam" (Decca Records # 31893) about a man drafted to war. Released on the album I Like 'Em Country (Decca # DL 74744), Lynn also released a Vietnam related Christmas song in 1966, called "Christmas Without Daddy". Narrated from the perspective of the soldier's sweetheart, she told Uncle Sam that "you don't need him like I do", and thus showing a degree of resentment towards the war. This continued with the final line of the song, when the narrated told the listener that she received the dreaded telegram which said "I'm sorry to inform you". Although she is upset, she made a point of declaring her patriotism and support for government policies: "I know he's fighting for our land, I really love my country...he proudly wears the colors of the old red white and blue" - this is strikingly different from a couple early 1970s country songs, where the soldier's wife / sweetheart turned against the military and government (such as "Congratulations (You Sure Made a Man Out of Him)" by Arlene Harden), thus showing a change of opinion between 1966 and the…
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
About the artist
Born 14 April 1932, Butcher Hollow, Kentucky, USA. Died 4 October 2022, Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, USA
Themes
In collections
Draft Songs · US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs