Cold Warrior and the Mercenary Band
Vietnam
1980 · t.m.i. 807-63 · Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Artist
- Cold Warrior and the Mercenary Band
- Title
- Vietnam
- Release
- Extended Play
- Year
- 1980
- Label
- t.m.i. # 807-63
- Format
- 7" · Single
- Language
- English
- Country
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Songwriter
- F. Lackey & Mercenary Band
- Genre
- Punk · Art Punk · Post-Punk
- Primary theme
- Post-War
Annotation
The art punk / post-punk group Cold Warrior and the Mercenary Band, out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, released the song "Vietnam" (t.m.i. Products # 807-63) on their 1980 EP, which took an anti-war position. Showing concern for the possibility of "another military adventure", the narrator asked the listener to "remember Vietnam, Lt. Calley, and the My Lai massacre...the invasion of Cambodia and Laos". The lyrics also focused on the military-industrial complex, as mentioned by President Eisenhower during his farewell address on 17 January 1961: "in Washington, the Pentagon war machine is getting...tanks into production, along with cruise missiles". (1) The narrator suggested that instead of spending money on weapons, the funds should go towards "education, housing...a national health insurance". Finally, the lyrics scornfully remarked that Henry Kissinger received a Nobel Peace Prize in 1973, despite his role in the controversial Christmas bombings over Hanoi and Haiphong in 1972 (Operation Linebacker II).& Vietnam War: Punk Songs
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Annotation — My Lai & Lt. William Calley Songs
The art punk / post-punk group Cold Warrior and the Mercenary Band, out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, released the song "Vietnam" (t.m.i. Products # 807-63) on their 1980 EP, which took an anti-war position. Showing concern for the possibility of "another military adventure", the narrator asked the listener to "remember Vietnam, Lt. Calley, and the My Lai massacre...the invasion of Cambodia and Laos". The lyrics also focused on the military-industrial complex, as mentioned by President Eisenhower during his farewell address on 17 January 1961: "in Washington, the Pentagon war machine is getting...tanks into production, along with cruise missiles". (1) The narrator suggested that instead of spending money on weapons, the funds should go towards "education, housing...a national health insurance". Finally, the lyrics scornfully remarked that Henry Kissinger received a Nobel Peace Prize in 1973, despite his role in the controversial Christmas bombings over Hanoi and Haiphong in 1972 (Operation Linebacker II).
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Themes
My Lai · Anti-Calley · Cambodia · Laos · Kissinger