Boots That Calley Wore

Annotation

Released in Clio, Michigan, by David Daniels III, the track "Boots That Calley Wore" (Ranger # 470), expressed a degree of sympathy with Calley, by blaming society and the government for the My Lai incident. The narrator argued that the US trained the soldiers to kill at a young age, and supplied then with weapons: "just eighteen...refine him militarily...then send him off to hell". The lyrics also mentioned that the US continued "dropping bombs" and wanting to "bring them home", but then questioned whether this would disrespect those that had already given their lives in Vietnam, and thus this song leans towards the patriotic camp.

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: They take a boy who is just eighteen / And give him opportunity to be a killer / They fill his head with strategy, refine him militarily / And then send him off to hell and wish him well / Now the greatest sound that is going all around / Is coming from the boots that Calley wore / This country made its shirt on Calley's back / And it made his hat and tie and his slacks / And the gun that fired the bullets made by man to fight a war / All go with the boots that Calley wore / Still they keep on dropping bombs and talking about time to come to bring them home... / But what of those whose lives were lost

Notes

Ranger 470, Side 1, yellow and green label with pine trees; "Boots That Calley Wore" (D. Daniel III), time 3:55, Big Willie Music, BMI; a Forrest Green Studio Production; P.O. Box 97, Clio, Michigan 48420. [From the record sleeve and labels]

Themes

My Lai · Patriotic · Pro-Calley · Calley-Order · Calley-Justice · Pro-Soldier

In collections

My Lai & Lt. William Calley Songs · US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs [War Years]