Fire in the Sky

Annotation — US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs

Roland Johnson (1921-2007) - nicknamed "Racehorse" for doing a 100 yard dash in 10 seconds, while playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers Triple A team. After an injury he turned to music, and wrote a campaign song for George C. Wallace, Governor of Alabama, helping to raise funds. Note that Wallace supported the campaign to free Calley in 1971, as seen in his endorsement of the record "Pardon This Soldier (And Set Him Free)". Before that Roland Johnson supported Governor "Big Jim" Folsom.1 In 1964 Johnson became the Mayor of Garden City, Alabama. On 25 June 2001 the House of Representatives of the Legislature of Alabama paid tribute to his public service.2 Johnson released the song "William Calley" (Three Star Records # 9108), arguing that "those above him" in the army had made a mistake, and that Calley "was made a scapegoat". Johnson felt that the "guilty ones" were free while Calley, doing his duty, had lost his liberty. This did not take a strong pro-government or anti-war position, but focused on support for the soldier.Sources1cullmantimes.com: Roland C Racehorse Johnson Melissa Jean Boren Albert L Friedrich Gail Elsworth I↩2legislature.state.al.us (archived copy)↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Notes

Three Star Records, P.O. Box 1123, Cullman, Ala. 35055, yellow label; produced by W. R. Morris. "William Calley" (Earl Nunn, W. R. Morris, R. Johnson), Acuff-Rose Pub., BMI, numbered 9108, 2:32; flip side "Fire in the Sky" (Earl Nunn, R. Johnson), Three Star Pub., BMI, numbered 9109, 1:48. [From the record sleeve and labels]

Themes

Atomic · Cold War

In collections

US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs [War Years]