Hey! Uncle Sam

Annotation

The garage rock band The Combinations, later renamed The Combenashuns due to copyright issues, originated in 1964, in Easton, Pennsylvania. They released the draft song "Hey Uncle Sam" (Leo Records # 3801), in which a man said that "I'm going overseas to Vietnam". The man worried about telling his mum, missing life at home, as well as his car. Note: the lyric "Mr. Reedman" referenced a car dealership in Pennsylvania. The writing credits went to Sammy Losagio (the drummer) and Chuck Odenheimer (on organ and trumpet). The group got together while still in school, and they faced the real possibility of being drafted. The lead vocalist George Ross decided not to go to college, and he ended up being drafted to Vietnam in 1968. The song began with the comedic monologue: "well you know, a cold is not the only thing you can catch from a draft".

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: Well, I got a letter from Uncle Sam last night / Special delivery, telling me I had to fight / It said, hey boy, now don't you start to run / Because all I want you to do is carry this gun / Hey, Uncle Sam, how am I supposed to tell my mum that I'm going overseas to Vietnam / I've got to leave this place, I've got to leave this town, I'm going to Vietnam / Hey, Mr. Reedman, will you want back my car / Cause Mr. Reedman, I'm going real real far / I here those girls are real nice... / They don't have enough here for this war / So now you can be drafted by the marine corps

Notes

Leo Records 3802, green label, "Dedicated to Making You Remember the Song", Deleo Enterprises, Inc., manufactured in U.S.A.; "Hey! Uncle Sam" (Losagio, Odenheimer), Deeside Music Co., BMI. The Leo company sleeve is printed "Introducing The Combenashuns". [From the record sleeve and labels]

Themes

Draft

In collections

Draft Songs · Garage Rock Songs