Home From Vietnam

Annotation — Australian & New Zealand Songs

Country artist Wally White, from Australia, released the song "Home From Vietnam" (CM # CMEP 505), despite the title of the EP being "Return From Vietnam", which took a patriotic, pro-soldier perspective. Note that he also released the single "Letter From Vietnam" (CM # CMEP-510) in 1970, which took the format of a letter from a soldier to his mother, describing combat conditions, discussed above. This one took a more political perspective, saying that the "Aussie boys are fighting in Vietnam" to "bring home a victory", as they are "fighting for our freedom", and "to save their mates". It did refer to the conflict as a "terrible war of strife", and thus, "we pray to god in heaven for peace", and so containing some anti-war sentiment. There is no date on the record, but was presumably released after his 1970 EP mentioned above. The record label was from West Tamworth, NSW, Australia.

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

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

Country artist Wally White, from Australia, released the song "Home From Vietnam" (CM # CMEP 505), despite the title of the EP being "Return From Vietnam", which took a patriotic, pro-soldier perspective. Note that he also released the single "Letter From Vietnam" (CM # CMEP-510) in 1970, which took the format of a letter from a soldier to his mother, describing combat conditions, discussed above. This one took a more political perspective, saying that the "Aussie boys are fighting in Vietnam" to "bring home a victory", as they are "fighting for our freedom", and "to save their mates". It did refer to the conflict as a "terrible war of strife", and thus, "we pray to god in heaven for peace", and so containing some anti-war sentiment. There is no date on the record, but was presumably released after his 1970 EP mentioned above. The record label was from West Tamworth, NSW, Australia..

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: The sun is slowly setting way out in the west / The twilight softly falling, is the time we love the best / My thought are drifting onwards to a foreign distant land / To where the Aussie boys are fighting in Vietnam / There are men from every walk of life marching side by side / To help bring home a victory to stem this dreaded tide / Through the hills and steamy jungles, on the river plans... / The Aussie boys are fighting in Vietnam / From mountains to the city, from country towns and plain / There fighting for our freedom, they'd do it all again / There are mothers, wives and sweethearts, all waiting in our land / For when the Aussie boys are home from Vietnam / We read in the daily papers of the boys who gave their lives / To save their mates in battle, in this terrible war of strife / So we pray to god in heaven for peace to always stand / When the Aussie boys are home from Vietnam

Notes

Musical director Ken Cameron; produced by John Zulaikha at World of Sound; matrix A4KB-0537. From the EP Return From Vietnam (Home From Vietnam / The Grave Down by the River / A Voice From the Town / Hullo & Goodbye). CM Twin City Country Sound CMEP 505, Side 1, gold label, Australian made, Box 507, Dubbo, and Box 41, West Tamworth; 1. "Home From Vietnam" (W. White), 3.13, C.M. Control; 2. "The Grave Down by the River" (W. White), 2.47, CM Control, printed on a paste-over sticker. The picture sleeve, "Wally White singing Return From Vietnam", shows a soldier in a slouch hat holding a small boy on a crowded wharf beside a ship, and lists "A Voice From the Town", "Hullo & Goodbye" and "Grave by the River". [From the record sleeve and labels]

About the artist

Australian country singer-songwriter. Both master tracks are White's own compositions from his Australian EPs 'Letter From Vietnam' (CM Records CMEP-510, 1970) and 'Return From Vietnam'; his other recordings ('Old Battered Rodeo Boots', 'Answer to Sweeney') are likewise in the Australian bush-country vein. No personal biographical details documented. [Source: Discogs / 45cat]

Themes

ANZUS · Soldier's Perspective · Patriotic

In collections

Australian & New Zealand Songs · US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs [War Years]