I Told Them What You're Fighting For

Annotation

The song I Told Them What You're Fighting For (Carter, Maybelle) (Columbia Records # 4-43521) Appeared on the album A Living Legend (Columbia Records # CL 2475) Answer to Dave Dudley single What We're Fighting For - both were written by Tom T. Hall. Not the only time he wrote an answer to his own song! After writing Hello Vietnam performed by Johnnie Wright (and covered by many other artists), he wrote the reply Good-Bye to Viet Nam (released by Kitty Hawkins). Billboard 1 Yes son, I told them what you're fighting for"Sources1Songs of the Vietnam Conflict (James E. Perone, 2001)↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

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

The song I Told Them What You're Fighting For (Carter, Maybelle) (Columbia Records # 4-43521) Appeared on the album A Living Legend (Columbia Records # CL 2475) Answer to Dave Dudley single What We're Fighting For - both were written by Tom T. Hall. Not the only time he wrote an answer to his own song! After writing Hello Vietnam performed by Johnnie Wright (and covered by many other artists), he wrote the reply Good-Bye to Viet Nam (released by Kitty Hawkins). Billboard 1Sources1Songs of the Vietnam Conflict (James E. Perone, 2001)↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: My Dearest son, I'm writing to you these few lines / Your dad and I sure miss you, and I proud to call you mine / The postman brought your letter to us only yesterday / I'll try to be more clear with what I say / I stood today for hours on a downtown city street / Carrying a sign that read our soldiers fight for peace / I said there is no soldier in that land who likes the war / Yes son, I told them what you're fighting for / I told them as I waved it high, the old red, white, and blue / I said thank god Pearl Harbor and Korea too / Help me keep this flying high above our nation's door / Yes son, I told them what you're fighting for / For Maine to California, there are many broken homes / The price of war has been our fathers and our many sons / But the world has learned we will fight, we will protect our shore / Yes son, I told them what you're fighting for

Notes

Columbia 4-43521, side JZSP 112737, white label, 45 RPM, "Not for Resale – Radio Station Copy"; "I Told Them What You're Fighting For" (C. Dennis–T. T. Hall), publisher New Keys Music Co. (BMI), 2:54; produced by Don Law & Frank Jones. [From the record sleeve and labels]

About the artist

American country matriarch, born 10 May 1909 in Nickelsville, Virginia; died 23 October 1978 in Nashville, Tennessee. [Source: Wikipedia]

Themes

Patriotic · Home Front Perspective · WW2 · Korea · Flag · Answer to What We're Fighting For

In collections

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