I Wanna Help Hurry My Brothers Home

Annotation

The song "I Wanna Help Hurry My Brothers Home" (Minit # 32023) is another very interesting soul track, that displayed patriotism, mixed with civil rights issues, as well as attacking the protest movement. Recorded by Jimmy Holiday (1934-1987), from Durant, Mississippi - he also wrote the song, with E. Wright and E. Jones. It started with the soldier giving up his home life "to fight that war in Vietnam". The narrator then declared that "this is my country too, and I'll never forsake it, though I don't agree with all the laws" - while it showed loyalty and a sense of duty to his country, it sought to highlight racial inequality. Despite the mistreatment of African-Americans in the US, he wanted to do his duty in the integrated army. In a spoken-word section, the narrator directly addressed the protesters, telling them that "I just can't seem to find your pride". He warned that if they did not fight in Vietnam, the battle could come home to the US, thus agreeing with the government's position on the domino theory. This single bubbled under the Billboard Hot 100 on 29 July 1967 at # 132.1Sources1Billboard, 29 July 1967↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — Civil Rights Songs

The song "I Wanna Help Hurry My Brothers Home" (Minit # 32023) is another very interesting soul track, that displayed patriotism, mixed with Civil Rights issues, as well as attacking the protest movement. Recorded by Jimmy Holiday (1934-1987), from Durant, Mississippi - he also wrote the song, with E. Wright and E. Jones. It started with the soldier giving up his home life "to fight that war in Vietnam". The narrator then declared that "this is my country too, and I'll never forsake it, though I don't agree with all the laws" - while it showed loyalty and a sense of duty to his country, it sought to highlight racial inequality. Despite the mistreatment of African-Americans in the US, he wanted to do his duty in the integrated army. In a spoken-word section, the narrator directly addressed the protesters, telling them that "I just can't seem to find your pride". He warned that if they did not fight in Vietnam, the battle could come home to the US, thus agreeing with the government's position on the domino theory. This single bubbled under the Billboard Hot 100 on 29 July 1967 at # 132.1Sources1Billboard, 29 July 1967↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — Soul, Gospel, & Funk Songs

The song "I Wanna Help Hurry My Brothers Home" (Minit # 32023) is another very interesting soul track, that displayed patriotism, mixed with civil rights issues, as well as attacking the protest movement. Recorded by Jimmy Holiday (1934-1987), from Durant, Mississippi - he also wrote the song, with E. Wright and E. Jones. It started with the soldier giving up his home life "to fight that war in Vietnam". The narrator then declared that "this is my country too, and I'll never forsake it, though I don't agree with all the laws" - while it showed loyalty and a sense of duty to his country, it sought to highlight racial inequality. Despite the mistreatment of African-Americans in the US, he wanted to do his duty in the integrated army. In a spoken-word section, the narrator directly addressed the protesters, telling them that "I just can't seem to find your pride". He warned that if they did not fight in Vietnam, the battle could come home to the US, thus agreeing with the government's position on the domino theory. This single bubbled under the Billboard Hot 100 on 29 July 1967 at # 132.1 Sources1Billboard, 29 July 1967↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: I got to go now, I want you to pray for me / You see, I'm a young man, home with dad and mum / But I'm gonna give it all up to fight that war in Vietnam / I'm a simple man, with no ambition to roam / But I want to go fight now to bring my brothers home / This is my country too, and I'll never forsake it / Though I don't agree with all the laws I'll let know other country take it / I'm a simple man from the poor side of the track / But I want to help my brothers, so that they can hurry back... / For those who don't understand what I'm trying to say... / I'd like you to close your eyes for a moment... / Look, can you see that lady and do yo see that tear / Well, she is crying because she lost someone in Vietnam / Who was mighty dear.... / Hey you, mister protester / I can see your sign because it is too big to hide... /I just can't seem to find your pride / You say that war is rough, I agree, it is a curse / But if there is fighting over here it would be a whole lot worse

Notes

Minit 32023, side MN-890, black label, "A Division of Liberty Records, Inc., Los Angeles, California"; "I Wanna Help Hurry My Brothers Home" (J. Holiday–E. Wright–E. Jones), Metric Music Co., BMI, 2:55; producers Jimmy Holiday and Ed Wright. [From the record sleeve and labels]

About the artist

Jimmy Holiday (born 24 July 1934 in Sallis, Mississippi; died 15 February 1987 in Iowa City, Iowa, aged 52) was an American R&B and soul singer and songwriter whose reputation as a composer ultimately outstripped his success as a performer; his first record, 'How Can I Forget', reached the US R&B top ten in 1963, and after moving from Everest to the New Orleans label Minit in 1966 he cut a run of well-regarded singles and the album 'Turning Point'. He co-wrote 'Put a Little Love in Your Heart' with Jackie DeShannon and Randy Myers, a number four US pop hit in 1969, and later wrote for Ray…

Themes

Patriotic · Civil Rights

In collections

Civil Rights Songs · Soul, Gospel, & Funk Songs · US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs [War Years]