I'm the Spirit of America

Annotation

The song "I'm the Spirit of America" (Antique Records # ANT-52) is very similar in theme to the dozens of Bicentennial records released back in 1976 - a patriotic, fanfare styled song, the narrator took on the role of the American flag, recalling the country's history, from the Revolutionary War, to the Civil War, World War One & Two, the Korean War, the Space Race, John F. Kennedy, the 1979 Iranian Hostage Crisis, and of course the Vietnam War, with the line: "I know every name on the great black wall, that hovering tower...and although we didn't want to go to Vietnam we all knew that's how it had to be". Interesting to note the post-war re-interpretation, claiming that "we" (the people? the flag? the government? the military?) did not want to fight in the Vietnam War. But it was "how it had to be". The record came with a lyric sheet. Released in Pittsburg, Kansas, USA. Released on a country label founded by Gene Strasser, who himself released a few political records ("Prisoners of War" about Vietnam P.O.W.s, "The Ballad of John Kennedy", and "Dear Little Soldier" about the First Gulf War).

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

About the artist

Unknown - a near-unique surname as printed ("Rhuems", possibly a variant of Rheums or Ruehms), but no music-industry documentation was found under any spelling; the only hits were present-day social-media profiles with no connection to the record, and social media is inadmissible. [Source: no admissible match]

Themes

Patriotic · American Revolution · Civil War · Lincoln · JFK · WW1 · WW2 · Korea · Flag Burning · Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall

In collections

Veterans Memorial Wall Songs