It's a Time in the USA

Annotation

The gospel song "It's a Time in the U.S.A" (Gusman # 106) by the obscure artist Sister Maggie Merckson, recorded in Savannah, Georgia, was a prayer for the well-being of the soldiers in Vietnam and for their mothers: "Oh lord please take care of my child over there in Vietnam". It also pleaded with the president and governor to kneel down and pray with the mothers because "they all seem so confused". This record label was established by Waymon "Gusman" Jones, born in Bulloch County, GA in 1932. He owned a record shop at 1210 East Broad Street, Savannah, where he recorded local gospel singers on his labels Gusman and Pitch Records - for further information see the booklet of the label compilation The Pitch/Gusman Records Story (Big Legal Mess Records # BLM 0224).1Sources1flickr.com↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — Soul, Gospel, & Funk Songs

The gospel song "It's a Time in the U.S.A" (Gusman # 106) by the obscure artist Sister Maggie Merckson, recorded in Savannah, Georgia, was a prayer for the well-being of the soldiers in Vietnam and for their mothers: "Oh lord please take care of my child over there in Vietnam". It also pleaded with the president and governor to kneel down and pray with the mothers because "they all seem so confused". This record label was established by Waymon "Gusman" Jones, born in Bulloch County, GA in 1932. He owned a record shop at 1210 East Broad Street, Savannah, where he recorded local gospel singers on his labels Gusman and Pitch Records - for further information see the booklet of the label compilation The Pitch/Gusman Records Story (Big Legal Mess Records # BLM 0224).1 Sources1flickr.com↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: It's a time in the USA / An American dying each and everyday / Mums are bowing down on their knees / Lord, take care of my child / Come on everybody, let us leave and pray / I don't know why the race is so hard to run / Oh lord please take care of my child over there in Vietnam... / Tell the president, I want you to tell the governor too / They all seem so confused - don't know just what to do / Come on everybody, let us all kneel down... / Tell the mothers, please don't worry / I know the lord will take care of your child

Notes

Gusman Records, P.O. Box 9202, Savannah, Ga. 31402, red label, 45 RPM, 106, matrix 24785, stamped "D.J. Copy — Not for Sale"; "It's a Time in the U.S.A." (M. Merckson), Gusman, BMI, time 4:28. [From the record sleeve and labels]

Themes

Soldier's Perspective

In collections

US Domestic Perspective Songs [War Years] · Soul, Gospel, & Funk Songs