I've Been a Prisoner
1973 · Faces 3-1 · Shreveport, Louisiana
- Artist
- Leo Price
- Title
- I've Been a Prisoner
- Release
- The Bullet / I've Been a Prisoner
- Year
- 1973
- Label
- Faces # 3-1
- Format
- 7" · Single
- Language
- English
- Country
- Shreveport, Louisiana, USA
- Songwriter
- L. Price, D. Logan
- Genre
- Soul, Gospel & Funk · Soul
- Primary theme
- Home Front Perspective / Soldier's Perspective
Annotation — P.O.W. / M.I.A. Songs
The obscure soul artist "Little" Leo Price, born 9 January 1935, in New Orleans, Louisiana, co-wrote "Send Me Some Lovin'", a song covered by many soul artists, such as Sam Cooke. His older brother, the R&B singer Lloyd Price had a very successful career.1234 It seems that at some point he moved to Houston, Texas - it is referenced on this single, and he recorded some tracks on the Houston based label Palladium (under the artist name "Leo Price and His Band"). The song "I've Been a Prisoner" (Faces Records # 3-1), written by Price and Don Logan (who also produced the record) and released in 1973, took the perspective of a former prisoner of war back in the US: "I used to be a prisoner of war, now the war is over". The veteran desperately sought to find his sweetheart, offering a $10,000 reward and providing the listener with his telephone and room number at the Holiday Inn, Houston, Texas. He recalled her tears on the day he left for war and said that they were supposed to be married, and so his "mind and heart is in a great pain".Sources1Blues: A Regional Experience (Bob L. Eagle, 2013)↩2ponderosastomp.com: Little Leo↩3repertoire.bmi.com↩4You Send Me: The Life and Times of Sam Cooke (S. R. Crain, 2011)↩
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Lyrics
English: Standing here looking out my motel window / You know I used to be a prisoner of war, now the war is over and I am home / I've been looking for my sweetheart ever since I arrived / But I just can't find her so now I cry / I've been a prisoner but at last I'm free / I wonder what happened to the one I love / My mind and heart is in a great pain / I know I'm hooked and there ain't no cure / I've got to find her and get her back, somebody, anybody... / I got a $10,000 reward for anybody that can give me a few clues where they saw her last you / See I remember the day I was taken away / I thought for a while I would never come home again / I remember the last thing looking back, I saw the tears dropping from her eyes and we were supposed to be married / So if you have any clues just send a telegram to the Holiday Inn, number 700 block off the East Texas freeway... / Or come by my room, 909 / Or better yet, give me a call, 6345789, that's my number / Anybody wanna to go home with me / Anybody wanna to be loved like I want to be loved / Each night on bended knees as I pray my prays / I ask the lord to....find this girl
About the artist
Born New Orleans, Louisiana, USA (9 January 1935)