Jessica
1966 · Columbia 4-43842 · New York City, New York
- Artist
- Johnny Cymbal
- Title
- Jessica
- Release
- Jessica / Good Morning Blues
- Year
- 1966
- Label
- Columbia # 4-43842
- Format
- 7" · Single
- Language
- English
- Country
- New York City, New York, USA
- Songwriter
- Johnny Cymbal
- Genre
- Traditional Pop · Traditional Pop
- Primary theme
- US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs
Annotation
Jessica (Cymbal, Johnny) (Columbia Records # 4-43842). Produced and arranged by Don Costa. Traditional pop. Born in UK. Career based in Nashville. Many hits. But this single did not chart. Plight of soldier - 18 year old heading out to war, says goodbye to girlfriend Jessica. Referred to "fight for freedom", and war "in a jungle" that the "world is watching". Here the bugles play Jessica See the train on the track Tell my mum for me Jessica That her son might not be back Though I just turned eighteen Man says I must go Fight for freedom's sake now In a land I do not know... In a jungle far from home Friends of mine must fight and die All the world is watching now Planes with bombs cloud the sky... Though we don't call it war That's what it is just the same Let us bravely overcome Let it not all be in vain"
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Annotation — US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs
Jessica (Cymbal, Johnny) (Columbia Records # 4-43842). Produced and arranged by Don Costa. Traditional pop. Born in UK. Career based in Nashville. Many hits. But this single did not chart. Plight of soldier - 18 year old heading out to war, says goodbye to girlfriend Jessica. Referred to "fight for freedom", and war "in a jungle" that the "world is watching". Here the bugles play Jessica / See the train on the track / Tell my mum for me Jessica / That her son might not be back / Though I just turned eighteen / Man says I must go / Fight for freedom's sake now / In a land I do not know... / In a jungle far from home / Friends of mine must fight and die / All the world is watching now / Planes with bombs cloud the sky... / Though we don't call it war / That's what it is just the same / Let us bravely overcome / Let it not all be in vain"
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
About the artist
Johnny Cymbal (born 3 February 1945 in Ochiltree, East Ayrshire, Scotland; died 16 March 1993 in Nashville, Tennessee, aged 48) was a Scottish-born American singer, songwriter and record producer whose thirty-three-year career took in the 1963 novelty hit 'Mr. Bass Man', the 1968 million-seller 'Cinnamon' recorded under the pseudonym Derek, and a long later spell as a Nashville songwriter and producer, having begun at MGM in 1960 and relocated to California towards the end of the decade to work with George Tobin and Austin Roberts. "Jessica", his own composition, was produced and arranged by…