Jungles of Vietnam

Annotation

Australian country singer Reg Lindsay (1929-2008), from Sydney, released the patriotic song "Jungles of Vietnam" (Festival Records # FX-11178) on this EP, as well as on a single: Jungles of Vietnam (Festival # FK-1249). While Lindsay managed to reach the Australian top 100 on five occasions, including # 8 with the song Armstrong (about the moon landing), he also had success in Nashville, USA. The message of this song took a very similar approach to many US country songs about Vietnam. The track, narrated from the perspective a soldier "off to Vietnam", said that he would "do my duty" for his country and follow in the footsteps of his father.

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: I left my home around the track / And I'm off to Vietnam... / I'll leave the old shores of my native land / I'll try to do my duty like a man / And if folks should stop you and ask where I am / You can probably say the jungles of Vietnam... / My father was a soldier too... / I will follow in his steps while there is a job to do / Because I love this land I'm from

Notes

Four-track EP (Jungles of Vietnam / Highwayman / Life of a Poor Boy / Shade of the Blues); Greenfields Music; matrix MX20595. Festival FX-11,178, 45 rpm Extended Play, monaural, "Made in Australia by Festival Records Pty. Limited"; side 1 label: "Jungles of Vietnam" (Aust. Comp.) (Lindsay-Horgan) Greenfields (2.47) and "Highwayman" (Curtis Leach) Control (2.38). The green-tinted front sleeve shows a photograph of Reg Lindsay smiling with an acoustic guitar; the back lists side two as "Life of a Poor Boy" and "Shade of the Blues" and advertises other Festival EPs by Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass, We Five, the Baja Marimba Band and Lucille Starr. [From the record sleeve and labels]

About the artist

Australian country singer (1929-2008). [Source: Wikipedia]

Themes

Patriotic · ANZUS

In collections

Australian & New Zealand Songs · US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs [War Years]