Knock at the Door

Annotation

The New York-based gospel group The Jubilators released the song "The Knock at the Door" (Veep # VG-1302), which took a strong religious and patriotic perspective. It firstly started off with religious sentiment, with a father praying for his son in Vietnam: "I'm asking you god to take care of my boy". The father is re-assured by "god's amazing grace". But then a man delivers a letter to the soldier's parents, with a knock "different from any knock I'd ever heard before". The letter, from the war department, said that "I regret to inform you that your son in Vietnam is dead". Yet, the father takes comfort in remembering that his son "volunteered to go" because he wanted "to help make our country America free and have peace each and every day". The track also had a dig at the "resentment among our youth". This is a good representation of both patriotism and religious faith during the Vietnam era. This track was also released on the LP "Togetherness" (Veep # VP-13527). The back of the LP said that this song "tells the story of a man whose son is fighting in Viet Nam. When the news arrives, via telegram, thatr his son has been killed, the father does not seek to blame anyone or…

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

About the artist

Unknown - a gospel group who cut "The Knock At The Door" b/w "Togetherness" for Veep Gospel (VG-1302), the United Artists gospel subsidiary (New York - label geography). "Jubilators" is shared by several unrelated gospel acts (the present-day Raleigh Gospel Jubilators are confirmed unrelated); no distinguishing detail was found for this one. [Source: Discogs]

Themes

Soldier's Perspective · Patriotic · Draft · Religion

In collections

US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs · Soul, Gospel, & Funk Songs