Lead on Mr. President (We're With You)

Annotation

US country singer Steve Bledsoe released a dozen or so records from the 1950s up to the 70s.12 He also went under the name Steve Bledsoe and the Blue Jays. Released in 1966 on an Arlington, Illinois based label, the song "Send a Christmas Card to Joe" (KāHill # K-1051) sought to raise the spirits of the troops fighting in Vietnam by encouraging people in the US to send them a Christmas card. The single featured Don Barnett on guitar.The song "Lead on Mr. President" took a patriotic position. Narrated in the role of "a common man", the singer confirmed that he voted for the president, and encouraged him to "lead on...with liberty and justice for all". He re-assured the president that he "won't burn my draft card". If called to go to war, the common man would "do what's right, if you say fight, I'll fight". Therefore, it provided a representation of a law-abiding citizen, who followed presidential foreign policy. This fitted a general trend in public opinion polls: while mass public opinion increasingly became disenchanted with the war from 1965-1971, they continued to support presidential policy on escalation, and later on withdrawal.3Sources1rocky-52.net: Bledsoe steve↩2rcs-discography.com (archived copy)↩3VWSP - Anti-War Movement and the Opinion Polls↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — Christmas Songs

The song "Lead on Mr. President" took a patriotic position. Narrated in the role of "a common man", the singer confirmed that he voted for the president, and encouraged him to "lead on...with liberty and justice for all". He re-assured the president that he "won't burn my draft card". If called to go to war, the common man would "do what's right, if you say fight, I'll fight". Therefore, it provided a representation of a law-abiding citizen, who followed presidential foreign policy. This fitted a general trend in public opinion polls: while mass public opinion increasingly became disenchanted with the war from 1965-1971, they continued to support presidential policy on escalation, and later on withdrawal.3 Sources3VWSP - Anti-War Movement and the Opinion Polls↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: Well, hello there Mr. President, I know you've never heard of me / I'm just a common man, I voted for you, yes sir / I won't burn my draft card, I'll do what's right / If you say fight, I'll fight... / I believe you mean everything you say / I'm with you Mr. President, all the way / We all need you Mr. president because you'll never let our great nation fall / Lead on Mr. President, with liberty and justice

Notes

Grey-and-red KāHill label, K-1051, 45 rpm, "KāHill Recording Co., 301 E. Algonquin Rd., Arlington Heights, Ill." Side 1 (SK4M-6130): "Send a Christmas Card to Joe" (Kummerle), Lake Front Music-BMI, time 3:17, with Don Barnett on guitar. Side 2 (SK4M-6131): "Lead On Mr. President (We're With You)" (Kummerle), marked "Traditional", time 1:30. [From the record sleeve and labels]

About the artist

American country and rockabilly singer who fronted Steve Bledsoe and The Blue Jays (Key Records, Chicago) in the late 1950s before recording as a solo country act in Nashville from 1965 into the 1970s (Ka Hill, Stop, NSD/Superstar). 'Lead On Mr. President' / 'Send A Christmas Card To Joe' was cut in Nashville in 1965 and released on Ka Hill K-1051 in November 1965. No personal biographical details documented. [Source: Praguefrank's Country Music Discographies]

Themes

Patriotic · Draft Card Burning · Draft

In collections

Christmas Songs · Draft Songs · US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs [War Years]