Let's Back Those Boys in South Vietnam
Big Country BC-218-1 · USA
- Artist
- Ted Collins
- Title
- Let's Back Those Boys in South Vietnam
- Release
- Let's Back Those Boys in South Vietnam / Steel Foundary Man
- Label
- Big Country # BC-218-1
- Format
- 7" · Single
- Language
- English
- Country
- USA
- Songwriter
- T. Janosik
- Genre
- Country · Country
- Primary theme
- US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs
Annotation
Another strongly worded patriotic song: "Let’s Back Those Boys in South Vietnam" by an obscure country singer called Ted Collins – composed by T. Janosik – on the Pennsylvania record label Big Country (# BC-218-1). Like the song above, it directly referred to "South Vietnam". In the first part of the song the narrator defended the US government’s involvement in Vietnam: "to keep the communists out of free land", and called on people to back the president in his quest for liberty. In the second part of the song the narrator turned his attention to the anti-war movement, attacking the demonstrators, and asking: "why burn up your draft cards?". According to the narrator, if they protested under communist rule, they would "all be in prison" and some "would be shot".
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Lyrics
English: Why must there be some who never agree with the leaders of our country / Why can’t they see that we must fight for liberty even though it is far away in another country / Let us all help in any way that we can to keep the communists out of free land / Let us all stand up and back this great man / The commander-in-chief of our great land / Some of our boys are fighting today to help keep freedom in a land far away / In a land where the people just want to be free... / Why should we listen to the lies of some? / Why burn up your draft cards? Why demonstrate?... / You still have your freedom and also your rights / Let’s quite this parading and get out and fight / I’m sure you know what would happen to you if you tried demonstrating under communist rule / You’d all be in prison whether guilty or not / And there is no doubt about: some of you would be shot
Notes
White-and-green Big Country label, "Box 31, Elgin, Pa.", BC-218-1; "Let's Back Those Boys in South Vietnam" (T. Janosik), Halaz Music BMI, 3:15, (SO: 3258). [From the record sleeve and labels]
Themes
In collections
Draft Songs · US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs [War Years]