The Voice From Beyond the Grave

Annotation

In the song "The Voice From Beyond the Grave" (Chart Records # 5127), the narrator took on the perspective of the long-dead John Paul Jones, a US navy captain during the American revolution. The old, dead military leader expressed surprise at the treatment of Calley, who in the past would have been "a big hero", receiving "a big parade". The narrator then told the listener that in war "it's either you kill me pal, or I'll kill you", and "that's the name of the game". Therefore, this track backed-up Calley and excused the mass murder of civilians on the grounds that sometimes indiscriminate killings took place during war time. The narrator also might be implying that in the fog of war (i.e. uncertainty of battle), and with the threat of death, killings took place, and that civilian society "ain't got no right in casting judgement" on the justification, or proportionality of the deaths - kill first, to be safe. This single came out of Nashville, Tennessee, with the spoken-word narration backed by a traditional country tune. Produced by Slim Williamson.

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: You know I was just thinking about this thing they're calling My Lai / And I cant help but be a little puzzled about the who's what's and why's / I mean you take this kid now, it seems like he is taking an awful fall / For simple doing the things they taught him to do when he answered his country's call / In other wars this country has had, this kid would have had it made / They would have made a big hero out him, even giving him a big parade / But they're calling this kid a murdered now and that's what's kind of got me snowed / This country is running on a different set of rules, it's heading down a long dark road / Now I ain't saying that killing is good, but in war that's the name of the game / It's either you kill me pal, or I'll kill you and the rules of killing stay the same / And until the time comes a knocking when people live like decent people should / Then we ain't got no right in casting judgement on deciding on whether killing is bad or good / If we are going to play the almighty, lets go back and do things up-round / Let's make heroes out of the guys at Nuremberg and tear the unknown soldier's tomb down... / By the way, my names Jones, John Paul Jones, I'm the voice from beyond the grave

Notes

Green-and-yellow Chart label, CH-5127 (CH-1071), stereo, "806 16th Ave., S., Nashville, Tennessee 37203"; "The Voice From Beyond the Grave" (Jack Tullas & Billy Smith), Sixteenth Avenue Music—BMI, time 2:15; produced by Slim Williamson. [From the record sleeve and labels]

Themes

My Lai · Patriotic · Pro-Calley · Pro-Soldier

In collections

My Lai & Lt. William Calley Songs · US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs [War Years]