The Lost Soldier

Annotation

Contemporary folk artist Gary Shearston, born 9 January 1939 in Inverell, NSW, Australia. He died 1 July 2013, Tenterfield, NSW, Australia. He released the 1965 album Australian Broadside, which contained two Vietnam War songs: "Twenty Summers" and "The Conscription Romp". On this album was the song "The Lost Soldier" (CBS # BP-233320). The album notes by Sven Libaek (1966) said that the song was "written from a newspaper report of the death of an Australian soldier in Vietnam. The song finishes with some of the statements made by his young wife about his participation in the Vietnam war. The tune for this song is adapted from a traditional song known as "Lord Franklin"." The lyrics of this song featured in The Vietnam Songbook published in 1969, and compiled by Barbara Dane and Irwin Silber (founders of Paredon Records) - containing 100+ Vietnam War protest songs, 9 of which came from Australia & New Zealand. So the song told of a young man, recently married, being drafted to "that foreign land across the sea". However, his wife received a letter, informing her that her "soldier boy was in battle slain, oh in Vietnam in a field he died". It ended with an anti-war note, saying that he was not a violent man, and could not kill, and that he should never have fought "in this terrible war".

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — Australian & New Zealand Songs

Contemporary folk artist Gary Shearston, born 9 January 1939 in Inverell, NSW, Australia. He died 1 July 2013, Tenterfield, NSW, Australia. He released the 1965 album Australian Broadside, which contained two Vietnam War songs: "Twenty Summers" and "The Conscription Romp". On this album was the song "The Lost Soldier" (CBS # BP-233320). The album notes by Sven Libaek (1966) said that the song was "written from a newspaper report of the death of an Australian soldier in Vietnam. The song finishes with some of the statements made by his young wife about his participation in the Vietnam war. The tune for this song is adapted from a traditional song known as "Lord Franklin"". The lyrics of this song featured in The Vietnam Songbook published in 1969, and compiled by Barbara Dane and Irwin Silber (founders of Paredon Records) - containing 100+ Vietnam War protest songs, 9 of which came from Australia & New Zealand. So the song told of a young man, recently married, being drafted to "that foreign land across the sea". However, his wife received a letter, informing her that her "soldier boy was in battle slain, oh in Vietnam in a field he died". It ended with an anti-war note, saying that he was not a violent man, and could not kill, and that he should never have fought "in this terrible war".

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: In December 1964 / In a foreign land there waged a war / But here at home a young man wed / And a Windsor town, his young life led / Six months did pass to the month of June / When the bands did play a marching tune / From his loving wife he was forced to go / The reason why, he was soon to know / A soldier boy he was to be / In that foreign land across the sea / To fight a war that was not his own / To leave his young wife all alone / He was soon transported overseas / And into battle he went most cautiously / He was not afraid, he was brave and strong / But he hoped the war would not be long / Then to Windsor Town there came one day / A photograph from far away / And with...a message came / And the young girl smiled as she read his name / Then the weeks did pass and it was Spring / And another lettter they did bring / But for his name she searched in vain / For a soldier boy was in battle slain / Oh in Vietnam in a field he died / He was not a violent man she cried / He never was a true soldier / And she held his picture close to her / Oh they made him carry a gun / She knew he never could kill anyone / And she told us all, as she closed her door / He should never had fought in this terrible war

About the artist

Born 9 January 1939 in Inverell, NSW, Australia. He died 1 July 2013, Tenterfield, NSW, Australia

Themes

Anti-War · ANZUS · Draft · Home Front Perspective

In collections

Australian & New Zealand Songs · Draft Songs · Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs [War Years]