M.I.A. / P.O.W. (Prisoner Of War Song)
1970 · MGM K14242 · Hollywood, California
- Artist
- John Canty
- Title
- M.I.A. / P.O.W. (Prisoner Of War Song)
- Release
- M.I.A. / P.O.W. / Blow Ye Winds
- Year
- 1970
- Label
- MGM # K14242
- Format
- 7" · Single
- Language
- English
- Country
- Hollywood, California, USA
- Genre
- Country · Country Pop
- Primary theme
- Home Front Perspective / Soldier's Perspective
Annotation
The song "M.I.A. / P.O.W. (Prisoner of War Song)" (MGM Records # K14192) by Captain John R. Canty, of the US air force, who served in Vietnam 1964-1965 - and therefore a military perspective, sometimes refered to as "In Country", although the recording of this single took place in the US. The song centred on the issues of those Missing in Action (M.I.A.) and Prisoners of War (P.O.W.), as stated in the title. Billboard reported on the song on 5 December 1970, displaying a photo, with the caption: "Hugh Downs, left, host of the "Today" show, listens to Capt. John R. Canty, U.S.A.F., as he sign his "M.I.A./P.O.W. (Prisoner of War Song), on the show. The record has just been released in the MGM label". (1) The first part told the story of Captain Richard Hall whose plane had been shot down over North Vietnam. "Rescue pilots search the jungle floor", but they found nothing, and thus "upon a list his name has got to stay", as an M..I.A. The narrator then looked at the impact of that on the soldier's wife, who wondered if her husband had been captured or killed in action. It is revealed in a letter postmarked Hanoi, that the soldier "is a prisoner of war". Then the vocalist narrated a…
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer