Merry Christmas Viet Nam

Annotation — Christmas Songs

The largely spoken-word track "Merry Christmas Viet Nam" (Mid-State Records # 1002), narrated by a mother in the US, recalling past wars - World War One, the Korean War - and memories of her son, who fought "in Vietnam" on "Christmas eve, for freedom", fighting against "communism in foreign lands". She prayed "for peace and happiness and freedom everywhere". Thus another patriotic Christmas track. Released on a small record label in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, by Liza Jane Taylor.

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: In Vietnam, Christmas eve, for freedom / My father was in World War One / My husband was in Korea / Now my son is in Vietnam / Oh God, grant me the wisdom to understand... / I think of your own word...you give me so much comfort / I know that you are there beside him... / I was young during World War One and I didn't understand things like communism in foreign lands / Then Korea came along...they said they would not keep them long / But thousands did not come home / And now, Vietnam, and my precious son and countless others like him, too young to even carry a gun / This will be his first Christmas that he spent away from home / He always found the biggest tree...then he would decorate it, everything had to be just right... / Oh dear God...I pray for peace and happiness and freedom everywhere

Notes

Mid-State Records Record No. 1002 (SoN 27152), blue and cream label with Tennessee-shaped logo, P.O. Box 1074, Murfreesboro, Tenn.; "Merry Christmas Viet Nam" (Liza J. Taylor), 2:56, Murfree Music Co., BMI; produced by Carl Tipton. [From the record sleeve and labels]

Themes

Patriotic · Home Front Perspective · Christmas · WW1 · WW2 · Korea · Religion

In collections

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