Missing in Action
2002 · Australia
- Artist
- Normie Rowe
- Title
- Missing in Action
- Release
- Missing in Action
- Year
- 2002
- Format
- 7" · Single
- Language
- English
- Country
- Australia
- Genre
- Easy Listening · Easy Listening
- Primary theme
- Post-War
Annotation
Normie Rowe, pop rock artist and Australian Vietnam War veteran, born 1 February 1947 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. He served in Vietnam from January 1969 to February 1970. Rowe was reported to have been the protaganist in the song "Smiley" by Ronnie Burns, conscripted to fight in the Vietnam War. Johnny Young, the songwriter, said on ABC-TV’s Love Is In The Air that "before he left, he was really happy-go-lucky, fun-filled young fella. When he came back, he changed".1 Rowe released this collection of post-Vietnam songs, presenting the veteran / military soldier's perspective, which according to his website was "14 tracks relating to Normie’s experiences as a Vietnam war veteran".2 This included a cover of "Smiley", and a cover of "Still in Saigon" by The Charlie Daniels Band. The title song "Missing in Action" was about the impact of the war on a veteran back in Australia: "he's changed... he's not the same... thirty years have past", probably containing some biographical elements.. Sources1Pop Archives (Australia): Ronnie burns (archived copy)↩2normierowe.com: Missing in action↩
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Annotation — Australian & New Zealand Songs
Normie Rowe, pop rock artist and Australian Vietnam War veteran, born 1 February 1947 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. He served in Vietnam from January 1969 to February 1970. Rowe was reported to have been the protaganist in the song "Smiley" by Ronnie Burns, conscripted to fight in the Vietnam War. Johnny Young, the songwriter, said on ABC-TV’s Love Is In The Air that "before he left, he was really happy-go-lucky, fun-filled young fella. When he came back, he changed".1 Rowe released this collection of post-Vietnam songs, presenting the veteran / military soldier's perspective, which according to his website was "14 tracks relating to Normie’s experiences as a Vietnam war veteran".2 This included a cover of "Smiley", and a cover of "Still in Saigon" by The Charlie Daniels Band. The title song "Missing in Action" was about the impact of the war on a veteran back in Australia: "he's changed... he's not the same... thirty years have past", probably containing some biographical elements. Sources1Pop Archives (Australia): Ronnie burns (archived copy)↩2normierowe.com: Missing in action↩
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Lyrics
English: Though he was a still young man / When he came back from the Asian war... / He's changed they said, he's not the same... / His eyes told stories... / He went missing in action / From the time he got home... / Nobody understood... / Thirty years have past
About the artist
Australian pop singer, born 1 February 1947 in Melbourne, Australia; conscripted and served in Vietnam 1969. [Source: Wikipedia]