More Than a Name on a Wall
1989 · Mercury 874 196-7 · Chicago, Illinois
- Artist
- The Statler Brothers
- Title
- More Than a Name on a Wall
- Release
- More Than a Name on the Wall / Atlanta Blue
- Year
- 1989
- Label
- Mercury # 874 196-7
- Format
- 7" · Single
- Language
- English
- Country
- Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Songwriter
- J. Fortune, J. Rimel
- Genre
- Country · Country Pop
- Primary theme
- Post-War
Annotation
The song "More Than a Name on the Wall" (Mercury Records # 874 196-7) by The Statler Brothers, a gospel country pop group formed in 1955, in Lyndhurst, Virginia, USA. They disbanded in 2002, in Staunton, Virginia, USA. (1) (2) This song peaked at # 6 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, which makes this one of the most commercially successful singles on this list. The song was composed by Jimmy Fortune and John Rimel. (3) The song was originally released on the compilation The Statlers Greatest Hits (Mercury Records # 834 626-1), and shortly after released as a single. The song was about a mother of a soldier who died in Vietnam, visiting the memorial in Washington D.C., and remembering her son. The narrator said that he "he died for God and country in a place so far away". The mother could remember "a little boy playing war since he was three" - a similar theme found in many 60s songs about "toy soldiers". Also of note is that the song referenced Christmas - missing loved ones is a long-running theme in holiday songs: "he really missed the family and being home on Christmas day".&
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Annotation — Christmas Songs
The song "More Than a Name on the Wall" (Mercury Records # 874 196-7) by The Statler Brothers, a gospel country pop group formed in 1955, in Lyndhurst, Virginia, USA. They disbanded in 2002, in Staunton, Virginia, USA. (1) (2) This song peaked at # 6 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, which makes this one of the most commercially successful singles on this list. The song was composed by Jimmy Fortune and John Rimel. (3) The song was originally released on the compilation The Statlers Greatest Hits (Mercury Records # 834 626-1), and shortly after released as a single. The song was about a mother of a soldier who died in Vietnam, visiting the memorial in Washington D.C., and remembering her son. The narrator said that he "he died for God and country in a place so far away". The mother could remember "a little boy playing war since he was three" - a similar theme found in many 60s songs about "toy soldiers". Also of note is that the song referenced Christmas - missing loved ones is a long-running theme in holiday songs: "he really missed the family and being home on Christmas day".
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
About the artist
Formed 1955, Lyndhurst, Virginia, USA. Disbanded 2002, Staunton, Virginia, USA
Themes
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall · Patriotic · Christmas · K.I.A. · Toy Soldier