More Than a Name on a Wall

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.12 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".& Sources1The Statler Brothers (official website)↩2Wikipedia: The Statler Brothers↩3strictly-country.com: JimmyFortune morethananameonawall↩

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.12 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".Sources1The Statler Brothers (official website)↩2Wikipedia: The Statler Brothers↩3strictly-country.com: JimmyFortune morethananameonawall↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: I saw her from a distance, as she walked up to the wall / In her hand she held some flowers, as her tears began to fall / She took out pen and paper as to trace her mem'ries / She looked up to heaven, and the words she said were these / She said, "Lord my boy was special, and he meant so much to me / And Oh, I'd love to see him just one more time you see / All I have are the mem'ries and the moments to recall / So Lord could you tell him he's more than a name on the wall" / She said, "He really missed the family, being home on Christmas day / And he died for God and country in a place so far away / I remember just a little boy, playing war since he was three / And Lord this time I know, he's not coming home to me" / She said, "Lord my boy was special, and he meant so much to me / And Oh, I'd love to see him but I know it just can't be / So I thank you for my mem'ries and the moments to recall / But Lord could you tell him he's more than a name on the wall / Lord could you tell him he's more than a name on the wall

Notes

Mercury 874 196-7 (2-59977), stereo, 45 RPM, black label with barcode 422-874196-7; "More Than a Name on a Wall" (J. Fortune/J. Rimel), 2:54; produced by Jerry Kennedy for JK Productions, Inc.; Statler Brothers Music, Inc. (administered by Copyright Management Inc.) (BMI); "From the Mercury album 422 834 626-1 'The Statlers Greatest Hits'", ℗ 1988 PolyGram Records, Inc.; manufactured and marketed by PolyGram Records, Inc., 810 Seventh Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10019. [From the record sleeve and labels]

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

In collections

Christmas Songs · Veterans Memorial Wall Songs