Mr. Where Is Viet-Nam

Annotation

The track "Mr. Where Is Viet-Nam" (Nu-Fax # 101) recorded at Faxs Recording Company, Houma, Louisiana, featuring the country singer Bob Necaise and the very young child "L'il Gary Dee" - probably around three or four years old by the sound of the child's voice. In fact, the adult narrator, Bob Necaise, said the line "a little boy not yet four years old". The single labeled the artist as "Bob Necaise and 'Lil' Gary D with the Delta Sho-Men". He released a very similar sounding record in 1972 called "My Daddy Is a Prisoner (Somewhere in Viet Nam)" (Renegade Records # 5608), under the name Little Gary Dee - see below.& Necaise performed the verses in which he described seeing a young child at a playground, looking very sad. The child explained that "my daddy is in Vietnam...gone since Christmas". The child expressed concern for his mother who cried a lot. He asked the man if he could take him to Vietnam to visit his father. 'Lil' Gary D only sung the chorus, posing the question "mister where is Vietnam, is it very far away, I want to see my daddy, will you take me there someday". At the end of the song, the man did not know how to react, so he walked away. This provided an interesting reflection of the impact of a soldier heading out to war on a young child, who did not know or understand the situation in Vietnam.

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — Children on Record

The track "Mr. Where Is Viet-Nam" (Nu-Fax # 101) recorded at Faxs Recording Company, Houma, Louisiana, featuring the country singer Bob Necaise and the very young child "L'il Gary Dee" - probably around three or four years old by the sound of the child's voice. In fact, the adult narrator, Bob Necaise, said the line "a little boy not yet four years old". The single labeled the artist as "Bob Necaise and 'Lil' Gary D with the Delta Sho-Men". He released a very similar sounding record in 1972 called "My Daddy Is a Prisoner (Somewhere in Viet Nam)" (Renegade Records # 5608), under the name Little Gary Dee - see below.Necaise performed the verses in which he described seeing a young child at a playground, looking very sad. The child explained that "my daddy is in Vietnam...gone since Christmas". The child expressed concern for his mother who cried a lot. He asked the man if he could take him to Vietnam to visit his father. 'Lil' Gary D only sung the chorus, posing the question "mister where is Vietnam, is it very far away, I want to see my daddy, will you take me there someday". At the end of the song, the man did not know how to react, so he walked away. This provided an interesting reflection of the impact of a soldier heading out to war on a young child, who did not know or understand the situation in Vietnam.

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: I was passing by a playground just the other day / And I spied a little boy sitting all alone while the other kids laughed and played / At once he drew my attention and when I asked him what was wrong and in a sad little voice kind of way, my daddy is in Vietnam / 'Mr. where is Vietnam, is it very far away? I want to see my daddy, will you take me there today' / You see mister, he's been gone since Christmas, do you think that he's been shot / I know that mommy is awfully worried because she sits and cries quite a lot / So if you take me to see him mister I will gladly pay / Cause you see I have three pennies, is it very far away / 'Mister where is Vietnam, is it very far away, I want to see my daddy, will you take me there someday' / I didn't know what to say to him / His words had stopped me cold and I knew that this world's troubles were on the shoulders of a little boy not yet four years old / So with head bowed down, I turned around and slowly walked away / What would you have done in my place if you had heard that little boy say / 'Mr. Where is Vietnam, is it very far away, I want to see my daddy

Notes

Nu-Fax 101-A (SH-1079), red label; "Mr. Where Is Viet-Nam" (Bob Necaise), Faxs Pub., ASCAP, 3:09; Bob Necaise & 'Lil' Gary D with the Delta Sho-Men; producer Ed Still; recorded at Faxs Recording Co., Inc., 814 E. Main, Houma, La. 70360. [From the record sleeve and labels] Date: 1971 – both sides copyrighted by Robert Necaise 10 June 1971 (EU259064 / EU259065) and SH-1079 places the pressing c.1971 (45cat discussion); the 1963 date in Keesing and the Bear Family "Next Stop Is Vietnam" booklet came from a later interview with Necaise.

About the artist

Recorded Houma, Louisiana, USA

Themes

Child · Christmas · Home Front Perspective

In collections

US Domestic Perspective Songs [War Years] · Children on Record · Christmas Songs