Ballad of Song My

Annotation

Mike Millius came out of the New York contemporary folk scene, like Phil Ochs and Tom Parrott, although probably less successful and less well-known than those two, only releasing one album during the 60s/70s period: Desperado (1969). He had nine songs published in Broadside, including the "Ballad of Song My", appearing in # 105 (March 1970). (1) It was not recorded. The lyrics and notations featured alongside a newspaper article, which had the headline "Calley Meets With Wallace and Received Sympathy"- a reference to George C. Wallace, the Governor of Alabama. The lyrics criticised the actions of the soldiers, asking "why GI's even killed the children there". It then accused the politicians of misleading the people: "the president is lying to you on TV". The lyrics went on to make some general anti-war comments, such as about the military-industrial complex, which President Eisenhower warned about during his farewell address on 17 January 1961: "we'll make a war and sell lots of bullets". (2) It referenced the number of American deaths in Vietnam and the impact it had on families: "do you know forty thousand young men died?...Left their...loves alone". It also suggested that…

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Notes

Unreleased - lyrics and notation appeared in Broadside Magazine # 105 (March 1970), featured alongside a newspaper article, which had the headline "Calley Meets With Wallace and Received Sympathy"- a reference to George C. Wallace, the Governor of Alabama.

About the artist

Unknown. Based in New York, USA

Themes

My Lai · Anti-Calley · Draft · Draft Dodger · Canada Border · TV War

In collections

Draft Songs · My Lai & Lt. William Calley Songs · Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs