An Open Letter to My Father

Annotation

Bob Random song "An Open Letter to My Father" (Dagonet DG-009), which has a teen pop / garage folk feel to it, another response to Lundberg. It started by trying to find common ground between the generations, agreeing with his points on long hair and beards. However, Random soon took a strong jibe at the older generation, accusing them of hypocrisy: "we've seen the difference between what a lot of our parents say and what they do. We can't settle for talking morality and then spend our lives cheating on it". On the issue of burning draft cards, and then birth certificates, Random points out: "you can't turn me off... I don't believe you can turn people off". He concluded that "we have to live" in the world "together", and so there needs to be more respect across the generations. Composed by Steve Kandel and Jerry Berryhill.

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: Dear Dad, I've read your letter, and it's a good letter. But it answers a lot of questions, it doesn't me. Surely the important thing is freedom, and the freedom to be yourself, if that means to be bearded like Lincoln, or as long haired as Andrew Jackson. But it means more. It means that I and my generation want to try to become whatever we can. To learn about living, by living, not by listening. The music we like, our sports, and friends, ands worries, these make our live. And they're as important to us as your business, your marriage, your friends are to you. We want to become real people dad, sincere people. And we know it isn't easy. Because we've been around. And I mean we've been around you and your generation. We've seen the difference between what a lot of our parents say and what they do. We can't settle for talking morality and then spend our lives cheating on it. You tell me that god isn't dead, that god is love. Fine. But for most people god happens only on Sunday. And for those people god is dead. My generation is trying to find god inside ourselves, not just for a few hours a week, but for a whole lifetime. So maybe god is dead, just so he can be reborn again for us for now. You know dad it's funny, when you talk about god, you talk about love and morality, and private belief. And then very suddenly you change when you talk about war. War you say isn't all that private, but war is for god, and it sure isn't love, but you say it's necessary. And that's…

Notes

Dagonet Records DG-009 (DG-9-A), white label; "An Open Letter to My Father" (Steve Kandel - Jerry Berryhill), 2:55, Asa Music (ASCAP); produced by J. Capehart of Tapp, engineer G. Fernandez, United Audio Recording Studios. [From the record sleeve and labels]

Themes

Anti-War · Answer to Open Letter

In collections

Lundberg's "An Open Letter" & Answer Songs · Draft Songs · Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs [War Years]