An Open Letter To My Teenage Son

Annotation

Victor Lundberg, an American businessman and radio newscaster in Michigan, took a conservative position on the cultural changes of the 1960s and youth culture - attacking drugs, secularism, sex, and immorality, along with his co-writer Robert R. Thompson. The song "An Open Letter to My Teenage Son" (Liberty Records # 55996) focused on Vietnam, taking the form of a letter. The song also featured on the 1967 album "An Open Letter" (Liberty Records # LST-7547). Lundberg declared his patriotism with the memorable / infamous line on draft card burners: "if you decide to burn your draft card, then burn your birth certificate at the same time. From that moment on, I have no son". The song also referenced the Civil Rights issue: "some of my generation judge people by their race, their belief or the color of their skin, and that this is no more right than saying all teenagers are drunken dope addicts". Cashbox contained a review of the song under its "Best Bets" section, writing: "Inspirational narrative with some interesting points to make, but after a generally strong message opening the conclusion rings somehow false. Could see some exposure".1 It entered the Billboard charts on 11 November 1967. The label Liberty Records posted an advert in the magazine, saying that "overwhelming airplay and sales of Victor Lundberg's dramatic record reflects the concern of a nation in conflict and expresses every American's right to reply". It claimed to have sold 250,000 singles in two days.2 The Daily Record ran a piece on 18 November 1967, which noted that "the battle of the generations has moved into the recording studio".3. It quoted Lundberg saying that he released record because he was "outraged over the behavior of today's kids". The Miami Herald ran one of the strongest critique on 26 November 1967, under the headline: "Exploits and Insults Youth", with Sylvia Reece commenting: "What Mr. Lundberg does in his letter is spout a lot of homilies and cliches to his young son in the most pompous manner imaginable, against a hack arrangement of Battle Hymn of the Republic".4 The record stirred-up 1000+ articles for and against across US regional newspapers and publications in 1967 alone. Just 13 days later, on 25 November 1967, the first "answer record" appeared - A Letter to Dad by Every Father's Teenage Son. The Lundberg track went on to spawn several other answer records listed below. Note that the Lundberg songs "My Buddy Carl" and "In the Slim of Vietnam" also dealt with the Vietnam issue.Sources1CB-1967-10-14 - Lundberg↩2Billboard, 11 November 1967↩3Daily_News_1967_11_18_202 - Victor Lundberg clip (photo)↩4The_Miami_Herald_1967_11_26_115 - Victor Lundberg↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: You ask my opinion of draft card burners... / All past wars have been dirty...bloody... / However, most have been necessary... / If you doubt that our free enterprise system in the United States is worth protecting... / Then it is doubtful you belong here... / I love you too, son, but I also love our country... / And if you decide to burn your draft card / Then burn your birth certificate at the same time / From that moment on, I have no son You ask my opinion of draft card burners... / All past wars have been dirty...bloody... / However, most have been necessary... / If you doubt that our free enterprise system in the United States is worth protecting... / Then it is doubtful you belong here... / I love you too, son, but I also love our country... / And if you decide to burn your draft card / Then burn your birth certificate at the same time / From that moment on, I have no son

Notes

Liberty 55996, black label with rainbow band, Liberty Records, Inc., Los Angeles, California; "An Open Letter to My Teenage Son" (Robert R. Thompson), 4:24, Asa Music Co. - ASCAP, LB-2467. Flip side "My Buddy Carl" (Robert R. Thompson), 3:27, Asa Music Co. - ASCAP, LB-2468. Housed in a Liberty company sleeve headed "Do you have these Liberty 'All-Time Hit' singles ... the records with back-to-back hits!", listing catalogue 54500-54524, with "Write for free complete catalog: Dept. 14, Liberty Records, 6920 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, Calif. 90028". [From the record sleeve and labels]

About the artist

American radio personality, born 2 September 1923 in Grand Rapids, Michigan; a WMAX Grand Rapids newscaster whose spoken-word single 'An Open Letter to My Teenage Son' (1967) became a Top 10 hit; remained in Grand Rapids media until his death on 14 February 1990 (location not stated in sources). [Source: Wikipedia]

Themes

Patriotic · Draft Card Burning · Answer to Open Letter · Anti-Protest · Religion · Counter-Culture & Hippies · Draft

In collections

Lundberg's "An Open Letter" & Answer Songs · Civil Rights Songs · Draft Songs · US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs [War Years]