P.O.W - M.I.A.

Annotation — P.O.W. / M.I.A. Songs

The smooth soul group The Whispers formed in Watts, Los Angeles in 1964, by the twin brothers Walter and Wallace Scott, along with Nicholas Caldwell, Gordy Harmon, and Marcus Hutson. They released the track "P.O.W.-M.I.A." (Janus Records # J-212), which centred on the issue of those missing in action and prisoners of war, as stated in the title. The narrator of this song felt that "we have to do better...to bring then home...anyway we can", an attack on the government's lack of progress on the P.O.W. / M.I.A. issue. The narrator thought that people displayed apathy for the issue because it did not involve themselves or somebody that they knew: "give the hero part to some other guy and it really doesn't make much difference if he should live or die". The lyrics also touched on how a P.O.W.'s family was affected by the situation - the narrator sung about a soldier's wife receiving a short letter from the prisoner, who wanted her to tell his parents that he hoped to be home soon. The narrator declared to publicise the issue as much as possible.

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: Hey, have some mercy, we have to do more to bring for the P.O.W.s and the M.I.A.s / We have to do better, better than what we've done / We have to bring then home without a war being won / We got to spread the news / Let them know exactly where we stand / Finally got the news / The other to release the P.O.W.s and M.I.A.s / Some may not be coming home so I dedicate this message to those that might never be coming home / As long as I have a voice to sing, as long as there's bells to ring / I'm going to do my part to help.../ I'm going to make sure the whole world will never forget / I'm going to spread the news... / Music to remember yesterday, when you are the hero, the role you play, give the hero part to some other guy / And it really doesn't make much difference if he should live or die / What about the hero today, I'm talking about the P.O.W... / We gonna forget them and leave them there / Instead we'll bring them home to their loved one / I said bring them home anyway you can / House wife gets a letter from across the way / So much tears in her eyes, she couldn't read it, so I read what it said / It said 'darling...it's six o'clock, just a few things, just to let you know I'm alright... / I still think about you, I've got to get up, my turn to face the floor, got to go find your picture, so I can see your face once more / Oh darling I've got to go now, that's all the time I have to say, go tell our next door neighbours their son will be home any day... / You've…

Notes

Janus Records J 212 (J 2794-E); "P.O.W. - M.I.A." (Prisoners of War - Missing in Action), credit "(Hillard Street)", Hillard Street Pub. Co. (BMI), time 4:30. Produced by The Whispers & Dick Griffey for GRT Corporation, arranged by Jerry B. Long, ℗ 1973 GRT Corporation. [From the record sleeve and labels]

About the artist

American soul vocal group formed 1963 in Los Angeles, California. [Source: Wikipedia]

Themes

Soldier's Perspective · P.O.W.

In collections

P.O.W. / M.I.A. Songs · Soul, Gospel, & Funk Songs