A Place Called Vietnam

Annotation

Traditional pop song "A Place Called Vietnam" (King Records # 6121) performed by Jaci Damon, on a Nashville, Tennessee based label. The narrator told the story of a young soldier, 21 years old, drafted to Vietnam, and subsequently shot and killed: "the bullet flew and he fell in Vietnam...the blood ran out his side...he died on his 21st birthday". Nevertheless, the narrator argued that he died for an important cause, that "freedom would become an experience, not a dream" i.e. not just for people in the US, but for the South Vietnamese. Therefore, this track took a pro-government line, supporting their war objectives.

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: I have to leave tomorrow to a distant land / The night was cold as he went out with a gun held in his hand / The lightning struck as the bullet flew and he fell in Vietnam / As he sank down in the mud and the blood ran out his side / He knew that this was the price of freedom.... / As the light drained from him he realised that though it was hard to die in this far off land perhaps he had not died in vein / And that maybe the living would go on and fight harder because of it / And someday to all people freedom would become an experience, not a dream / He went to fight for freedom, he went to fight by command / He died on his 21st birthday in a place called Vietnam

Notes

King 45-6121, High Fidelity, blue label; "A Place Called Vietnam" (Jaci Damon), 2:48, Soil (BMI), matrix K-12431. [From the record sleeve and labels]

Themes

Patriotic · Soldier's Perspective

In collections

Draft Songs · US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs [War Years]