Please Mr. Johnson
1967 · Diamond D-219 · USA
- Artist
- Dewey Jones
- Title
- Please Mr. Johnson
- Release
- Please Mr. Johnson / My Susanna
- Year
- 1967
- Label
- Diamond # D-219
- Format
- 7" · Single
- Language
- English
- Country
- USA
- Songwriter
- Art Wayne
- Genre
- Pop · Narration
- Primary theme
- Peace, Protest & Anti-War
Annotation
The song "Please Mr. Johnson" (Diamond Records Inc # D-219) featured the 11 year old Dewey Jones, protesting against the Vietnam War. Written and produced by Artie Wayne and sung to a mid-tempo pop tune. The narrator described how his brother fought in Vietnam, making his parents cry. So he decided to write a letter to US President Johnson, reminding him that "you said on television, it won't be long" and that "war's no fun, you can hurt someone". The DJ copy of the single came with a promotional slip, that described Jones as a "11 year old Broadway star". It went on to claim "this is not a protest song. But rather the plea of a kid brother on behalf of his himself and his parents who are all lonesome for an anxious to see his brother again!!" Unable to verify any of this information, it may be constructed to sell more records.1Sources1Please Mr. Johnson (Dewey Jones) (PS)↩
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Lyrics
English: Please Mr. Johnson, send my brother home / Mummy's crying every night since he's been gone / You said on television, it won't be long / So please Mr. Johnson, send my brother home / I know war's no fun, you can hurt someone / When my friend played war with me I fell / And hurt my knee, please Mr. Johnson... / Told mummy not to cry, when I'm grown I'll help him fight / Daddy started crying too / And so I wrote to you, please Mr. Johnson
Notes
Diamond Records Inc., 1650 Broadway, NYC, NY, D-219 (219-A), "Plug Side", "Not for Sale - Promotion Copy"; "Please Mr. Johnson" (Art Wayne), 2:30, Tattersall Mus. Co. (BMI); produced by Art Wayne for Shelby Singleton Productions, Inc. The picture sleeve shows a photograph of the young singer, billed as "Dewey Jones, 11 Year Old Broadway Star", prints the full lyrics under "Dewey Jones sings 'Please Mr. Johnson'", and states: "This is not a protest song but rather the plea of a kid brother on behalf of himself and his parents who are all lonesome for and anxious to see his brother again!!" [From the record sleeve and labels]
About the artist
Billed on the picture sleeve of 'Please Mr. Johnson' (Diamond D-219) as an "11 Year Old Broadway Star". [Source: record sleeve and labels]
Themes
In collections
Children on Record · Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs [War Years]