Please Mr. Johnson (I Don't Wanna Go)
1968 · Jest J-101 · USA
- Artist
- The Put On Company
- Title
- Please Mr. Johnson (I Don't Wanna Go)
- Release
- Please Mr. Johnson (I Don't Wanna Go) / Detroit Spiritual
- Year
- 1968
- Label
- Jest # J-101
- Format
- 7" · Single
- Language
- English
- Country
- USA
- Songwriter
- D. Salamanca and G. Paxton
- Genre
- Garage Rock · Garage Rock
- Primary theme
- Peace, Protest & Anti-War
Annotation
A novelty protest record about the draft - as suggested by the title of the band ("Put On", meaning it is not true). In addition, they called the private label Jest Records, while the Social Climbers produced the song. So the track "Please Mr. Johnson (I Don't Wanna Go)" (Jest Records # J-101), written by Doug Salamanca and Gary Paxton, started with a spoken-word disclaimer: "this record was sung and produced in complete jest, for fun, it is in no way meant to be unpatriotic, the greatest of statesmen throughout our United States history have made jest of serious situations in hopes that it might ease world tension. This is our full and complete intention". The one-off novelty group directed the song at President Johnson (LBJ), begging him: "please don't make me go" to South Vietnam. It described a draft letter arriving. With the narrator expected at the induction centre for his health check, he had his mind on his new car, guitar strings, and forthcoming marriage. The song ended with a comedy exchanged at the induction centre, in which the boy tried to draft dodge, by highlighting his bad eye sight and teeth. Note the reference to the Vietcong (or "VC") - the National Liberation…
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
About the artist
Unknown - "Please Mr. Johnson (I Don't Wanna Go)" b/w "Detroit Spiritual" (Jest Records J-101, 1968), an LBJ-era draft novelty. The artist profile is empty; no members were located. [Source: Discogs]
Themes
In collections
Draft Songs · Garage Rock Songs · Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs