Prisoners

Annotation — US Domestic Perspective Songs

John Denver, born Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr., in Roswell, New Mexico (31 December 1943), became a hugely successful country pop singer/songwriter in the early 1970s. Throughout his career he sold over 33 million records. He died in Monterey, California (12 October 1997).1 In 1971 he covered the Vietnam War song "Readjustment Blues" on the album Aerie (RCA Victor # LSP-4607), about a veteran, adjusting from the life of a soldier to civilian society, as well as encountering major cultural and political changes in the US. Originally written by Bill Danoff of the folk rock duo Fat City, on their 1971 album Welcome to Fat City (Paramount Records # PAS 6028). This Denver cover became a more well-known and popular version. In 1972 he released the prisoner of war (P.O.W.) song "Hard Life, Hard Times (Prisoners)" (RCA Victor # 74-0801). It featured on the album Rocky Mountain High (RCA Victor # LSP-4731), under the track name "Prisoners". He spoke about it on the Tonight Show on 19 September 1972, a US television show hosted by Johnny Carson.2 He said "I wrote it in January. The single is called 'Hard Life, Hard Times' but...on the album it's called 'Prisoners'. It's about prisoners of war".3 The lyrics present two perspectives. Firstly, it looked at those back home, the family of a P.O.W.: "Josie works...to help her pass the time, her mama keeps the baby and grandpa rambles on". Secondly, the narrator switched to the perspective of the P.O.W.: "I see her face in the stone, I try to imagine our baby, I wish they would let me go home". Produced by Milt Okun. The song got noted in Billboard on 16 September 1972 for strong radio play, especially in Chicago, Illinois.4 On 30 September it bubbled under the Hot 100 at #110.5 It peaked at # 103 on 4 November 1972.6Sources1AllMusic↩2Wikipedia: List of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson episodes (1972)↩3YouTube↩4Billboard, 16 September 1972↩5Billboard, 16 September 1972↩6Billboard, 4 November 1972↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — P.O.W. / M.I.A. Songs

John Denver, born Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr., in Roswell, New Mexico (31 December 1943), became a hugely successful country pop singer/songwriter in the early 1970s. Throughout his career he sold over 33 million records. He died in Monterey, California (12 October 1997).1 In 1971 he covered the Vietnam War song "Readjustment Blues" on the album Aerie (RCA Victor # LSP-4607), about a veteran, adjusting from the life of a soldier to civilian society, as well as encountering major cultural and political changes in the US. Originally written by Bill Danoff of the folk rock duo Fat City, on their 1971 album Welcome to Fat City (Paramount Records # PAS 6028). This Denver cover became a more well-known and popular version. In 1972 he released the prisoner of war (P.O.W.) song "Hard Life, Hard Times (Prisoners)" (RCA Victor # 74-0801). It featured on the album Rocky Mountain High (RCA Victor # LSP-4731), under the track name "Prisoners". He spoke about it on the Tonight Show on 19 September 1972, a US television show hosted by Johnny Carson.2 He said "I wrote it in January. The single is called 'Hard Life, Hard Times' but...on the album it's called 'Prisoners'. It's about prisoners of war".3 The lyrics present two perspectives. Firstly, it looked at those back home, the family of a P.O.W.: "Josie works...to help her pass the time, her mama keeps the baby and grandpa rambles on". Secondly, the narrator switched to the perspective of the P.O.W.: "I see her face in the stone, I try to imagine our baby, I wish they would let me go home". Produced by Milt Okun. The song got noted in Billboard on 16 September 1972 for strong radio play, especially in Chicago, Illinois.4 On 30 September it bubbled under the Hot 100 at #110.5 It peaked at # 103 on 4 November 1972.6 Sources1AllMusic↩2Wikipedia: List of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson episodes (1972)↩3YouTube↩4Billboard, 16 September 1972↩5Billboard, 16 September 1972↩6Billboard, 4 November 1972↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

About the artist

John Denver born in Roswell, New Mexico, USA

Themes

Soldier's Perspective · P.O.W.

In collections

US Domestic Perspective Songs [War Years] · P.O.W. / M.I.A. Songs