Sniper's Hill
1966 · Boone BR 1038 · Union, Kentucky
- Artist
- Buddy Starcher
- Title
- Sniper's Hill
- Release
- Sniper's Hill / History Repeats Itself
- Year
- 1966
- Label
- Boone # BR 1038
- Format
- 7" · Single
- Language
- English
- Country
- Union, Kentucky, USA
- Genre
- Country · Country
- Primary theme
- US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs
Annotation
Buddy Starcher - born 16 March 1906 in West Virginia, a country singer famous for the a-side "History Repeats Itself", which compared the similarities between the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy. On the b-side, the song "Sniper's Hill" (Boone Record Co. # BR 1038) started with a female chorus, narrated from the perspective of a widow, who husband died in Vietnam. She recalled "his last letter from Sniper's Hill". Then Starcher narrated the letter from the soldier. He recalled the happy news about the birth of their first child. The soldier wrote that "things are pretty rough here in Vietnam". However despite this, he believed in the cause and expressed pride in doing his part. He told his wife that if he did not return, she should tell their child that "his daddy died fighting for his country". Starcher also took a swipe at the anti-movement, pointing out that the soldier marched "proud and tall and not in protest". It reached # 39 in the Billboard Hot 100, on 14 May 1966. (1) It also reached # 2 in the Hot Country Singles on 21 May. (2) This song appeared on the LP History Repeats Itself (Decca # DL-74796), discussed below, which also included the Vietnam…
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
About the artist
Born Ripley, West Virginia, USA (16 March 1906). Died Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA (2 November 2001)