Credited on the record as Don Reno & Benny Martin and The Tennessee Cut Ups.
Soldier's Prayer in Viet Nam
1965 · Monument 45-912 · USA
- Artist
- Don Reno & Benny Martin
- Credited on the record as
- Don Reno & Benny Martin and The Tennessee Cut Ups
- Title
- Soldier's Prayer in Viet Nam
- Release
- Soldier's Prayer in Viet Nam / Five By Eight
- Year
- 1965
- Label
- Monument # 45-912
- Format
- 7" · Single
- Language
- English
- Country
- USA
- Songwriter
- Don Reno, Benny Martin
- Genre
- Country · Bluegrass
- Primary theme
- Home Front Perspective / Soldier's Perspective
Annotation
"Soldier's Prayer in Viet Nam" (Monument Records # 45-912). Also released on Antenna Records (# 6436). Collaboration between Don Reno & Benny Martin Country gospel music. Contained patriotic line: "fighting another war so we can still live in a land of freedom". However, mainly concerned with the plight of the soldier - narrated from soldier's perspective. Strong religious content.
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Annotation — US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs
"Soldier's Prayer in Viet Nam" . Also released on Antenna Records (# 6436). Also released on (Monument Records # 45-912) Collaboration between Don Reno & Benny Martin Country gospel music. Contained patriotic line: "fighting another war so we can still live in a land of freedom". However, mainly concerned with the plight of the soldier - narrated from soldier's perspective. Strong religious content.
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Lyrics
English: I'm a captain in the United States army / Over a company of soldiers over here in Vietnam / I wonder if you folks back home think about us over here / Or do you really realise that we are over here / Fighting another war so we can still live in a land of freedom / It made me stop and think last night when I passed a soldier's foxhole / And suddenly found...a most humble and beautiful pray / This little soldier was kneeling...I saw tears streaming down his face / He said 'Dear God, I know I' unfit to talk to one as good as you / I know I've knelt many times at church back home / But it seemed like the right words wouldn't come / I'm humble god, and I know your love is great enough to cover all / And I'm scared god, and there's no one to help me but you / God could you make people love one another again / And care for the fellow man enough / So we wouldn't have to fight these awful wars / Because god I'm not mad at anybody / Give me love enough to understand / And help my fellow man instead of killing me / As I know there going to do god if they find me here... / Another thing dear god, please let me go back home from Vietnam
Notes
Monument 45-912, matrix D11W-763; "Soldier's Prayer in Viet Nam" (Don Reno & Benny Martin), 2:37, Pamper Music, BMI; Don Reno & Benny Martin and The Tennessee Cut Ups; "Monument Record Corp., Made in U.S.A." The same recording also appears on green Antenna Records 6436 (No. 30, matrix SK3M-3834), "A Division of Pamper Music", Pamper Music BMI, "Mfg. in USA by Antenna Rec. Pat. Pend." [From the record sleeve and labels]
About the artist
Don Reno (born 21 February 1926, Spartanburg, South Carolina; died 16 October 1984, Charlottesville, Virginia) and Benny Martin (born 8 May 1928, Sparta, Tennessee; died 13 March 2001, Tennessee) were leading bluegrass instrumentalists - Reno a banjoist and Martin a fiddler - who recorded as a duo in the mid-1960s. "Soldier's Prayer in Viet-Nam" was cut at a session in the autumn of 1965 and issued on Antenna 6436 and Monument 45-912. [Source: Discogs; Praguefrank's Country Music Discographies; Wikipedia; Nashville press obituaries]
Themes
In collections
US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs [War Years]