Trap for Vietnam

Annotation — Christmas Songs

Calypso anti-war song "Trap for Vietnam" (Camille Records # 125) by Little Sonnie Mays - no further biographical information in known at this time. It was released on a Bronx, New York record label, founded by Camille E. Hodge, who was born in the Virgin Islands, and immigrated to the US when he was 15 years old. His label released many calypso records.1 The song started with a novelty / comedy approach, suggesting that the best way to win the war was to take the US women and "send them to Vietnam...in a bikini", to distract the Chinese - hence the title of the song. At the end of the song, the narrator turned serious, taking a strong anti-war position, and bringing a social-economic component into it: "a rich man war, and a poor man fight, let us stop this war now". The narrator show sympathy for "all the mothers crying" at home and the difficulties of the soldier. It also referenced the Christmas holiday: "let them spend Christmas" at home, and "let us dine hand in hand".Sources1othersounds.com: Interview camille e hodge (archived copy)↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — Latin & Central American, & Caribbean Music

Calypso anti-war song "Trap for Vietnam" (Camille Records # 125) by Little Sonnie Mays - no further biographical information in known at this time. It was released on a Bronx, New York record label, founded by Camille E. Hodge, who was born in the Virgin Islands, and immigrated to the US when he was 15 years old. His label released many calypso records.1 The song started with a novelty / comedy approach, suggesting that the best way to win the war was to take the US women and "send them to Vietnam...in a bikini", to distract the Chinese - hence the title of the song. At the end of the song, the narrator turned serious, taking a strong anti-war position, and bringing a social-economic component into it: "a rich man war, and a poor man fight, let us stop this war now". The narrator show sympathy for "all the mothers crying" at home and the difficulties of the soldier. It also referenced the Christmas holiday: "let them spend Christmas" at home, and "let us dine hand in hand". Sources1othersounds.com: Interview camille e hodge (archived copy)↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: Three ladies came to me, fat and big... / Telling them husbands could die in Vietnam / A little instruction Sonnie, you've got to help them / All the girls was making a joke / If you seen how they pulling on my coat / Send them off to Vietnam / Teach them how to hold a gun / Put them down in a bikini, that's the only way we can catch the Chinese / Good lord that's the trap / To bring our brothers back / The three ladies hold on to me... / I try to get away, you can imagine how they treat me all day / Lord the girls are hungry for romance / But a girl at home to take this chance... / What we are accomplishing in Vietnam / All the soldiers dying, all the mothers crying / A rich man war, and a poor man fight / Let us stop this war now / Come out and unite / Let them spend Christmas when Jesus was born / Put down your guns now and have some fun... / Too much men getting killed / I decide I can right my will / You might say this is so sad... / Christmas around the corner, let us dine hand in hand together...

Notes

Camille Records 125 A, 45 RPM, yellow label; "Trap for Vietnam" (C.A. Rogers), Amalie Music, BMI, time 3:50. A division of CAB Records, P.O. Box 620, New York 10027, N.Y. [From the record sleeve and labels]

Themes

Anti-War · Christmas

In collections

Christmas Songs · Latin & Central American, & Caribbean Music · Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs [War Years]