Uncle Sam Called Me (I Got To Go)
1964 · Testament LP 2209 · USA
- Artist
- Arthur Weston
- Title
- Uncle Sam Called Me (I Got To Go)
- Release
- Pea Vine Whistle
- Year
- 1964
- Label
- Testament # LP 2209
- Language
- English
- Country
- USA
- Songwriter
- Arthur Weston
- Genre
- Blues · Delta Blues
- Primary theme
- Home Front Perspective / Soldier's Perspective
Annotation — Blues songs
Blues artist, which according to Wirz's American Music may have been born on 12 January 1912 in Missouri, and died on 2 February 1996 in Belleville, Saint Clair County, Illinois1 Recorded in 1964, the song "Uncle Sam Called Me (I Got to Go)" (Testament Records # TCD 6005) was unreleased at the time, and appeared on this archival album, about being drafted: "Uncle Sam called me to the United States army". The narrator looked at the impact on home life. First, he warned his girlfriend: "Pearly May... I don't know if I'll ever be back", and second, he described his mother, who "begin to scream...and holler, lord have mercy on my child". The narrator concluded with the devastating view of the US: "you know that Uncle Sam knew I was born to die". Sources1Wirz discographies↩
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Annotation — Draft Songs
Blues artist, which according to Wirz's American Music may have been born on 12 January 1912 in Missouri, and died on 2 February 1996 in Belleville, Saint Clair County, Illinois1 Recorded in 1964, the song "Uncle Sam Called Me (I Got to Go)" (Testament Records # TCD 6005) was unreleased at the time, and appeared on this archival album, about being drafted: "Uncle Sam called me to the United States army". The narrator looked at the impact on home life. First, he warned his girlfriend: "Pearly May... I don't know if I'll ever be back", and second, he described his mother, who "begin to scream...and holler, lord have mercy on my child". The narrator concluded with the devastating view of the US: "you know that Uncle Sam knew I was born to die".Sources1Wirz discographies↩
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Lyrics
English: Uncle Sam called me / Yes boys, you know I sure got to go / Yeah Uncle Sam called me / Yes boys, you know I sure got to go / He called me to the United States army / Yes boys, you know I sure got to go / Yes Uncle Same called me this morning when the clock was striking four / He said, 'Fall out of your bunk boys, and get back out there in the rain and snow... / Yes called me to the United States army... / Yes you know I had a little woman, her name was Pearly May / Uncle Sam called me to the United States army / I have to go stay / Yes I'm gonna tell you one more thing Pearly May / I know you sure ain't gonna like... / I don't know if I'll ever be back... / Well mother begin to scream, scream, and holler saying 'lord have mercy on my child' / I told her 'hush hush now mother, don't you cry / Cause you know that Uncle Sam knew I was born to die / Lord look at the big gun yonder / You know it is sitting way out west / But whenever you get in touch with Uncle Sam / He gonna learn you all about the rest
About the artist
Blues vocalist-guitarist of the St. Louis/East St. Louis scene, recorded in the mid-to-late 1960s by producer Pete Welding alongside Big Joe Williams; his own composition 'Uncle Sam Called Me (I Got To Go)' was recorded in East St. Louis in July 1967 and issued on the Testament CD 'Pea Vine Whistle'. Stefan Wirz's discography gives his dates as possibly 1912 (Missouri) to 1996 (Belleville, Illinois). [Source: Discogs; Stefan Wirz discography]