Vietnam

Annotation

Vietnam (Janey Hart & Olin Berry) (Back Forty Records # 45-6813) Country music. Part narrated by a soldier's sweetheart who wanted her boyfriend to stay in the US. She started to question the point of the war, whether the soldiers understood why. But then, after hearing the national anthem, she remembered the importance of fighting for freedom and stopping aggressions, and that the leaders of the country "must be right". "Can they do without one soldier in Vietnam Vietnam, it seems so far away Vietnam, oh how long must Johnny stay Can they do without one soldier in Vietnam" Part narrated by the soldier - seems to have volunteered to help the cause, and keep "our country free".

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs

Vietnam (Janey Hart & Olin Berry) (Back Forty Records # 45-6813) Country music. Part narrated by a soldier's sweetheart who wanted her boyfriend to stay in the US. She started to question the point of the war, whether the soldiers understood why. But then, after hearing the national anthem, she remembered the importance of fighting for freedom and stopping aggressions, and that the leaders of the country "must be right". Part narrated by the soldier - seems to have volunteered to help the cause, and keep "our country free".

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: Can they do without one soldier in Vietnam / I was just a girl in high school, just barely seventeen / When my darling said to me one day, Ive got to leave you Jeane... / I could see him fight to hold his tears as we kissed and said so long / And as he stepped aboard the plane I thought oh god is it wrong / To send these boys so far away to fight in a distant land / I wonder if they really know the reason for our stand / Then the national anthem played as the jet roared through the night / Suddenly I stopped, our leaders must be right / Freedoms price is never cheap, a great man said one time / Aggression must be stopped, we have to draw the line... / Vietnam, it seems so far away / Vietnam, oh how long must Johnny stay / I know he had to go, but I love my darling so / Can they do without one soldier in Vietnam / You know they are fighting over there and they need some guys like me / It take a lot of doing to keep our country free / So take this little metal and hold it to your heart / It says that I'm an expert, that I always hit my mark / You can bet that I'll get back okay, I'll see you before too long / So say a pray for me each day, until I get back home

Notes

Back Forty Records 45-6813-B; "Vietnam" (Troy Tucker – Olin Berry), vocal duet, 3:56; Back Forty Music Co., 501 E. 5th St., Austin, Texas. [From the record sleeve and labels]

Themes

Patriotic · Soldier's Perspective

In collections

US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs [War Years]