Vietnam Blues

Annotation — Blues songs

Junior Wells, born Amos Wells Blakemore Jr. (1934-1998) in Memphis Tennessee, moved to Chicago in the late 1940s and based his career in the Chicago soul scene, well-known for his vocals and harmonica. The song "Vietnam-Blues" (AMIGA # 4 50 599) by Junior Wells expressed sympathy for those dying and took an anti-war stance. The narrator began to "sing the blues" for his "brother...in Vietnam", and for all the "mothers, all the wives, all the fathers" who had a son or husband fighting the war. The narrator suggested that those supporting the war "got to be wrong", and it noted that some people had "no respect for" the "country" because of the war. Wells performed an alternative version of the song at the 1966 American Folk Blues Festival, which subsequently appeared on the 1966 album Chicago / The Blues / Today! Vol. 1 (Vanguard Records # VRS-9216), under the title "Viet-Cong Blues". Wells also released the song "The Hippies Are Trying" (1968), a Vietnam-era pro-hippie and peace song.

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: I woke up early this morning / I was feeling kind of blue / My landlady said you got a letter here, and I began to sing the blues / It was from my brother, don't you know / The boy is laying down in Vietnam / Lord, they said, you don't have no reason to fight baby / But lord knows you think you're right / But you got to be wrong / You wake up early in the morning / You don't have nothing to eat / You can't buy yourself no clothes / Lord know who you can meet / My brother is in Vietnam, that's why I'm singin' these blues / You might not have no respect for your country darling / That's why I'm singin' these blues / The mothers, all the wives, all the fathers that have sons in Vietnam / You hear me? This is to

Notes

Amiga 4 50 599 A, VEB Deutsche Schallplatten, red and cream label, BIEM N 504 2125, M 45; "Vietnam-Blues" (Wells–Wells), Junior Wells (voc, harmonica) "und Solisten des 'American Folk Blues Festival 66'", "Mitschnitt einer öffentlichen Veranstaltung". The front of the picture sleeve shows Wells playing harmonica into a microphone under the psychedelic lettering "Vietnam Blues / Roll 'em Pete". The back gives the flip side as "Roll 'em Pete" (Big Joe Turner–Big Joe Turner) by Big Joe Turner (voc) with the festival soloists. Both sides are described as recorded live at a public performance in the Friedrichstadt-Palast on 16.10.66. The back also carries an Amiga "Tanzmusik-Schallplatten-Angebot Januar 1967" listing, "VEB Deutsche Schallplatten · 108 Berlin", and "Gestaltung: Vonderwerth". [From the record sleeve and labels]

About the artist

Wells born in Memphis, Tennessee. Died in Chicago, Illinois

Themes

Anti-War

In collections

Blues songs · European Songs · Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs [War Years]