War Is Starting Again

Annotation

Lightnin' Hopkins, born Sam Hopkins on 15 March 1912, in Centreville, Texas, recorded extensively from the 1940s-1970s, typically playing blues in the style that came out of his native Texas, like Blind Lemon Jefferson (acoustic / electric Texas blues). Often singing about topical events, such as the Korean War and Great Depression, in the mid-late 1960s he turned his attention to Vietnam. He died in Houston Texas on 30 January 1982.1 He released several Vietnam War-related songs (see the info box below) On this 1962 LP featured the song "War Is Starting Again" (Vee-Jay Records # LP-1044), also released on the 1961 single War Is Starting Again (Ivory Records # 91272), which may have been too early to specifically be in reference to the Vietnam conflict. The narrator expressed fear of war coming, "well, I got news this morning, right now they need a million men". This song also included a "Jody" reference - the term "Jody" originated from "Joe the Grinder" (dated c.1939) - a mythical man in blues and jazz tunes who seduced the wives and girlfriends of soldiers, prisoners, and those away from home. "Grinder" was an old slang word for sex (dated c.1647). It is thought to have been introduced into the army by African-Americans during the Second World War, used in military cadences (marches), such as "ain’t no use in going home, Jody’s got your girl and gone" - shouted out by a military officer, and repeated by the group of marching soldiers in unison. This type of marching later got the nickname of "jodies" or "jody calls". In this case, the narrator is the Jody: "you know my girlfriend got a boyfriend in the army, that fool gotta go overseas". Hopkins later uses a similar line in the 1969 song "Please Settle in Viet Nam". In 1962 Hopkins released the song "War Is Starting Again" on the album Lightnin' Strikes (Vee-Jay Records # LP-1044). In 1969, he released the anti-war single "Please Settle in Viet Nam" (Joliet # 205). He also recorded the song "Vietnam War" with his cousin Billy Bizor on the album Blowing My Blues Away in 1968. In fact, Hopkins released his own version of that song, called "Viet Nam War (Pt.1) & (Pt.2)" on the 1968 album Talkin' Some Sense (Jewel Records # LPS 5001). Finally, in 1970 Hopkins produced the song "Questionnaire Blues" on film, released in 1970 on video, but unreleased on audio format.Sources1Lightnin' Hopkins: His Life and Blues (Alan Govenar, 2010)↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — US Domestic Perspective Songs

Lightnin' Hopkins, born Sam Hopkins on 15 March 1912, in Centreville, Texas, recorded extensively from the 1940s-1970s, typically playing blues in the style that came out of his native Texas, like Blind Lemon Jefferson (acoustic / electric Texas blues). Often singing about topical events, such as the Korean War and Great Depression, in the mid-late 1960s he turned his attention to Vietnam. He died in Houston Texas on 30 January 1982.1 He released several Vietnam War-related songs (see the info box below) On this 1962 LP featured the song "War Is Starting Again" (Vee-Jay Records # LP-1044), also released on the 1961 single Got Me a Louisiana Woman / War Is Starting Again ({Label185167] # 91272), which may have been too early to specifically be in reference to the Vietnam conflict. The narrator expressed fear of war coming, "well, I got news this morning, right now they need a million men". This song also included a "Jody" reference - the term "Jody" originated from "Joe the Grinder" (dated c.1939) - a mythical man in blues and jazz tunes who seduced the wives and girlfriends of soldiers, prisoners, and those away from home. "Grinder" was an old slang word for sex (dated c.1647). It is thought to have been introduced into the army by African-Americans during the Second World War, used in military cadences (marches), such as "ain’t no use in going home, Jody’s got your girl and gone" - shouted out by a military officer, and repeated by the group of marching soldiers in unison. This type of marching later got the nickname of "jodies" or "jody calls". In this case, the narrator is the Jody: "you know my girlfriend got a boyfriend in the army, that fool gotta go overseas". Hopkins later uses a similar line in the 1969 song "Please Settle in Viet Nam". Vietnam War songs by Lightnin Hopkins: In 1962 Hopkins released the song "War Is Starting Again" on the album Lightnin' Strikes (Vee-Jay Records # LP-1044). In 1969, he released the anti-war single "Please Settle in Viet Nam" (Joliet # 205). He also recorded the song "Vietnam War" with his cousin Billy Bizor on the album Blowing My Blues Away in 1968. In fact, Hopkins released his own version of that song, called "Viet Nam War (Pt.1) & (Pt.2)" on the 1968 album Talkin' Some Sense (Jewel Records # LPS 5001). Finally, in 1970 Hopkins produced the song "Questionnaire Blues" on film, released in 1970 on video, but unreleased on audio format.Sources1Lightnin' Hopkins: His Life and Blues (Alan Govenar, 2010)↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — Jody Songs

Lightnin' Hopkins, born Sam Hopkins on 15 March 1912, in Centreville, Texas, recorded extensively from the 1940s-1970s, typically playing blues in the style that came out of his native Texas, like Blind Lemon Jefferson (acoustic / electric Texas blues). Often singing about topical events, such as the Korean War and Great Depression, in the mid-late 1960s he turned his attention to Vietnam. He died in Houston Texas on 30 January 1982.1 In 1969, he released the anti-war single "Please Settle in Viet Nam" (Joliet # 205). He also recorded the song "Vietnam War" with his cousin Billy Bizor on the album Blowing My Blues Away in 1968, discussed below. In fact, Hopkins released his own version of that song, called "Viet Nam War (Pt.1) & (Pt.2)" on the 1968 album Talkin' Some Sense (Jewel Records # LPS 5001), also discussed below. On this LP featured the 1962 song "War Is Starting Again" (Vee-Jay Records # LP-1044), which may have been too early to specifically mention the Vietnam conflict. The narrator expressed fear of war coming, "well, I got news this morning, right now they need a million men". This song also included a "Jody" reference - the term "Jody" originated from "Joe the Grinder" (dated c.1939) - a mythical man in blues and jazz tunes who seduced the wives and girlfriends of soldiers, prisoners, and those away from home (for work or whatever). "Grinder" was an old slang word for sex (dated c.1647). It is thought to have been introduced into the army by African-Americans during the Second World War, used in military cadences (marches), such as "ain’t no use in going home, Jody’s got your girl and gone" - shouted out by a military officer, and repeated by the group of marching soldiers in unison. This type of marching later got the nickname of "jodies" or "jody calls". In this case, the narrator is the Jody: "you know my girlfriend got a boyfriend in the army, that fool better go overseas". Hopkins later uses a similar line in the 1969 song "Please Settle in Viet Nam".Sources1Lightnin' Hopkins: His Life and Blues (Alan Govenar, 2010)↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: Woe, you know this world done get tangled now, baby / Woe, you know I believe they fixin' to start a war again / Woe, you know this world done get tangled now / Yeah, I believe they gonna start war again / Yeah, there'll be a mothers start to worry / Yes, there'll be many a girls will lose a friend / Well, I got news this morning / Right now they need a million men / Woe, I got news this mornin' / Right now they need a million men / Woe, you know, I been overseas once / Oh, Lightnin' don't want to go there again / Lord have mercy! / All right! / Yeah, you know my girlfriend got a boyfriend in the Army / That fool better go overseas / You know I don't hate it so bad because you know / That's a better break for me / This world's a-tangled / Yeah, the finally had a war again Woe, you know this world done get tangled now, baby / Woe, you know I believe they fixin' to start a war again / Woe, you know this world done get tangled now / Yeah, I believe they gonna start war again / Yeah, there'll be a mothers start to worry / Yes, there'll be many a girls will lose a friend / Well, I got news this morning / Right now they need a million men / Woe, I got news this mornin' / Right now they need a million men / Woe, you know, I been overseas once / Oh, Lightnin' don't want to go there again / Lord have mercy! / All right! / Yeah, you know my girlfriend got a boyfriend in the Army / That fool gotta go overseas / You know I don't hate it so bad because you know / That's a better…

Notes

Ivory Records 91272B, 45 R.P.M.; "War Is Starting Again" (Hopkins - Semiens), 2:45, Allee Music Publ., BMI; "Lightning Hopkins and His Guitar". Label decorated with two elephant drawings. [From the record sleeve and labels]

About the artist

Born 15 March 1912, in Centreville, Texas. Died 30 January 1982, Houston, Texas, USA

Themes

Draft · Jody

In collections

US Domestic Perspective Songs [War Years] · Jody Songs · Blues songs · Draft Songs · Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs [War Years]