A Letter From Vietnam
1970 · Starjo 1709 · Wesleyville, Kentucky
- Artist
- Billy Starr
- Title
- A Letter From Vietnam
- Release
- A Letter From Vietnam / The Ode to Ira Louvin
- Year
- 1970
- Label
- Starjo # 1709
- Format
- 7" · Single
- Language
- English
- Country
- Wesleyville, Kentucky, USA
- Songwriter
- Billy Starr, Aileen Starr, Jody Starr, Gloria Blaylock
- Genre
- Country · Country
- Primary theme
- US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs
Annotation
Billy Starr (1913-1981) - traditional country singer, born James William Stallard in Kentucky, USA.12 He released the track "A Letter From Vietnam" (Starjo Records # 1709) in 1970, narrated from the perspective of a soldier writing to his mother, feeling regret that he had committed murder in Vietnam. However, he reported that the next day the platoon were going to "a place called My Lai", where his life might be threatened by the Vietcong: "there might not be a tomorrow if something should go wrong" - and thus it sought to defend the position of Calley. The narrator also took a patriotic, pro-government position, arguing that the war would "make the world a better place for everyone to live".Sources1Hillbilly-Music.com↩2rocky-52.net: Starr billy↩
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Lyrics
English: Mom, when you read this note from me please pray that I'm not wrong for a took a man's life today / He was Vietcong, that is what they call them over here / In this distance jungle land, I'd rather be most anywhere than here in Vietnam / Tonight we're dug in near a village mom, a place called My Lai... / And may god in heaven guide us while we search for the Vietcong / For there might not be a tomorrow if something should go wrong... / Although I was sent here for my country I tell myself it was for you, mom and dad / To make the world a better place for everyone to live... / For this my life I'd gladly give
Notes
StarJo Records, record no. 1709 (PRP-38601), 45 RPM, white "D.J. Copy" label; "A Letter From Vietnam" (Billy Starr, Aileen Starr, Jody Starr, Gloria Blaylock), 2:30, StarJo Music, BMI; Sales & Distribution, Inc., 413 Cloud Springs Rd., Rossville, Ga. 30741. [From the record sleeve and labels]
About the artist
Born 30 December 1913, Wesleyville, KY, United States
Themes
My Lai · Patriotic · Pro-Calley · VC · Soldier's Perspective · Calley-Chaos · Pro-Soldier
In collections
My Lai & Lt. William Calley Songs · US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs [War Years]