What's Our World Coming To

Annotation

Jeff Johnson, country artist, born 3 November 1942 in Galesburg, Illinois, USA, and 26 January 2010 in Tucson, Arizona, USA. The song "What's Our World Coming To", released in 1964 in Hollywood, California, was an early anti-protest, patriotic, religious themed record. It started with a Civil Rights message, noting that "Lincoln said let the slave go free", but that today African-American do not "enjoy the same freedom as you and me". It then moved to the Vietnam War: "Today in Vietnam, thousands of Americans are fighting to keep our country free" - thus taking a pro-government perspective. It then took an anti-protest view: "there are those who... won't fight for the red, white and blue, what's this world of ours coming to".

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: In 1863, Lincoln said let the slave go free / There supposed to enjoy the same freedom as you and me / But one look around you will tell you this ain't really true / What's this world of ours coming to / Greed and jealousy are getting stronger day by day / Why you know there are some who can hardly wait / For their relative to fade away, they say you know / All that money could sure make a lot of dreams come to / What's this world of ours coming to / Today in Vietnam, thousands of Americans are fighting / To keep our country free, to uphold America's heritage / For freedom and democracy, and there are those / Who live under but won't fight for the red, white and blue / What's this world of ours coming to / God and the bible are getting further and further away / People don't want to be bothered anymore to take the time and pray / But little do they know that only he can see them through / What's this world of ours coming to / And it won't be long not, until we meet our god, face to face / Then it won't matter how rich you are, what colour, creed or race / We'll have to answer to him for every single thing we do / What's this world of ours coming to

Notes

Dewl Records 4268, "513 W. Thomas Rd."; "What's Our World Coming To" (Jeff Johnson), 2:16, BMI, English Music; Jeff Johnson & the Shorthands; "Produced by Jerry Reece"; yellow label with crossed-sabres logo. [From the record sleeve and labels]

About the artist

Born 3 November 1942, Galesburg, Illinois, USA. Died 26 January 2010, Tucson, Arizona, USA

Themes

Patriotic · Anti-Protest · Lincoln · Civil War · Civil Rights · Religion

In collections

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