Why Them, Why Me

Annotation

The song "Why Them, Why Me" was released by Abdullah on Soul (# S 35051), a subsidiary of Motown Records, for blues and R&B (1964-1978). The b-side "I Comma Zimba Zio" was an strong civil rights, African-American militant song, evoking Africa and the fight for freedom. Born Joseph McLean, he changed his name as a follower of Elijah Muhammad, a self-proclaimed black Muslim nationalist.1 He apparently fell out with Motown's Ralph Seltzer in a racial confrontation, hence only one single on Motown.2 It is fairly difficult to transcribe, but clearly it is narrated from the perspective of a soldier on "the shores of Vietnam", who was "fighting and dying". He was looking out at sea for a ship, probably to take him home.Sources1University of Michigan Library↩2Google Books↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — Soul, Gospel, & Funk Songs

The song "Why Them, Why Me" was released by Abdullah on Soul (# S 35051), a subsidiary of Motown Records, for blues and R&B (1964-1978). The b-side "I Comma Zimba Zio" was an strong civil rights, African-American militant song, evoking Africa and the fight for freedom. Born Joseph McLean, he changed his name as a follower of Elijah Muhammad, a self-proclaimed black Muslim nationalist.1 He apparently fell out with Motown's Ralph Seltzer in a racial confrontation, hence only one single on Motown.2 It is fairly difficult to transcribe, but clearly it is narrated from the perspective of a soldier on "the shores of Vietnam", who was "fighting and dying". He was looking out at sea for a ship, probably to take him home. Sources1University of Michigan Library↩2Google Books↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: The evening time he's arising... / Oh tell me why them, mama why me / I'm fighting and dying right here, help... / I came to fight and die way over there / Why them, oh mama why me.... / There's a ship a-coming, and she's raging in the sea / From the shores of Vietnam, to my open dream / Oh tell me, why them, oh mama why me / I'm fighting and dying right here, help... / And the ship she is a-coming / And your whole world turns to see / And you stand on the shores / And is she coming for you or me / And the long-time silent voice inside with finally fly

Notes

Soul S-35051, © 1968 Jobete, matrix C-Z1-K-M5-480M07; "Why Them, Why Me" (Abdullah), 3:30; produced by H. Cosby, F. Wilson; "A Trademark of Motown Record Corp. © 1968". [From the record sleeve and labels]

About the artist

Abdullah was the stage name of Joseph McLean, a Black nationalist singer whose lone single 'I Comma Zimba Zio' b/w 'Why Them, Why Me' appeared on Motown's Soul subsidiary (S-35051, 1968); after a violent falling-out with Motown management he returned to New York. [Source: Michigan Quarterly Review; Discogs]

Themes

Soldier's Perspective · Anti-War

In collections

Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs [War Years] · Soul, Gospel, & Funk Songs · US Combat Perspective Songs [War Years]