Widow Next Door

Annotation

Country music collaboration, featuring the well-known Tex Morton, born Robert William Lane on 30 August 1916 in Nelson, New Zealand. He died 23 July 1983 in Sydney, NSW, Australia. (1) He released several records under the nickname The Yodelling Boundary Rider. Sister Dorrie, born Dorothy May Ricketts in Warragul, Victoria, Australia on 8 January 1910, died 19 April 1992, toured with Tex Morton in the 1930s and 1940s. Also noted that Tex Morton released the Vietnam War song "21st Birthday" (Columbia (EMI) # DO-4785) in 1967. Together, they released the song "The Widow Next Door" (RCA Victor # 102109), which started with a narrative from a widow, noting that "the fighting is over" and the "boys will be home... for Christmas" - and thus another song about the holiday season, see the list: . However, the narrator said that while "your boy will be home... not mine", as her husband was killed in action (K.I.A.). The second part of the song took a strong anti-war position, criticising politicians for sending the young to war: "in Canberra... you make him a soldier, and send him to war", where he died, and they send an "insult that you call the pension". The narrator pondered that the…

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — Australian & New Zealand Songs

Country music collaboration, featuring the well-known Tex Morton, born Robert William Lane on 30 August 1916 in Nelson, New Zealand. He died 23 July 1983 in Sydney, NSW, Australia. (1) He released several records under the nickname The Yodelling Boundary Rider. Sister Dorrie, born Dorothy May Ricketts in Warragul, Victoria, Australia on 8 January 1910, died 19 April 1992, toured with Tex Morton in the 1930s and 1940s. Also noted that Tex Morton released the Vietnam War song "21st Birthday" (Columbia (EMI) # DO-4785) in 1967. Together, they released the song "The Widow Next Door" (RCA Victor # 102109), which started with a narrative from a widow, noting that "the fighting is over" and the "boys will be home... for Christmas" - and thus another song about the holiday season, see the list: . However, the narrator said that while "your boy will be home... not mine", as her husband was killed in action (K.I.A.). The second part of the song took a strong anti-war position, criticising politicians for sending the young to war: "in Canberra... you make him a soldier, and send him to war", where he died, and they send an "insult that you call the pension". The narrator pondered that the…

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

About the artist

Tex Morton, born Robert William Lane on 30 August 1916 in Nelson, New Zealand. He died 23 July 1983 in Sydney, NSW, Australia. Sister Dorrie, born Dorothy May Ricketts in Warragul, Victoria, Australia on 8 January 1910, died 19 April 1992

Themes

Anti-War · Christmas · Anti-Government

In collections

Australian & New Zealand Songs · Christmas Songs · Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs