The 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 anti-war movement may have been on the correct side: "maybe those students were right after all", and she declared that "I'll never shall vote for no man evermore". Thanks to Andrew Smith for the suggestion..Sources1AudioCulture: Tex morton↩

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 anti-war movement may have been on the correct side: "maybe those students were right after all", and she declared that "I'll never shall vote for no man evermore". Thanks to Andrew Smith for the suggestion. Sources1AudioCulture: Tex morton↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — Christmas 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. 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 anti-war movement may have been on the correct side: "maybe those students were right after all", and she declared that "I'll never shall vote for no man evermore".Sources1AudioCulture: Tex morton↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: Oh say have you heard, the fighting is over / How our great boys will be home anytime / Home once again with their families for Christmas / Maybe your boy will be home, but not mine / See how they stand and salute their dead comrades / See how they pay their respects at the shrine / See how they turn and march into their futures / Maybe your boy has come back, but not mine / So I send his clothes to the Salvation Army / Give all his toys to the kiddies next door / Only old teddy, I'll keep to remember / The smiling young boy you sent off to the war / If you've lost a loved one, by horse or by tractor / As I lost my husband out there on our land / You know the grieving, you know the sorrow / Only the lonely could ever understand. You can tell those big men when you're down in Canberra / I don't hold no grudge, for the lives that they took / How they framed the words that turned the heads on the youngsters / Now she is alone and I'll never grow old / So send all my clothes to the Salvation Army / Maybe those students were right after all / Only old teddy she have, and a picture of a smiling young fool you sent off to the war / I sent back the insult that you call the pension / I am the widow you chose to ignore / A two worded telegram, no intervention / Now it's too late, I don't care anymore / So I'll move away, I'll go over the mountain / Don't wonder me, just the widow next door / Maybe in time I'll learn to stop the grieving / I'll never shall vote for no man…

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 [War Years]