Rally for Lt. Calley

Annotation

A short spoken word narrative song, against a jazz background, called "Rally for Lt. Calley", which said that the government and army had made Calley a scapegoat for all the killings in Vietnam. The narrator warned that the trial of Calley would make himself and citizens "afraid of doing our patriotic duty" as they might also end up a scapegoat. The narrator put significant emphasis on serving the country and patriotism, and solidarity with the soldier without any moral position. At the same time, the narrator strongly criticised the actions of the government and military. Composed by Joe Watford and released on the obscure private label Ginny & Joe (# MW-222).

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: This is my story, these are my feelings, this is my rally for Lieutenant Calley / A soldier you or I and hardly anyone had ever heard of until someone felt so guilty about Vietnam that they had to blame someone else for the fighting and killing... / So Lt. Calley...had a job to do, kill or be killed in doing his job / The US army thought it right to try him for murder... / Has the government fallen so low as to make Lt. Calley a scapegoat... / I know it all makes us wonder if we should serve our country / And be afraid of carrying out orders, afraid of doing our patriotic duty / Afraid of being a scapegoat and ending up like Lt. Calley / So I ask you all, mothers, fathers, wives, teenagers, and sweethearts / Lets join in one and all...for Lt. Calley

Notes

Ginny & Joe MW-222, Side 1 (PRP-29121), 45 rpm, yellow label; "Rally for Lt. Calley" (Joe Watford); music by The Ltd's Combo. No running time is printed on the label. [From the record sleeve and labels]

About the artist

Joe Watford was an American country singer who recorded alongside Ginny Watford, the two issuing a single on their own imprint, Ginny & Joe, cut at Joel Johnson's Music World Recording Studio in West Columbia, South Carolina. "Rally for Lt. Calley", one of the answer records prompted by the March 1971 court-martial of Lieutenant William Calley, appeared on Ginny & Joe MW-222 in 1971 backed with 'The Story of Ginny and Joe', which is credited to Ginny Watford rather than to Joe. [Source: Discogs]

Themes

My Lai · Patriotic · Pro-Calley · Calley-Order · Calley-Scapegoat · Anti-Government · Pro-Soldier

In collections

Jazz Songs · My Lai & Lt. William Calley Songs · US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs [War Years]