Viet Vet
1994 · Insipid IV-27 · Adelaide, Australia
- Artist
- The Mark of Cain
- Title
- Viet Vet
- Release
- Tell Me / Viet Vet
- Year
- 1994
- Label
- Insipid # IV-27
- Format
- 7" · Single
- Language
- English
- Country
- Adelaide, Australia
- Songwriter
- Alan Vega
- Genre
- Punk · Post-Punk
- Primary theme
- Post-War
Annotation
Australian Post-Punk group formed in August 1984, in Adelaide, South Australia. The core members were the brothers John Scott (guitar, vocals) and Kim Scott (bass), accompanied by a rotating line-up. They released the song "Viet Vet" (Insipid Vinyl # IV-27), which was a cover of the Alan Vega song, discussed above. It dealt with the mistreatment of a Vietnam veteran: "he rides the subway, he's all alone". His father and mother have died, his sweetheart had left him: "where are you ma...pa, they're gone, and his girl...Dear John". The song noted that he had won the Purple Heart - medal awarded by the US president to those wounded or killed in action (K.I.A.). An estimated 351,794 were awarded during the Vietnam War. The group also released the song "Battlesick", on the 1989 album Battlesick ( Dominator Records # DOMA 006), discussed above.& Vietnam War: Punk Songs
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Annotation — Australian & New Zealand Songs
Australian Post-Punk group formed in August 1984, in Adelaide, South Australia. The core members were the brothers John Scott (guitar, vocals) and Kim Scott (bass), accompanied by a rotating line-up. They released the song "Viet Vet" (Insipid Vinyl # IV-27), which was a cover of an Alan Vega song. It dealt with the mistreatment of a Vietnam veteran: "he rides the subway, he's all alone". His father and mother have died, his sweetheart had left him: "where are you ma...pa, they're gone, and his girl...Dear John". The song noted that he had won the Purple Heart - medal awarded by the US president to those wounded or killed in action (K.I.A.). An estimated 351,794 were awarded during the Vietnam War. The group also released the song "Battlesick", on the 1989 album Battlesick ( Dominator Records # DOMA 006), discussed above.
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Annotation — Punk Songs
Australian Post-Punk group formed in August 1984, in Adelaide, South Australia. The core members were the brothers John Scott (guitar, vocals) and Kim Scott (bass), accompanied by a rotating line-up. They released the song "Viet Vet" (Insipid Vinyl # IV-27), which was a cover of the Alan Vega song, discussed above. It dealt with the mistreatment of a Vietnam veteran: "he rides the subway, he's all alone". His father and mother have died, his sweetheart had left him: "where are you ma...pa, they're gone, and his girl...Dear John". The song noted that he had won the Purple Heart - medal awarded by the US president to those wounded or killed in action (K.I.A.). An estimated 351,794 were awarded during the Vietnam War. The group also released the song "Battlesick", on the 1989 album Battlesick ( Dominator Records # DOMA 006), discussed above.
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Lyrics
English: Glory, glory, hallelujah, glory, glory, hallelujah / Oh the truth comes marching in / He's a twisted flyer....he loves his country / It's the greatest, he's just another regular guy / Or he was, Viet vet...four purple hearts... / Forget it, he's looking for his home, forget it / Where are you ma, where are you pa, they're gone / And his girl, forget it, dear john to death / What you're gonna do, there ain't no jobs / You gotta bleed and stomp for an arm... / He rides the subway, he's all alone... / They're alone, forever, forever...
Notes
B side, 33⅓ rpm 7" on grey marbled vinyl. Recorded August 1993 at Big Sound Studio, Adelaide, mixed by Darren McBain and David Lokan; ℗ 1993 The Mark of Cain, sleeve © 1994. Insipid Vinyl IV-27, 33⅓ rpm, red label marked "A (This Side)" and "B (Other Side)", ℗ & © 1993 The Mark of Cain; side A "Tell Me" (The Mark of Cain), 4:23; side B "Viet Vet" (Alan Vega), 7:53. The front of the picture sleeve shows a pale, battered combat helmet against black under the band name in stencil lettering, with "Tell Me / Viet Vet". The back credits words & music for each side, recording in August 1993 at Big Sound Studio Adelaide and mixing by Darren McBain and David Lokan, prints "© Control 1994" with the Insipid Vinyl logo, and gives management as In-Tense, PO Box 812, Newtown NSW 2042, Australia. [From the record sleeve and labels]
About the artist
Post-Punk group, formed in August 1984 in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; the core members were the brothers John Scott (guitar, vocals) and Kim Scott (bass), accompanied by a rotating line-up.