Shadrack

I Wonder Why

1973 · Sonic · Humboldt, Iowa

Artist
Shadrack
Title
I Wonder Why
Release
I Wonder Why / It Was Me
Year
1973
Label
Sonic
Format
7" · Single
Language
English
Country
Humboldt, Iowa, USA
Songwriter
Randy Berka and Steve Fox
Genre
Garage Rock · Psychedelic Rock
Primary theme
Post-War

Annotation

- Psychedelic rock - Iowa, USA "I crawl across the soft wet land / With hope in my heart and a gun in my hand / I want to run but I must stay / To try and survive for one more day / War is grief, it's misery / I wonder why it has to be / I wonder why, I wonder why it has to be / Tell me why it has to be, Lord, I just can't see / A shot rings out, I jump with fear / I feel the wind whiz by my ear / I turned around and there he lay / My best friend has died today / War is grief, it's misery / I wonder why it has to be / I wonder why, I wonder why it has to be / Tell me why it has to be, Lord, I just can't see / War is grief, it's misery"

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Notes

Soldier in combat, friend is K.I.A., why does it have to be? Anti-war leaning

About the artist

Psychedelic rock band from the Fort Dodge / Humboldt area of Iowa, who pressed 1,000 copies of this single in early 1973 before becoming Shadrack Chameleon: Steve Fox, Randy Berka, Jon Porter, Dan Dodgen, John Brandsgard and Artie Strutzenberg.

Themes

Soldier's Perspective · Combat · K.I.A. · Anti-War · Religion

In collections

Garage Rock Songs · Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs · US Combat Perspective Songs