Here's a blues song from the late 1960s by Lightnin' Hopkins that rarely makes the light of day in the USA. Who knows why? Hopkins, like John Lee Hooker, has a unique style, not easy to pin down in any way. That includes his lyrics, which are really stranger than many. More or less, the lyrics for "Vietnam War Blues" might go something like this:
Mama said son, how can you be happy when your brother way over in Vietnam?
How can you be happy when your brother way over in Vietnam?
I told her
I said Mama he may get lucky and win some money
Oh he got to maybe bring some money back home
Mama looked at me
She said that ain't no way to talk about your brother
When he's my child too
You see Mister Johnson is tellin' everybody
Exactly what he want them to do
All right my child
What if Uncle Sam was to call you boy? I'd be so lonesome
Oh, I would miss you so much I may die
Yes if Uncle Sam should call you, Oh Lord I'd miss you so much I may die
Yeah you know when you get over yonder and get to fightin' them soldiers,
Yeah you know you're gonna be fightin' way upon my heart. . .
In case anyone forgot, the US is still at war in 2010, albeit these "twins" are being conducted by an all-volunteer military force plus professional contract workers -- unlike Vietnam, which included a lottery draft.
Today's Rune: Defense.
3 comments:
Kinda hard to forget that two wars and ten disasters are on the burner right now.
Lightnin' Hopkins always struck me as a sort of hybrid Chicago meets the Delta.
Erik, this supports my theory that as parents, we are only allowed to be as happy as our saddest child...
If there was a draft, both wars would be over.
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