While looking for war-themed songs for the Memorial Day edition of my radio show, I stumbled across two fantastic compilations on the British reissue label Kent. It released A Soldier’s Sad Story: Vietnam Through the Eyes of Black America 1966-1973 in 2003 and follow-up Does Anybody Know I’m Here? Vietnam Through the Eyes of Black America 1962-1972 in 2005. From the gospel-tinged harmonies of Bill Moss & the Celestials’ “Welcome the Boys Back Home” to the freaky psych of Funkadelic’s “March to the Witch’s Castle,” the albums span the musical and political spectrum.
Missing is Edwin Starr’s anthemic cover of the Temptations’ “War,” though his “Stop the War Now” – which replaces rhetorical questions with forthright demands – is remarkably similar. A more subtle approach to the anti-war song is Bill Withers’ “I Can’t Write Left Handed,” about a soldier who returns from Vietnam with no right arm. Withers, who himself served nine years in the Navy before launching his music career, leaves songs about the larger issues of war to others. He humbly professes to not know much about “governments and political things” in the intro but his song about a man unable to write a letter to his mother rings truer than Starr’s more famous anti-war anthem.
Archie Bell is another artist whose featured track, “A Soldier’s Prayer 1967,” comes from a deeply personal place. The Houston native was drafted around the same time smash hit “Tighten Up” started to get airplay and Bell recorded the follow-up LP while home on leave. Other poignant moments include Swamp Dogg’s wrenching cover of John Prine’s “Sam Stone” and Martha Reeves & the Vandellas’ “I Should Be Proud.” Little-known soul pleader Jimmy Holiday represents the right of center on “I’m Gonna Help Hurry My Brothers Home,” questioning the pride and patriotism of war protesters.
It’s not all politics, though: Joe Tex confesses to canoodling with lonely ladies whose men are overseas on the dead wrong but funky “I Can’t See You No More (When Johnny Comes Marching Home).” Safe bet that tune didn’t light up the request line on Armed Forces Radio Saigon.
This article appears in May 23 • 2008.
