This is more than just an album of good music, much more. It is a tender and moving portrait of the American fighting man as sung by one of the great Country and Western stars in the business. Dave begins this memorable album with a straight-from-the-shoulder statement, What We're Fighting For. In it an American soldier writes a letter to his mother, expressing concern over the news from home - the pickets, the complacency. He asks "did they forget Pearl Harbor and Korea?" and then explains what the fighting means to the men at the front. Dave's songs capture all the loneliness and misery of war: there is the man who leaves his loved one to join the battle (Hello Viet-Nam) and the soldier who asks his wife to think of him, as he is thinking of her, Each Night At Nine. The important part that letters play in wartime is tenderly and sentimentally pointed out. They can carry sad news, such as the "dear John" received by a soldier At Mail Call Today, and the Soldier's Last Letter sent to the boy's mother after he has been killed. But they also carry hope, as in Then I'll Come Home Again. Dave also sings about the girls the soldiers meet on foreign soil, such as Filipino Baby and Geisha Girl and the two most famous women ever left behind - Fraulein and Lili Marlene, both given brilliant new vocal arrangements. These are the songs of the fighting man, dedicated to the strong, lonely heroes who know too well the price of war, but who are willing to pay this price to preserve freedom. In Viet-Nam Blues, a soldier on leave sees pickets on the White House lawn and in disgusted by their anti-American actions. It is through this tough and bitter talk song that Dave Dudley sums up the real feeling of the fighting man: "I don't feel like dying...but man I ain't gonna crawl" As long as there are the men like this, there will be a Star Spangled Banner waving somewhere.
DAVE DUDLEY
THERE'S A STAR-SPANGLED BANNER WAVING SOMEWHERE
Mercury SR-61057January/1966
Produced by Jerry Kennedy
Jerry Kennedy - guitar/dobroRay Edenton - rh.guitar
Harold Bradley - bass guitar
Pete Drake - steel
Bob Moore - bass
Buddy Harman - drums
Hargus Pig Robbins - piano
Recorded:
Sept/1965, Columbia Recording Studio, Nashville
1.
WHAT WE'RE FIGHTING FOR
(Tom T. Hall) « © '65 Newkeys Music, BMI / Unichappell Music, BMI »My dearest Mama they just gave us time to write
I miss you and there's something on my mind tonight
At mailcall I recieved your letter here today
But I don't understand the things you say
You tell me there are people marching in our streets
The signs they carry say that we don't fight for peace
There's not a soldier in this foreign land who likes this war
Oh Mama tell them what we're fighting for
Tell them that we're fighting for the old Red White and Blue
Did they forget Pearl Harbor and Korea too
Another flag must never fly above our nation's door
Oh Mama tell them what we're fighting for
From Maine to California there are many noble men
Who know the price of war and pray we'd never fight again
But the world must learn that we will fight we will protect our shore
Oh Mama tell them what we're fighting for
Oh Mama tell them what we're fighting for
Oh Mama tell them what we're fighting for
**********
2.
GEISHA GIRL
(Lawton Williams) « © '57 Unart Catalog, BMI »Have you ever heard a love song that you didn't understand
Well you've met her in a teahouse on the Island of Japan
And have you ever traveled over a many thousand miles
To see a pretty Geisha girl dressed in Oriental style
They read it in the Tealeaves and it's written in the sand
I found love by the heartful in the foreign distant land
Tell the homefolks that I'm happy with someone that's true I know
I love a pretty Geisha girl where the ocean breezes blow
I've stood and watched the sunrise from the waters of the sea
And wondered how much beauty in this whole world can that be
My dreams are all worth dreaming and it makes my life worth while
To see my pretty Geisha girl dressed in Oriental style
They read it in the Tealeaves...
**********
3.
SOLDIER'S LAST LETTER
(Ernest Tubb - Redd Stewart) « © '44 Unichappell Music, BMI »When the postman delievered the letter
It filled her old heart full of joy
But she didn't know till she read the end sign
It was the last one from her darling boy
Dear Mom was the way that it started
I miss you so much it went on
Mom I didn't know that I love you so
But I'll prove it when this war is won
I'm writing this down in the trensh mom
Don't scold if it isn't so neat
You know as you did when I was a kid
And I came home with mud on my feet
The captain just gave us our orders
And mom we will carry them through
I'll finish this letter the first chance I get
But for now I'll just say I love you
Then her old hands began to tremble
And she fouled back the tears in her eyes
But they came unashamed for there was no name
And she knew that her darling had died
That night as she knelt by her bedside
She prayed Lord above hear my plea
Please protect all the boys that are fighting tonight
And look out keep America free
**********
4.
EACH NIGHT AT NINE
(Floyd Tillman) « © '57 Peer International, BMI »A thousand miles dear a thousand more
Across the water across the shore
I'll say a prayer for yours and mine
Please think of me dear each night at nine
I hold your picture close to my heart
It takes your place dear while we're apart
It helps remind me that you're still mine
Please think of me dear each night at nine
The bugle's blowing out go the lights
Uh but it's lonesome these army nights
Tell all our friends I'm doing fine
Please think of me dear each night at nine
Please think of me dear each night at nine
**********
5.
HELLO VIETNAM
(Tom T. Hall) « © '65 Newkeys Music, BMI / Unichappell Music, BMI »America has heard the bugle call
And you know it involves us one and all
I don't suppose that war will ever end
There's fighting that will break us up again
Goodbye my darling hello VietNam
A hill to take a battle to be won
Kiss me goodbye and write me while I'm gone
Goodbye my sweetheart hello Vietnam
A ship is waiting for us at the dock
America has trouble to be stopped
We must save freedom in that foreign land
Or freedom will start slipping through our hands
Goodbye my darling hello VietNam...
I hope and pray someday the world will learn
That fires we don't put out will bigger burn
We must save freedom now at any cost
Or someday our own freedom will be lost
Goodbye my darling hello VietNam...
Goodbye my sweetheart hello VietNam
**********
6.
LILI MARLENE
(Hans Leip - Norbert Schulze) « © '40 Edward B Marks Music, BMI / Universal PolyGram Int, ASCAP »Would you like to hear the story of a girl that many soldiers know
It's a tale of love and all its glory they tell it when the lights're soft and low
Underneath the lamp post by the barrack's gate
Standing all alone every night you see her wait
She waits for her boy who marched away
And though he's gone she hears him say
Oh promise you'll be true fare Thee well Lili Marlene
Till I'll return to you fare Thee well Lili Marlene
With the kiss she gave her promise to be constant as the stars above
Every soldier knows she kept her promise and she's been faithful to her love
Underneath the lamp post by the barrack's gate
Standing all alone every night you see her wait
For this is the place a vow was made and breezes sing her serenade
Oh promise you'll be true fare Thee well Lili Marlene
Till I'll return to you fare Thee well Lili Marlene
[ piano ] Although each tale must have an ending no one knows just what the end will be
But tonight when twilight is descending if you will come along here's what you'll see
Underneath the lamp post by the barrack's gate
Standing all alone each night you see her wait
And as they go marching to the prey the soldiers all salute and say
We'll tell him you've been true fare Thee well Lili Marlene
Till he returns to you fare Thee well Lili Marlene
**********
7.
THERE'S A STAR SPANGLED BANNER WAVING SOMEWHERE
(Paul Roberts - Shelby Darnell - David McEnery) « © '42 MCA Music, ASCAP »There's a star spangled banner waving somewhere
In a distant land so many miles away
Only Uncle Sam's great heroes get to go there
That is also where I want to live someday
I'd see Lincoln Custer Washington and Pearry
Nathan Hale and Colin Kelley too
There's a star spangled banner waving somewhere
Waving on the land of heroes brave and true
Though I realize I'm crippled that is true sir
Please don't judge my courage by my twisted leg
Let me show my Uncle Sam what I can do sir
Let me help to bring the enemy down a peg
If I do some brave deed I will be a hero
And the hero brave is what I wanna be
There's a star spangled banner waving somewhere
In that heaven there must be a place for me
In that heaven there must be a place for me
**********
8.
FRAULEIN
(Lawton Williams) « © '56 Unart Catalog, BMI »Far across the deep blue water lives an old German's daughter
By the banks of the old River Rhine
There I loved her and left her but I can't forget her
I miss my pretty Fraulein
Fraulein Fraulein look up toward the heavens
Each night when the stars start to shine
By the same stars above you I swear that I love you
You are my pretty Fraulein
When the memories wander away over yonder
To the sweetheart that I left behind
In a moment of glory a face comes before me
The face of my pretty Fraulein
Fraulein Fraulein walk down by the river
Pretend that your hand's holding mine
By the same stars above you I swear that I love you
You are my pretty Fraulein
You are my pretty Fraulein yes you are my pretty Fraulein
**********
9.
AT MAIL CALL TODAY
(Gene Autry - Fred Rose) « © '53 Western Music, ASCAP / Milene Music, ASCAP »At mail call today love your last letter came
I just stood there smiling till they called my name
As I read it over my sky turned to gray
And the world for me ended at mail call today
I don't understand dear what's happened to you
On the day that I left dear you said you'd be true
But now it's all over blue skies turned to gray
And my castle tumbled at mail call today
[ steel ] I've slept in a foxhole 'midst shouting shells
I'm telling you now dear it's worse than a hell
I thought that you'd wait dear while I was away
But the world for me ended at mailcall today
At mail call today love...
**********
10.
VIETNAM BLUES
(Kris Kristofferson) « © '65 Buckhorn Music, BMI »I was out on the leave at the time just duckin' the fog
Nosin' around like a hungry dog
In that crazy place called Washington DC
I saw a crowd of people on the White House lawn
All carrying signes about VietNam
So I went over to see what was goin' on
It was a strange looking bunch
But then I never could understand some people
Oh a fellow came to me with a list in his hand
He said we're gatherin' names to send
The telegram of sympathy then he handed me a pen
I said I reckon this is goin' to kids and wives
My friends over there who're givin' their lives
He said ah ah buddy this is goin' to Ho-Chi-Min
I said Ho-Chi who he said Ho-Chi-Min people's leader North VietNam
Oh I wasn't really sure I was hearin' him right
I though I'd better move before I got in a fight
Cause my ears were hurtin' and my ball started hit my lick
Then I thought of another telegram that I've just read
Tellin' my buddy's wife that her husband was dead
It wasn't too long till I was feelin' downright sick
Another held the sign that said we won't fight
I thought to myself boy ain't that right
To leave a lot of our soldiers die instead
I said it's a shame that every man
Who ever died up there that far off land
Was dyin' for that you wouldn't have to wake up dead
Course he looked at me like I was kinda crazy just another warmonger
Oh I left that place and I went downtown
And hit first bar that I'd found
To cool myself off and pacify my brain
You see I was on orders to VietNam
Little old place just north to Saigon
Had about an hour to catch myself a plane
So all I mean to say is I don't like dyin' either but man I ain't gonna crawl
**********
11.
THEN I'LL COME HOME AGAIN
(Tom T. Hall) « © '65 Newkeys Music, BMI / Unichappell Music, BMI »When I see the water come and clear beside a shore
When all the guns are silent and the sky is clear once more
When the bugles fill the air with victory's sweet song
That's when I'll come back home where I belong
Then I'll come home again then I'll come home again
When I have done my duty in this foreign land
When I have fought and done my job for Uncle Sam
Then I'll come home again then I'll come home again
[ piano ] When I see the flag of freedom flying o'er this land
When the people here are free to live their lives again
When the Captain tells me the battle has been won
Tell all my friends then I'll be coming home
Then I'll come home again...
Then I'll come home again then I'll come home again
**********
12.
FILIPINO BABY
(Billy Cox - Clarke VanNess) « © '54 Shapiro-Bernstein Co, ASCAP »When the warship's left Manila sailin' proudly o'er the sea deep blue see
Every sailor's heart was still filled with fond regret
Looking backward to the Island where they spent such happy hours happy hours
Making love to every pretty girl they've met
Well up stepped a little sailor with his bright eyes all aglow all aglow
Saying take a look at my gal's photograph
Then they gathered round him just to look upon her face that's smiling face
And he said I love my Filipino baby
She's my Filipino baby she's my trasure and my pet my loving pet
Her teeth are bright and pearly and her hair is black as jet
Oh her lips are sweet as honey and her heart is pure as snow yes I know
And I love my little Filipino baby
[ steel ] Then one day he whispered darling I've come back from Caroline North Caroline
I've come back to claim the only girl I love
And that night there was a wedding
And the ships crew gathered round they're all around
And he wed his little Filipino baby
She's my Filipino baby...
Oh how I love my little Filipino baby
**********
