Yesterday Once More

31 Jan 2017

Armed Forces

Hi Listeners

Over the years pop music has often been captivated by the romance and sometimes the tragedy of men serving in the Armed Forces. Before the Vietnam War, songs about the armed forces were generally light hearted and romantic, but response to the Vietnam war changed to a more sombre and dark perception of the armed forces.

Both of those views are represented in the songs in this week’s program. Popular English singer Anne Shelton sings cleverly about her homecoming soldier in the jaunty, catchy ‘Lay Down your Arms’. Similarly, Patti Page performs a marching refrain to her big hit ‘Left Right Out Of Your Heart.’ Other songs in a light hearted vein are the Royal Guardsmen’s ‘Snoop vs The Red Baron’ and Eddie Fisher’s lament of all sailors being separated from sweethearts in ‘Cindy Oh Cindy’. Lolita’s German/English song ‘Sailor’ is a tribute to all sailors. The romance of the navy is also highlighted in the campy ‘In The Navy’ from the Village People and Diane Renay’s ditty ‘Navy Blue’.

Apart from ‘Snoopy vs The Red Baron’, songs abut the air force are rare. Two exceptions are the Animals with ‘Sky Pilot’ and the ‘Top Gun Theme’ from the Tom Cruise movie. On a more serious note local singer, Ronnie Burns (Smiley), sang about Normie Rowe’s drafting into the army to fight in Vietnam. Axiom’s ‘Arkansas Grass’ and the Monkees ‘Last Train To Clarksville’ are two other serious war songs.

Playlist

* Lay Down Your Arms – Anne Shelton
* Smiley – Ronnie Burns
* Cindy Oh Cindy – Eddie Fisher
* In The Navy – Village People
* Sailor – Lolita
* Top Gun Theme
* Sky Pilot -Animals
* Arkansas Grass – Axiom
* Snoopy vs The Red Baron – Royal Guardsmen
* Last Train From Clarksville – The Monkees
* Left Right Out Of Your Heart – Patti Page
* Navy Blue – Diane Renay