Vietnam War in Reservoir
2019 · Not On Label · Reservoir, Australia
- Artist
- Cheddar Road All-Stars
- Title
- Vietnam War in Reservoir
- Release
- Nowhere Else to Feel Rotten
- Year
- 2019
- Label
- Not On Label
- Format
- CD · Album
- Language
- English
- Country
- Reservoir, Australia
- Genre
- Rock · Rock
- Primary theme
- Post-War
Annotation — Australian & New Zealand Songs
Rock group, currently from Reservoir, Victoria, Australia, its line-up included: Leo Francis, Cat Canteri, Justin Bernasconi, Danny Walsh, Emma Peel, and Barry Dickens. They released the song "Vietnam War in Reservoir", narrated from the perspective of a soldier's brother: "my brother John, he didn't wanna go... sold your body to Uncle Sam". The brother said that he was relieved to have "dodged a ticket to Ho Chi Minh". The song also referenced the Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt (1966-67), who died in office, presumed to have drowned: "Harold Holt had no fucking clue". The song concluded with "don't wanna Waltz Matilda for you, we didn't wanna go to war" - a reference to the well-known Australian bush ballad, composed in 1895, often played at patriotic and military parades. Eric Bogle famously composed "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda", a play on the original, discussed above.
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Lyrics
English: Vietnam War was on / I feared the most for my brother John / He didn't wanna go to war / Bad enough living in Reservoir / Reservoir, Reservoir / Bad enough living in Reservoir / All revolved around your birthday / That's when you got that Purple Haze / If you were unlucky in that jam / They sold your body to Uncle Sam / Reservoir, Reservoir / Bad enough living in Reservoir / Didn't wanna go to war / Vietnam War in Reservoir / In the month of John's birthday / We checked the letterbox everyday / If he got the call up card / We'd hide in a foxhole in our backyard / I was in the call up too / Checking the letterbox, checking the letterbox / Dived my frighten paw right in / But dodged a ticket to Ho Chi Minh / Dodged a ticket to Ho Chi Minh / Harold Holt had no fucking clue / Don't wanna Waltz Matilda for you / We didn't wanna go to war / Bad enough living in Reservoir...
Notes
Self-released.
About the artist
Cheddar Road All-Stars - rock group from Reservoir, Victoria: Leo Francis, Cat Canteri, Justin Bernasconi, Danny Walsh, Emma Peel and Barry Dickens.
Themes
Draft · Draft Reluctance · Harold Holt · Home Front Perspective · Satire