Prisoner Of War
1985 · Passport PB6051 · Czechoslovakia [Former]
- Artist
- James Young
- Title
- Prisoner Of War
- Release
- City Slicker
- Year
- 1985
- Label
- Passport # PB6051
- Format
- LP · Album
- Language
- English
- Country
- Czechoslovakia [Former]
- Songwriter
- not credited
- Genre
- Rock · Rock
- Primary theme
- Post-War
Annotation — European Songs
The song "Prisoner of War" (Passport Records # PB6051) looked at the P.O.W. / M.I.A. issue as related to the Vietnam War. This song was a collaboration with Jan Hammer, born on 17 April 1948 in Prague, Czechoslovakia. He is currently based in New York, USA. The lyrics looked at the prisoner's perspective, "lock you up in a cell... no doors, not windows". It contained the famous line from the war years, "what were you fighting for?", leaning towards an anti-war perspective.
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Lyrics
English: Name, rank and number / That's all that you're allowed to tell / So they drag down the hallway / And lock you up in a cell / There ain't no doors or windows / Light's on night and day / You can scream plead or beg them / But nobody hears what you say / Prisoner of War / What were you fighting for? / Do you know? You're a Prisoner of War / What were you fighting for? / Do you know? / You didn't steal their secrets /Don't believe in no cause / They know you've done no wrong / But you've broken all of their laws / Barbed wire, dogs and borders / We're brave, but we're not free / The whole world's a prison and somebody's lost the key / Prisoner of War / What were you fighting for? / Do you know? You're a Prisoner of War / What were you fighting for? / Do you know?
Notes
Credited as 'James Young (3) With Jan Hammer'. Jan Hammer: keyboards, drums, bass, producer; James Young: lead vocals, guitar, backing vocals, producer. Recorded at Redgate Studios, Holmes, NY. Marketed by Jem Records. Released with printed inner with lyrics. Also Canadian, UK 1986, German 1986, Japanese, Brazilian and CD editions. Collaboration with Jan Hammer on the album City Slicker (Passport Records), written from the prisoner's perspective.
About the artist
Vocalist and guitarist who recorded the album with keyboardist Jan Hammer, born 17 April 1948 in Prague, Czechoslovakia and now based in New York.
Themes
P.O.W. · M.I.A. · Fighting For · Anti-War · Soldier's Perspective