Viet Nam

Annotation — Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs [War Years]

The song "Viet Nam" (Disques Alvarès # C 484) is a live cover of the Jean Arnulf song "Chante une femme" under a different title, released on the 1968 album Déjà l'automne. Marc Ogeret also covered the song, on the album Chansons de révolte et d'espoir.

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: Sleep, my love, my only son / Sings a woman in America / In America a woman sings / To her boy who died in Vietnam / A woman sings to her little one / Sleep, my love, sleep, my darling / I will go to the place where you sleep / And rock you there until I die / I will bring you presents / Your old train set and your Meccano / And the silver paper star / Sleep, my love, sleep, my child / Sings a woman in America / On the other side of the Pacific / A mother in the early morning / Wakes the Vietnamese child / Get up, my son, get up, my boy / I hear the planes coming back / We must pick up our bags again / We are going on a little trip / Whatever you do, don't let go of my hand / We are going to run far, far away / You carry your grey bird / I'll carry the blankets and the rice / In his diplomatic armchair / In Washington, in America / I must get my money back / Declares Mr. President / And on the map of Vietnam / Like a gentleman playing checkers / He sets the bombing raids and the march of the regiments / He puts his finger on a point / Let's run, don't let go of my hand / He has put his finger here / Sleep, my love, sleep, my little one / Sleep, my love, my only son / Sings a woman in America / In America a woman sings / To her boy who died in Vietnam __________ French: Dors, mon amour, mon fils unique / Chante une femme en Amérique / Chante en Amérique une femme / A son garçon mort au Vietnam / Chante une femme à son petit / Dors mon amour, dors mon chéri / J'irai à…

Notes

Live recording: James Ollivier reads and sings works of French poets/writers, mostly guitar-accompanied, some plain recitals. Production of La Boîte A Musique (Éditions De La Boîte À Musique). Liner notes: Claude Roy, Philippe Soupault, Pierre Seghers. Recorded by K. Roos. Pressed by MPO. Live cover of Jean Arnulf's 'Chante une femme' (from the 1968 album 'Déjà l'automne') under a different title; also covered by Marc Ogeret. Cover of Chante une femme – Jean Arnulf.

About the artist

James Ollivier, born 25 March 1933 in Reims, France, and died 23 October 1997 in Saint-Lô, France, was a singer who performed and recited the work of French poets.

Themes

Anti-War · Home Front Perspective · Vietnamese Perspective · Child · Vietnamese Children · Air War · Washington D.C. · Civilian Casualties

In collections

Amerasians, Orphans & Vietnamese Children · US Domestic Perspective Songs [War Years] · European Songs · Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs [War Years]