Reprise: Songs for Memorial Day.

Sue Collins, Loretta Lynn, Roy Orbison, Tim Buckley, Gary Puckett, Mizax and the Flizaps, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Merle Haggard, Harvey Andrews, Sylvia, Paper Lace, Steve Goodman, Tom Waits, more

I don’t have a new post for today, but since there are hundreds of new subscribers here of late, here’s a rehash of last Memorial Day’s post. There are more than ten songs, because this actually pre-dates Ten For Today. I’ll be back tomorrow with a new one!

Today is Memorial Day in the United States. It’s a day when we honor those who died in our wars, by grilling meat and then getting stuck in traffic on the Bourne or Sagamore Bridge.

So, here are some songs about soldiers (some American, some other nationalities) who don’t come home. I suppose it COULD serve as a cookout playlist, but you might not get invited back next year.

Sue Collins, “Dog Tags and a Purple Heart,” 1965

Loretta Lynn, “Dear Uncle Sam,” 1966

“Dear Uncle Sam I just got your telegram/And I can't believe that this is me shaking like I am/For it said I'm sorry to inform you…”

Roy Orbison, “There Won’t Be Many Coming Home,” 1967

“If they all came back but one/He was still some mother's son/And there won't be many coming home”

Tim Buckley, “Once I Was,” 1968

“And sometimes I wonder/Just for a while/Will you ever remember me?”

Gary Puckett and The Union Gap, “My Son,” 1969

Mizax and the Flizaps, “On the Other Side,” 1969

Emerson, Lake & Palmer, “Lucky Man,” 1970

Merle Haggard, “Soldier’s Last Letter,” 1970

Harvey Andrews, “Soldier,” 1972

Sylvia “Had Any Lately?” 1974

Paper Lace, “Billy Don’t Be a Hero,” 1974

I am not sure what’s going on with the outfits. Also, singing drummer alert.

Steve Goodman, “Ballad of Penny Evans,” 1976

“And my name is Penny Evans and I've just gone twenty-one/A young widow in the war that's being fought in Vietnam/And I have two infant daughters and I thank God I have no sons/Now they say the war is over, but I think it's just begun”

Tom Waits, “Soldier’s Things,” 1983

“A soldier's things/His rifle, his boots full of rocks/Oh, and this one is for bravery/Oh, and this one is for me/And everything's a dollar/In this box”

Marianne Faithfull, “Ballad of the Soldier’s Wife,” 1985

Stan Ridgway, “Camouflage,” 1986

Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit, “Dress Blues,” 2007

“Nobody here could forget you./You showed us what we had to lose./You never planned on the bombs in the sand/Or sleeping in your dress blues.”

Have a great day. Be kind to each other, and think of the Gold Star families.