Bring Them Home (Pete Seeger)

Vietnam War songs: https://rateyourmusic.com/list/JBrummer/vietnam-war-peace-protest-and-anti-war-songs/1/
The track "Bring 'Em Home" (Columbia Records # CS 9873) - one of Pete Seeger's most well-known Vietnam protest songs. It also went by the titles "Bring Them Home (If You Love Your Uncle Sam)" and "Bring Them Home". Seeger wrote the song in May 1966, with the lyrics and music published in Broadside # 71 in June 1966. Several artist covered this song, or re-worked the lyrics, such as Tom Winslow, Barbara Dane, and Bruce Springsteen.

The lyrics took an anti-Vietnam stance, opposed to government policy (rather than general anti-war), but it also displayed a degree of patriotism (for the United States) and support for the soldiers fighting. Firstly, Seeger strongly emphasised his desire for US troops to return home, repeating "bring them home, bring them home" every other line, arguing that that provided the best way "to support our boys in Vietnam". Secondly, Seeger criticised the "generals" for wanting to "tangle with the foe" and to "test their weaponry" (i.e. war-mongering). He also said that the generals "don't have the right weaponry" and lacked "common sense". Seeger thought that the right weapons were "teachers, books and schools". Thirdly, Seeger argued for the "right to sing this song" and protest against the war, even if "I may be wrong" i.e. it did not represent an unpatriotic stance, and that people had a democratic right to express opposition. Fourthly, Seeger claimed that "I'm not really a pacifist", and that if an army invaded the United States, then he would be "out on the firing line", even if the enemy "brought helicopters and napalm" - thus, suggesting, that there are just and unjust wars, and that he considered the Vietnam conflict unjustified.

"If you love your Uncle Sam, bring them home, bring them home / Support our boys in Vietnam, bring them home, bring them home / It'll make our generals sad, I know... / They want to tangle with the foe... / They want to test their weaponry... / But here is their big fallacy... / I may be right, I may be wrong... / But I got a right to sing this song... / There's one thing I must confess... / I'm not really a pacifist... / If an army invaded this land of mine... / You'd find me out on the firing line... / Even if they brought their planes to bomb... / Even if they brought helicopters and napalm... / Show those generals their fallacy... / They don't have the right weaponry... / For defense you need common sense... / They don't have the right armaments... / The world needs teachers, books, and schools... / Learning a few universal rules"

Видео Bring Them Home (Pete Seeger) канала Vietnam War Song Project