Names On a Wall
by @jeff9 · @greengrassgirl
Liner Notes
#americana #war #vietnam
My talented lyricist friend Patty won the most recent monthly lyric contest on The Muse Songwriters Forum with this vignette of a Vietnam war vet visiting the memorial wall. Being of an age where I only barely missed being over there myself, it just pierced my heart. So I asked her if I might tackle putting it to music for 50/90. It was quite an emotional experience to sing it.
Note: A "Zippo tank" was a name for one that had flame-thrower capability.
Lyrics
Names On A Wall
Music - Jeff Walker
Lyrics - Patty Lakamp @greengrassgirl
V1
I carry ‘round a bullet from a war long ago
Buried in my leg below the knee
Now and then it rants about the ghastliness of man
Other times it doesn’t bother me
V2
I want to think it mattered, all the blood that was spilled
That war and the war it caused at home
Every time my leg cries out, it takes me back again
The battlefield embedded in my bones
PC
Our war in the jungle
Rotten from the first
Feels like the whole damn thing was cursed
Ch
Fresh out of high school
(Answered the call)
Sent to da Nang
(Into the brawl)
Drove a Zippo tank
(A screaming fireball)
So much bloodshed
(And then the withdrawal)
Our national nightmare
(The hell of it all)
Names on a wall
Names on a wall
V3
Our country turned its back and left us sucking the mop
Strangers cursed us out and called us scum
Now we have a wall that lists the names of the dead
From the war that blew us all to kingdom come
Ch
Fresh out of high school
(Answered the call)
Sent to da Nang
(Into the brawl)
Drove a Zippo tank
(A screaming fireball)
So much bloodshed
(And then the withdrawal)
Our national nightmare
(The hell of it all)
Names on a wall
Names on a wall
Br
I touch that black granite and I’m back in ‘Nam
The jungle, the guns and the blood
The battles still raging inside of me
In my head, my heart and my knee
Repeat Chorus
Comments
I grew up with our national nightmare: I was in college when the war ended. On my first visit to the Wall, I sobbed uncontrollably as I walked along that interminable list of names.
What a great collaboration - wonderful lyrics, and performed as if the Jeff experienced every painful moment.
The production had a feel to it (maybe the reverb used..idk) but it all fit together so well.
Thank you both 🎶