I saw a documentary about this song years ago and it had nothing to do with war. According to the documentary a black man was arrested and went away for awhile and he and his wife wrote to each other. When he found he was to be let out he wrote his wife and asked if he could return home. He said the bus goes by the house and if I see a yellow ribbon on the tree I get off the bus and come home, but, if there is no ribbon "I'll stay on the bus, forget about us and put the blame on me".

As he was going home, he told the story to the other riders and they all watched as they came to his wifes home and there on the tree were a hundred yellow ribbons. The people on the bus clapped and the man cried. They watched him get off the bus, and saw his wife and child run to welcome him home with hugs. It was a beautiful and moving story and is supposed to have really happened.

Love, annamill