ADD: Vietnam Blues (Skip James?)

Subject: Lyr Req: Vietnam Blues (Skip James?)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 25 Mar 25 - 03:20 PM

From email:

Respectable Mudcat Cafe',
I'm wondering if you can possibly help me finding the very lyrics to " Vietnam Blues " as sung by Skip James, just for a personal interest in this kind of music.
Lookin' forward to hear from you at your convenience I remain
Yours Sincerely.

Luigi


The Soul of a Man is a 2003 documentary film, directed by Wim Wenders, as the second instalment of the documentary film series The Blues, produced by Martin Scorsese. The film explores the musical careers of blues musicians Skip James, Blind Willie Johnson and J. B. Lenoir.
Apparently, this is the song. I'm not very good at transcribing blues, so I could use some help.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AatfL4DgjU8

Subject: ADD: Vietnam Blues (J.B. Lenoir)
From: cnd
Date: 26 Mar 25 - 08:08 AM

Here's my transcription of it. Lyrics are pretty close to J. B. Lenoir's Vietnam Blues.


VIETNAM BLUES

Vietnam, Vietnam
Everybody's crying 'bout Vietnam
Vietnam, Vietnam
Everybody's crying 'bout Vietnam
Believe these lonely days are killing me down in Mississippi
Nobody seems to give a darn

Oh, God, if you can hear my prayer
Please help my brothers down in Vietnam
Oh, Lord, if you can hear my prayer
Please help my brothers over in Vietnam
Poor boy's fighting and hiding in them holes
Maybe killing their brothers they don't know

Mister President, you always talk about peace
But you must clean up your house before you leave
You're always crying, crying 'bout peace
But, but you must clean up your house before you leave
How can you tell the world they need peace when you
You're still, you're still killing and mistreating poor me

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Vietnam Blues (Skip James?)
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 26 Mar 25 - 02:44 PM

Joe Offer,

The link takes you to Cassandra Wilson. It sure ain't Nehemiah "Skip" James.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Vietnam Blues (Skip James?)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Mar 25 - 06:29 PM

Yeah, Hootenanny, the YouTube link I gave is from the soundtrack of the movie The Soul of a Man, and the singer on the movie soundtrack is Cassandra Wilson. The film explores the musical careers of blues musicians Skip James, Blind Willie Johnson and J. B. Lenoir. I'm guessing that the requester was mistaken, and that the song was actually the one recorded by J.B. Lenoir.

Here's a link to the Lenoir recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne0p9ziIT3o

Subject: RE: ADD: Vietnam Blues (Skip James?)
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 27 Mar 25 - 06:36 AM

Joe Offer,

Thanks Joe, I do have all seven films in that series although I haven't watched them for a while.

One important thing about the Wenders film is that contains archival footage by Lenoir.

I am fortunate to have had the pleasure of meeting both Lenoir and James and have their photographs in my late wife's stock library too.

Each had a unique style.

Subject: RE: ADD: Vietnam Blues (Skip James?)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Mar 25 - 08:09 PM

From email:

Hello, Joe Offer,
I really appreciate your prompt interest in my request for the lyrics to "Vietnam Blues" that I mistakenly believed to be by Skip James,after reading an article about Skip James on an Italian blog.
I think you are absolutely right.
Moreover, I have not even found any rendition of this song by Skip James online.
Thanks again and compliments for your truly professional organization.
Best regards.
Luigi

Hootenanny, are the Wim Wenders films in English or German? They sound terrific! I think the first Wim Wenders film I saw was Wings of Desire, which I think of as the ultimate Berlin movie. My favorite Wim Wenders film is the one he made about the Buena Vista Social Club.

Subject: RE: ADD: Vietnam Blues (Skip James?)
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 28 Mar 25 - 05:33 AM

Re Wim Wenders

Wenders was responsible for one film. The seven films in this series were each made by different people. All are in the English language or the American version of it.

And before you get upset by that remark, it is a joke a la Winston Churchill to the effect that the UK and the USA are two nations divided by a common language.

The total running time over all seven titles is approximately 13 hours.
Release date was 2003.