Algunos pueden considerarlas (mis canciones) meramente melodías divertidas. Otros pueden considerarlas incitaciones a una revolución roja. ¿Y quién puede decir si algunos de ellos o todos están equivocados? Yo no.
Pete Seeger en Rolling Stone (Abril 1972)
Me ha dado por bucear en Youtube.com, especialmente en relación con la anterior entrega de ‘La Espiral’ sobre Pete Seeger y Bruce Springsteen, y he hecho algunos hallazgos curiosos, de los cuales aquí sólo aporto uno (juro no hacerme adicto).
La versión para Estados Unidos del disco ‘We shall overcome’ contiene una pista curiosamente ausente en la versión global. Ignoro qué consideraciones han llevado a Springsteen y/o a su casa de discos a no incluir ‘Bring `em home’ (y otras dos canciones) en la edición extra-americana. Ese ‘traedlos a casa’ es especialmente significativo en las circunstancias que se están desarrollando en Irak y todos estamos afectados, americanos o no.
Pete Seeger compuso la canción en 1965 en relación con la guerra de Vietnam y el vídeo corresponde a una actuación televisiva en 1969. Su letra es netamente pacifista y antimilitarista. La que ha escrito Springsteen, so pretexto de actualizarla, no alude a los militares ni al armamento. La crítica que hace va dirigida exclusivamente a los políticos.
Esta es la letra de la versión de Seeger:
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,
Bring them home, bring them home.
They want to tangle with the foe,
Bring them home, bring them home.
They want to test their weaponry,
Bring them home, bring them home.
But here is their big fallacy,
Bring them home, bring them home.
I may be right, I may be wrong,
Bring them home, bring them home.
But I got a right to sing this song,
Bring them home, bring them home.
There's one thing I must confess,
Bring them home, bring them home.
I'm not really a pacifist,
Bring them home, bring them home.
If an army invaded this land of mine,
Bring them home, bring them home.
You'd find me out on the firing line,
Bring them home, bring them home.
Even if they brought their planes to bomb,
Bring them home, bring them home.
Even if they brought helicopters and napalm,
Bring them home, bring them home.
Show those generals their fallacy:
Bring them home, bring them home.
They don't have the right weaponry,
Bring them home, bring them home.
For defense you need common sense,
Bring them home, bring them home.
They don't have the right armaments,
Bring them home, bring them home.
The world needs teachers, books and schools,
Bring them home, bring them home.
And learning a few universal rules,
Bring them home, bring them home.
So if you love your Uncle Sam,
Bring them home, bring them home.
Support our boys in Vietnam,
Bring them home, bring them home.
Pete Seeger en Rolling Stone (Abril 1972)
Me ha dado por bucear en Youtube.com, especialmente en relación con la anterior entrega de ‘La Espiral’ sobre Pete Seeger y Bruce Springsteen, y he hecho algunos hallazgos curiosos, de los cuales aquí sólo aporto uno (juro no hacerme adicto).
La versión para Estados Unidos del disco ‘We shall overcome’ contiene una pista curiosamente ausente en la versión global. Ignoro qué consideraciones han llevado a Springsteen y/o a su casa de discos a no incluir ‘Bring `em home’ (y otras dos canciones) en la edición extra-americana. Ese ‘traedlos a casa’ es especialmente significativo en las circunstancias que se están desarrollando en Irak y todos estamos afectados, americanos o no.
Pete Seeger compuso la canción en 1965 en relación con la guerra de Vietnam y el vídeo corresponde a una actuación televisiva en 1969. Su letra es netamente pacifista y antimilitarista. La que ha escrito Springsteen, so pretexto de actualizarla, no alude a los militares ni al armamento. La crítica que hace va dirigida exclusivamente a los políticos.
Esta es la letra de la versión de Seeger:
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,
Bring them home, bring them home.
They want to tangle with the foe,
Bring them home, bring them home.
They want to test their weaponry,
Bring them home, bring them home.
But here is their big fallacy,
Bring them home, bring them home.
I may be right, I may be wrong,
Bring them home, bring them home.
But I got a right to sing this song,
Bring them home, bring them home.
There's one thing I must confess,
Bring them home, bring them home.
I'm not really a pacifist,
Bring them home, bring them home.
If an army invaded this land of mine,
Bring them home, bring them home.
You'd find me out on the firing line,
Bring them home, bring them home.
Even if they brought their planes to bomb,
Bring them home, bring them home.
Even if they brought helicopters and napalm,
Bring them home, bring them home.
Show those generals their fallacy:
Bring them home, bring them home.
They don't have the right weaponry,
Bring them home, bring them home.
For defense you need common sense,
Bring them home, bring them home.
They don't have the right armaments,
Bring them home, bring them home.
The world needs teachers, books and schools,
Bring them home, bring them home.
And learning a few universal rules,
Bring them home, bring them home.
So if you love your Uncle Sam,
Bring them home, bring them home.
Support our boys in Vietnam,
Bring them home, bring them home.
Y aquí está la version de Bruce Springsteen, que de entrada convierte el amor “al Tío Sam” en el amor “a esta tierra de libres”:
If you love this land of the free
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home
Bring 'em back from overseas
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home
It will make the politicians sad I know
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home
They wanna tangle with their foe
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home
They want to test their grand theories
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home
With the blood of you and me
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home
Now, we'll give no more brave young lives
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home
For the gleam in someone's eyes
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home
The men will cheer and the boys will shout
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home
Yeah, and we will all turn out
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home
The church bells will ring with joy
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home
To welcome our darling girls and boys
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home
We will lift our voice in song
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home
Yeah, when Johnny comes marchin' home
Bring 'em home Bring 'em home
Bring 'em back from overseas
If you love this land of the free
Bring 'em back from overseas
Bring 'em home
Bring 'em home
Más allá de consideraciones sobre la ‘prudencia’ que Springsteen muestra en estos tiempos de patrioterismo exacerbado en su país, está el hecho de que, 40 años después, el eslogan que Seeger difundió no sólo suena en la voz de Springsteen, sino que el grito “¡Traedlos a casa!” crece en un país al que la avaricia y el militarismo han vuelto a llevar a una aventura indecente. Incluso existe un movimiento denominado “Bring them home now”.
La huella de Pete Seeger es indeleble.
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