Flatters their graves - why "flatters"?
- From: "Dylanetics" <dylanetics@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: 26 Jul 2006 17:48:37 -0700
In March 2, 1965, President Johnson started a major escalation of US
involvement in Vietnam by launching ROLLING THUNDER, an intense and
sustained bombing campaign directed at North Vietnam and the Ho Chi
Minh Trail. The first marines hit the China Beach on March 8.
On July 28, 1965, the day *before* Bob recorded Tombstone Blues, LBJ
gave his famous "We will stand in Vietnam" speech (delivered at a press
conference).
The Commander in Chief drew a line in the sand. He immediately raised
US troop levels to 125,000, with a commitment to send in more if
General Westmoreland requested them.
He also announced that *draft calls* would be more than doubled -- from
17,000 to 35,000 young men per month.
Which brings me to the "king of the Philistines" stanza...
The king of the Philistines his soldiers to save
Puts jawbones on their tombstones and flatters their graves
Puts the pied pipers in prison and fattens the slaves
Then sends them out to the jungle.
What about that strange phrase "flatters their graves"? How did that
get into the song?
There are many possibilities, e.g., contrived rhyme for "fattens the
slaves." But here's one suggested by LBJ's brief address.
Although LBJ focused on America's need to resist and defeat Communist
aggression, to stand in Vietnam, despite the cost, he added a personal
note:
"Let me also add now a personal note. I do not find it easy to send the
flower of our youth, our finest young men, into battle. I have spoken
to you today of the divisions and the forces and the battalions and the
units. But I know them all, every one. I have seen them in thousand
streets, of a hundred towns, in every State in this Union - working and
laughing and building, and filled with hope and life. I think that I
know, too, how their mothers weep and how their families sorrow. This
is the most agonizing and the most painful duty of your President."
Admirable sentiments, of course.
But I wonder how Bob reacted when he heard (or read) LBJ talking about
how hard it was to "send the flower of our youth, our finest young men,
into battle," claiming that he "knows them all, every one," and that he
knows "how their mothers weep and how their families sorrow."
Two speculative hypotheses --
(1) Bob (like many alienated young people) heard this "flower of our
youth" stuff as hollow flattery applied those who would soon be drafted
[enslaved] and then sent out to the jungle, some of whom were headed
for their graves, as LBJ acknowledged.
(2) At some point during the 26 hours between LBJ's noontime address on
the 28th and the recording of the final version of Tombstone Blues
(completed by 2:00 p.m. on the 29th), Bob worked his disgusted reaction
into the song.
.
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