[Opinions] Re: Sullivan
in reply to a message by Kelly R.
I can't handle Sullivan, because every time I hear it, I think of the song by Caroline's Spine. It's called "Sullivan" and I find it difficult to listen to--it's one of those songs where if I was the sort of person who cried at things, I'd be weeping. I'd have a hard time calling a kid by his full name if it was Sullivan.
These're the lyrics, if you're curious:
It's not hard to reach back
To that day, underneath the Iowa sun
Running to the tower of Waterloo
looking for the Sullivan's train to come
And his five boys would run to the top
And salute him as he went by
First we wave hello, then we waved goodbye
Goodbye
It's not hard to reach back
to the days after the attack on Pearl
And overnight my buddies turned into men
Running out of time for games and girls
And the Sullivan boys were not overlooked
Uncle Sam calling each by name
The very next day they left on a mystery train
So say goodbye, bye, bye Mrs. Sullivan
And don't you cry, cry, cry, cry, cry...
We regret to inform you that the Navy
is taking your sons away
All five, five, five, five
So put your blue star in the window
In the window
It's not hard to reach back to her smile
when she received a letter
and the letters they sounded generally the same
said if they couldn't be home
at least they were together
on a mighty fighting battleship
somewhere in the South Pacific
the letters never got much more specific
So say goodbye, bye, bye Mrs. Sullivan
And don't you cry, cry, cry, cry, cry...
We regret to inform you that the Navy
is keeping your sons away
All five, five, five, five
So put your blue star in the window
In the window
It's not hard to reach back to the day
when the war finally came home
Uncle Sam'll send you a telegram
so he doesn't have to tell you over the phone
I heard she cracked up
when they found out what the war had cost
When all of her five of her boys were lost
They were, they were, they were
Say goodbye, bye, bye Mrs. Sullivan
Go ahead and cry, cry, cry, cry, cry
We regret to inform you that all of your sons have passed away
All five, five, five, five
So change your blue star to gold
Blue star to gold
Blue star to gold
Blue stars change them to gold
Array
No one's getting smarter
No one's learning the score
Your never ending spree of death and violence and hate
Is gonna tie your own rope
...
I'd like to leave the world as a better place.
These're the lyrics, if you're curious:
It's not hard to reach back
To that day, underneath the Iowa sun
Running to the tower of Waterloo
looking for the Sullivan's train to come
And his five boys would run to the top
And salute him as he went by
First we wave hello, then we waved goodbye
Goodbye
It's not hard to reach back
to the days after the attack on Pearl
And overnight my buddies turned into men
Running out of time for games and girls
And the Sullivan boys were not overlooked
Uncle Sam calling each by name
The very next day they left on a mystery train
So say goodbye, bye, bye Mrs. Sullivan
And don't you cry, cry, cry, cry, cry...
We regret to inform you that the Navy
is taking your sons away
All five, five, five, five
So put your blue star in the window
In the window
It's not hard to reach back to her smile
when she received a letter
and the letters they sounded generally the same
said if they couldn't be home
at least they were together
on a mighty fighting battleship
somewhere in the South Pacific
the letters never got much more specific
So say goodbye, bye, bye Mrs. Sullivan
And don't you cry, cry, cry, cry, cry...
We regret to inform you that the Navy
is keeping your sons away
All five, five, five, five
So put your blue star in the window
In the window
It's not hard to reach back to the day
when the war finally came home
Uncle Sam'll send you a telegram
so he doesn't have to tell you over the phone
I heard she cracked up
when they found out what the war had cost
When all of her five of her boys were lost
They were, they were, they were
Say goodbye, bye, bye Mrs. Sullivan
Go ahead and cry, cry, cry, cry, cry
We regret to inform you that all of your sons have passed away
All five, five, five, five
So change your blue star to gold
Blue star to gold
Blue star to gold
Blue stars change them to gold
Array
No one's getting smarter
No one's learning the score
Your never ending spree of death and violence and hate
Is gonna tie your own rope
...
I'd like to leave the world as a better place.
Replies
That looks like it was based on a true story from World War II, and was made into a movie called "The Fighting Sullivans". The five Sullivan brothers joined the Navy after Pearl Harbor and insisted on being kept together. In their neighborhood growing up they were known as "The fighting Sullivans". They were all killed on the same day, and since then I believe it became law that brothers can't serve together. There was also a ship the USS Sullivan in their honor. Their mother broke the champagne bottle on it to christen it.
The old black and white movie from about 43 or 44 was a real tear jerker. I dare any one to watch it and not bawl your eyes out at the end.
The old black and white movie from about 43 or 44 was a real tear jerker. I dare any one to watch it and not bawl your eyes out at the end.