The first of the three Jimmy Webb 'town' songs that are the cornerstones of this record and together mark Campbell's claim for greatness. His singing here is pretty restrained, letting the song and its lyric do their work. There was some controversy at the time and since over whether it's an anti-war song or not. Protest against Vietnam was pretty much at its peak at the point it came out. Given Campbell's innate conservatism it seems reasonable to suppose that it's just the story of a soldier doing his duty but missing home. The tune transcends such considerations anyhow. It was a # 4 Billboard Singles hit in 1969.
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