Since it's Christmas season, just wanted the newbies here (Cal - why am I still a "newbie"?) to know that Tommie Conner, who wrote the lyrics for "Story of a Soldier" is best known for the Christmas classic "I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus", unbelievable. "Story of a Soldier" was apparently his last published work.
sorry, but due to my youthful ignorance i don't quite know who tommie conner is and what story of a soldier is. Its not a song on GBU is it, then i will feel throughly stupid
Chas, I remember on the old Leone board that someone actually researched this at the New York City library, to make sure it was the same Tommie Conner (it might be spelled Connor).
OK ... here is the lowdown on Tommie Connor, from "You Must Remember This ... " : Popular Songwriters 1900-1980, by Mark White (New York: Scribner, c1985, p. 65-67): His full name is Thomas P. Connor, and he was born in Bloomsbury, London, on Nov. 16, 1904. His first published song (as lyricist) was in 1932. In the two decades following his breakthrough year, 1935, he had at least 10 chart-topping songs, including the English version of "Lili Marleen" (1944) and "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus (1952; Connor also wrote the music). Also:"A writer of Tommie Connor's talent was much in demand in the theatre, in movies, and as a writer of special material for the famous. Between 1933 and 1977 he contributed lyrics for songs to more than 50 film musicals, his last commission being for The Good, the Bad and the Ugly."Tommie Connor died in 1993 (his obituary is in the London Times, Dec. 27, 1993).That should settle that ...
Anti war message? Which war, war in general or the WWII. Or could he have been anticipating another US lead war, i.e. vietnam?