[28] To Whom It May Concern
I was run over by the truth one day.
Ever since the accident I've walked this way
So stick my legs in plaster
Tell me lies about Vietnam.
Heard the alarm clock screaming with pain,
Couldn't find myself so I went back to sleep again
So fill my ears with silver
Stick my legs in plaster
Tell me lies about Vietnam.
Every time I shut my eyes all I see is flames.
Made a marble phone book and I carved out all the names
So coat my eyes with butter
Fill my ears with silver
Stick my legs in plaster
Tell me lies about Vietnam.
I smell something burning, hope it's just my brains.
They're only dropping peppermints and daisy-chains
So stuff my nose with garlic
Coat my eyes with butter
Fill my ears with silver
Stick my legs in plaster
Tell me lies about Vietnam.
Where were you at the time of the crime?
Down by the Cenotaph drinking slime
So chain my tongue with whisky
Stuff my nose with garlic
Coat my eyes with butter
Fill my ears with silver
Stick my legs in plaster
Tell me lies about Vietnam.
You put your bombers in, you put your conscience out,
You take the human being and you twist it all about
So scrub my skin with women
Chain my tongue with whisky
Stuff my nose with garlic
Coat my eyes with butter
Fill my ears with silver
Stick my legs in plaster
Tell me lies about Vietnam.
-- Adrian Mitchell
|
I really have nothing to add today: this poem communicates its message
more effectively than any commentary could ever hope to do. So I'll
leave you with a
Biographical Note:
Adrian Mitchell was born in 1932 and educated at Oxford. After coming
down in 1955 he worked for some years on the staff of the Oxford Mail,
and subsequently with the London Evening Standard. Mitchell's early
poetry showed a fondness for tight stanzas and a use of myth, but there
was always a kind of agonised human concern about his writing which
marked him off sharply from his more tight-lipped contemporaries. This
concern has developed over the years into a full-fledged political
commitment, and there is no other poet in England who has more steadily
focussed his aesthetic aims through his social ones. It would not be too
much to say that a poem such as 'To Whom It May Concern' altered the
conscience of English poetry, and for many younger writers Mitchell is
already the elder statesman of literary protest. He has made enemies
through this, and there are still critics who refuse to accept his
importance. But there are few poets now writing who can command a wider
general audience, and none who can swing such an audience more
effectively from public laughter to near tears.
- George Macbeth
t.
From: ars@
I've got a video on the 60s, full of Leary, the Beatles, and all that, and
it's got someone (Mitchell I presume) reading this poem, with agonizing
imagery from the war. I've seen the tape innumerable times, yet every
time I hear this part, I wind up in tears by the end.
It's just the most extraordinary poem. And it's an excellent study for
the student of poetry; the imagery is so direct, concrete and at the
same time surreal. It just wrenches with the real feelings of that
time. "Couldn't find myself so I went back to sleep again" pretty much
sums it all up, doesn't it?
-- Tony Kalar
From: "Steve Campbell" <stevecampbell@>
I heard this poem read by the author on BBC radio in about 1969, and the
phrases 'so fill my...' and 'tell me lies...' have been echoing
somewhere in my mind ever since. Great to find the full text here.
Steve
From: CafeDelCool@
I saw a film of this on TV last night. A 60s documentary showed the author
reading it at a packed Royal Albert Hall. Such a stunning poem! I just had
to search for a text. Thanks for being there with it.
And now, looking back, I'm amazed there was not a louder voice crying out
against the bombing of yugoslavia last year. It cut me up listening to the
bombers flying out from and back to Fairford every night.
03/12/00
From: "Sean" <MrBenn@>
Like the previous commenter I too saw the film of Mitchell's reading in
the Albert Hall - stumbling upon this treasure trove of other wonderful
poetry has been a rather fantastic surprise.
I thank you then - not only for providing the text for this rather
haunting poem, but also for adding a little magic to an otherwise dreary
weekend ;-)
From: "Meirion MacIntyre Huws" <meimac@>
As CafeDel Cool (Comments 03/12/200) mentions, this poem was read to a
packed Royal Albert Hall, London in 1965. I believe the occasion was a
definig moment in the history of the beatnik youth culture in Britain. The
meeting of poets such as Mitchell and Ginsberg (who was headlining the
event) and the reading of such raw and honest poems started the Swinging
60's as they are now called. It is this poem above any other that captured
the mood of the times. "To whom it may concern" has an unarming simplicity
which is used to great effect, and the repetition of penultimate verses in
each following verse creates a compounding tension which nails the last
line home. Truly a great poem.
Meirion MacIntyre Huws
From: Jason Daniels <daniels@>
I've wondered about this poem for over ten years after seeing that film of
Mitchell reading it. I couldn't remember his name! Ah, the usefulness of
WWW. Does anyone know where to find that footage?
Thanks,
Jason
daniels@
From: "Roland Rance" <rolandrance@>
Adrian Mitchell read this poem at the anti-war demonstration in Trafalgar
Square, in London, on 13 October 2001. He did what nobody else would have
dared to do - he altered it, so the verses ended "Tell me lies about
Vietnam", "Tell me lies about Iraq", "Tell me lies about Palestine", "Tell
me lies about Afghanistan". Thirty plus years on, the poem still has the
power to move an audience and to make a potent and up-to-date political
point.
Roland Rance
From: "Christopher" <in.recovery@>
A wonderful poem. I remember Adrian Mitchell coming to our scholl in (I
think) 1970 where he read this poem - among others - to us 6th formers.
It had a large impact on me then. It stall has a large impact on me
today.
Thank you Adrian.
From: "William Sykes" <syko23@>
After reading this vivid poem full of strong emotions, I wonder if Adrian
Mitchell actually in the Vietnam war? I tried to research it on the WWW,
but couldn't find that he was. Does anyone know if he did fight in Vietnam?
Thanks,
Audrey
From: "Tim Footman" <tim_footman@>
Re: Audrey's query: I would think it highly unlikely that Adrian
Mitchell fought in Vietnam, since he is British. Does that affect your
appreciation of the poem, or its political impact?
I saw him perform it at the Albert Hall in 1984. The "tell me lies"
refrain was sung by his daughter. It was an extraordinary concert, with
poets as diverse as Allen Ginsberg, Benjamin Zepaniah, and Roger
McGough. But Mitchell stole the show.
Tim
Outgoing messages scanned and certified safe by Stop-Sign, the Personal Alarm Service.
http://defender.veloz.com/dlp_ban/?n=tl&sp=08.out002
From: "William Sykes" <syko23@>
After reading this vivid poem full of strong emotions, I wonder if Adrian
Mitchell actually in the Vietnam war? I tried to research it on the WWW,
but couldn't find that he was. Does anyone know if he did fight in Vietnam?
Thanks,
Audrey
From: "Waterfall, Tom" <tom.waterfall@>
I was there in 2001 at Trafalgar Square. This poem caught my attention, I'd
never heard it before and have only now found it on the Internet. To know
that it was Adrian Mitchell, who was there on that day and who left me with
such a vivid memory is quite incredible. It was the most powerful poetry
reading I have ever had the good fortune to witness. Peace.
From: "Sarah and Tom Man" <Thomas.Man@>
Like Tony Kalar I have somewhere in storage a video recording of the
programme with the recital from Mitchell at the Albert Hall. It has
always been with me and now it resonates again as the 'allies' march
into Iraq. I hope to God that the men - whether Iraqi, British or
American - that are there now don't have to face the agonies that those
in Vietnam had to face 30 or so years ago. Art like this is so resilient
due to the conviction behind it and there are so many who have that
conviction right now.
From: Acynta@
Re: Adrian Mitchell
From the commentary below this piece, I find myself wondering: has Adrian
Mitchell written any other poems, or does he just alter this one to fit every
circumstance?
carlynn
From: "Judith Barker" <Judith.Barker1@>
To the person who wondered if Adrian Mitchell wrote any other poems, of
course he did; many are equally as good as this. Also a play (not so
good) and I think some children's literature.
I heard him read many times in the 60s, mostly at the Bluecoat Arts
Centre in Liverpool. You didn't have to fight in Vietnam to think like
this - the political movement against the Vietnam war was enormous, and
very powerful. Many thousands of people here demonstrated against the
war, on many occasions.
The poem still says relevant things about war.
Also try reading "Veteran with a head wound"
Judith
From: Lecqjazz@
An 1987 documentary on The Beatles' Sgt Pepper album, called It was Twenty
Years Ago Today, contains the footage of Mitchell reading the poem at the RAH. I
do not know the year, but since the documentary focusses on the period during
which Sgt Pepper was made it must have been in 1966 or early 1967. Mitchell's
performance was absolutely impressive.
Boudewijn van der Lecq
From: LEW <progprinter2@>
I first heard this poem on a show about the Beatles album Sgt Pepper.
The show aired in 1987 on PBS and had a 60's clip of the author
reciting this poem as scenes of the war flashed across the screen.
Although I was raised in the 60's and 70's, this brilliant piece of
work eluded me until I saw it on this show. Great to see it all here.
Lew Fisher ( 43)
From: "Gert Breban" <gert.breban@>
I also saw the 1987 documentary 'It was 20 years ago today' with his
1965 reading of the poem to a packed Albert Hall, which completely blew
my mind. I had it on video tape for some time, but somehow that tape got
lost. A few months later I went to college, and then soon started my own
wild years of sex, drugs and rock'n'roll, and the poem slipped out of my
mind.
Today I accidentally (when cleaning up my hard disk for reformatting)
found a reference to it in my diary. After about 15 years I could still
hear his voice, with the angry emphasis on the word 'lies', so I looked
it up on the web.
It sure is the most impressive poem I've ever heard or read, and it's a
shame it's still as relevant today as it was then (and always will be
I'm afraid). I wish someone could strap the likes of Bush, Blair and
Aznar in a chair and make them listen to it a few days, so they also
will remember. But I guess that's just wishful thinking...
From: Ed Sedarbaum <esedarbaum@>
I have been searching since 1987 for a copy of that movie "It Was Twenty Years Ago Today," the one with Rich reaching. Do you know where I can find it? My internet searches have been fruitless.
Ed Sedarbaum
From: "Alice Clarke" <alice.clarke@>
I remembered my mother reading this to me in bed when I was pretty small
and it stuck in my mind all this time, until a few days ago I did an
internet search on the lines I could recall. Such a brilliant poem, it
conveyed more than I needed political/historical knowledge to understand.
From: "Dan Brenner" <deebee64@>
This is too funny but sad. Allen Cohen, who was featured in the same
documentary, "It Was 20 Years Ago Today", died recently in the SF Bay
Area; Allen edited the Oracle Magazine, a wild psychedelic magazine of
that time..
YES YES YES! Long Live Adrian Mitchell! This poem rocks every single
day of this Madness we are in, especially now with photographers of US
Flag draped coffins being fired and US soldiers laughing while torturing
Iraquis while wer'e trying to implement democracy...
Just switch the countries around
turn the truth inside out
and look at what will come about....
Dan Brenner
Camarillo, CA
From: 01LETDAV@ Tue May 11 02:53:51 2004
I think that these poems are very good including all of his words he
uses enthusiastic in his figure of speech.
I also think that people respect the way he speaks and the way he writes
From: David Levy <levy-listsonly@>
I have a copy of the PBS special on VHS tape and can make copies for those willing to reimburse me for cost of copying and mail. (You can contact me at dglevy [[at]] yahoo). Without exaggeration it's one of the five best documentaries I've ever seen. It's about the '60's ethos, portrayed in a positive light for once, produced by Grenada TV. I saw it over 15 years ago and was amazed at how many parts of it I had remembered when I saw it again just yesterday. I agree with the person who posted here saying that one of the most powerful moments was when Mitchell barks 'lies' in the last stanza at the Albert Hall reading. The anger and desolation in his voice is heart-rending.
More details on two recent versions:
According to
http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/1840/sw184009.htm
Adrian Mitchell read his poem replacing "Vietnam" with "Iraq" when he gave a rendition at the mass anti-war rally in Hyde Park on 15 February. Introducing the poem he said, "If Tony Blair tells Britain to go to war, don't go. Don't go to work, don't go to school, don't go to college, don't go to your ship or your regiment. Take to the streets."
Then, according to
http://www.inminds.co.uk/stopbush-1-20nov03.html#mitchell
at the Nov. 20, 2003 protest against Bush's visit in London, he read the version described by a previous poster, which mentioned Afghanistan, Palestine & Cuba in the last stanza.
David Levy
Washington, DC
From: "Spain, Kyle" <Kyle.Spain@>
IT WAS TWENTY YEARS AGO TODAY can be found currently on easytree.com (via bit torrent).
From: "Cynthia Hodges" <cynthia@>
I heard this poem back in the late 80's & was so impressed, I wrote it
down. I came across it recently going through old papers. It seems to
resonate today with the Iraq war.
Cynthia Hodges
cynthia@
http://www.hodgemony.com
From: "Victoria Tregilgas" <trigsmar@>
As a child of a parent who did a tour in vietnam during the conflict,
this particular war effected not only the vets, but, also, the families.
Your poem Mr Mitchell, is good. It has substance.
Thank-you for writing it.
Victoria Tregilgas.