US Wartime Song: Goodbye Mama, I'm Off to Yokohama

"Goodbye Mama, I'm off to Yokohama" is a World War II song written and composed by J. Fred Coots. The wartime song was first published in 1941 by Chappell and Co. in New York, NY.

I do not represent any of the ideologies, countries, or religions shown on this channel. No matter if we agree or disagree, it is still important to document the songs of every ideology, country, and religion.

[pezzie]

"Japa-knees" is such a bar man, i genuinely got up and started laughing

[juwebles]

my grandfather was in the marine corps, he was in the pacific theater. On Peleliu he was carrying a tank of sulfuric acid on his back cause the marine corps required acid lugged around for whatever reason. A Japanese sniper saw him carrying a tank of what he likely thought was gasoline so the sniper took a shot at the tank expecting an explosion. Instead my grandfather suffered acid burns all over his back, neck, and head and was sent to Seattle to recuperate. His family back in New Jersey had no clue what happened for weeks since his letters just stopped showing up. Eventually he's able to call my great grandfather to ask for bus money, he ends up getting bus fair to Philadelphia from Seattle thanks to the salvation army. He then hiked form philly to jersey in the middle of winter. He was the toughest role model one could ask for.

[pandaandthegecko]

A hell of a lot of bullets and 2 atomic bombs later…. You could say they were really on their “Japa-Knees”

[mr.cringles]

"Japa knees"

Damn that was a good ryhme ngl

[Angel_Batista_]

There is also a korean war version called good bye maria im off to korea! Great to see generations of soldiers living up to their glory songs!

[garyholden]

Men, young men, so young we couldn't comprehend these days. Were travelling thousands of miles to fly, sail and fight for the first time, brave that's the right word, no word can explain just what these men went into and came out the other end. Wow!!!!

[nealamronbautista]

Pacific- Goodbye Mama I'm off to Yokohama
European- Goodbye Mama I'm off to Austria

[DeliveryDemon]

My great granddad was in the Navy in the Pacific. Saw every battle except for Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima. He also went to fight in Korea, serving on a Fletcher class destroyer. Sadly I never knew him.

[hutyra_hutyra]

I met a Marine who was served in the Pacific during WW2. He wrote a book called “Islands of the Damned.” He even took it a step further and signed my copy.

[Takezhu]

well at least the war ended before a naval invasion was necessary

[barneyfyfe]

My dad was infantry in PTO 41st Infantry Div "Jungleers" aka Sunset Div.

[plushtrap_]

I remember when fighting for your country wasn't racist

[theonemesis]

YOU GO AND SHOW EM' BOYS! OUR GREETINGS AND RESPECT TO ALL OF 'YA, FROM GREECE!

[RedBullWarden]

Goodbye Mama walked so Goodbye Maria could run

[juliuscaesar]

Fun fact: My home city, Omaha, got bombed by Japan in WWII.

[IMINSIDEYOURMUM]

“Goodbye mommy, I’m off to Nagasaki, for the red, white and blue, the big boom and you-“

[MyoxIsong]

Not much later:And now its..Goodbye Maria, Im off to Korea!

[barneyfyfe]

When the war was won it was "California Here I Come... right back where I started from"

[DETEXTERA]

In one hour I will do my English exam and I need to talk about perl harbour I am from Germany and I am fried that's why I am blasting this banger through my house at 6 am

[randomlyentertaining]

One of my bosses had us listen to this because of...something. I think it was to point out the racist undertones but I pointed out that it wasn't really surprising since this song was written during a war and the general feeling of the time was that Asians couldn't possibly be as tough, smart, etc as Europeans. Not as some kind of dumbass sensitivity training or whatever but I guess he found out about it and found it interesting.