WHAT DID YOU DO IN THE WAR [Album version]

What did you do in the war now Daddy?
Did you carry a great big gun?
Did you go to the jungle?
Did you stay in school?
Were you a fortunate son?
Did you ever see Jimi or Janis?
Did you go to Woodstock, too?
What did you do in the war now Daddy?
Daddy tell me what did you do

What did you do in the war now Daddy?
Were you just like Oliver North?
Did you have a football injury to milk for all it was worth?
Did you see the Beatles on the Sullivan Show?
Did you watch them walk on the moon?
What did you do in the war now Daddy?
Daddy tell me what did you do

Well, I know it was so long ago
And your memory fades away
But were you in Ohio on that day in May?
Did you dance to the music like Sly and the Family Stone?
What did you do in the war now Daddy?
Did you go or stay at home?

What did you do in the war now Daddy?
Did you join the National Guard?
Did you give 'em hell like Vice President Quayle?
Did you burn your draft card?
Did you write any good protest songs?
Did you smoke marijuana, too?
What did you do in the war now Daddy?
Daddy tell me what did you do
Oh, what did you do Daddy?

Page last updated: 19 Oct 2011

Intro

WHAT DID YOU DO IN THE WAR is a song written by Joe Grushecky and released on Joe Grushecky and The Houserockers' 1995 album American Babylon. Bruce Springsteen produced all the album except the title track, and he participated in the recording of most of the songs. He plays guitar on WHAT DID YOU DO IN THE WAR.

The above lyrics are transcribed from Joe Grushecky and The Houserockers studio version of WHAT DID YOU DO IN THE WAR, as released on American Babylon.

Recording Sessions

In late October and early November 1993, Bruce Springsteen (with Toby Scott recording and Bob Clearmountain mixing) produced a recording session for Joe Grushecky at Thrill Hill Recording (Springsteen's home studio) in Beverly Hills, CA. Off the session, two tracks would be released on Grushecky's next album, American Babylon: CHAIN SMOKIN' and NEVER BE ENOUGH TIME. Springsteen played guitars, keyboard, and percussion on the first track, and guitar on the second. In addition to Springsteen, Grushecky's backing band for this session consisted of musicians organized by Springsteen that he is believed to have utilized for some of his own scattered studio sessions during the period: Zack Alford on drums, Jerome Smith on bass, and Leon Pendarvis on keyboards. Although originally planned as a "one-off", this session with Grushecky turned out to be the start of a major side project undertaking for Springsteen.

Around February 1994, Springsteen (with Toby Scott recording and Bob Clearmountain mixing) produced a further recording session for Joe Grushecky at Thrill Hill Recording. Off the session, one track would be released on American Babylon: HOMESTEAD, a song Springsteen and Grushecky had co-written together during the previous few months. Springsteen played guitar, harmonica, and mandolin on the track. In addition to Springsteen, Grushecky's backing band for this session consisted of musicians organized by Springsteen that he was utilizing for his own scattered studio sessions of the period: Shayne Fontaine on guitar, Zack Alford on drums, TM Stevens on bass, and Leon Pendarvis on keyboards.

Around August 1994, Springsteen (with Toby Scott recording and mixing) produced a further recording session for Joe Grushecky at Thrill Hill Recording (Springsteen's home studio) in Rumson, NJ. Off the session, five tracks would be released on American Babylon: DARK AND BLOODY GROUND (with Bruce playing guitars and sharing harmony vocals), LABOR OF LOVE (with Bruce playing guitars and mandolin), WHAT DID YOU DO IN THE WAR (with Bruce playing guitar), BILLY'S WALTZ (with Bruce playing mandolin), and ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE (with Bruce playing guitar). The first was co-written by Springsteen and Grushecky. In addition to Springsteen, unlike the previous two sessions held on the west coast, the backing musicians for the east coast sessions consisted of The Houserockers, Grushecky's own Pittsburgh-based band.

Around October 1994, Springsteen (with Toby Scott recording and mixing) produced a further recording session for Joe Grushecky at Thrill Hill Recording. Off the session, three tracks would be released on American Babylon: COMIN' DOWN MARIA, TALK SHOW, and NO STRINGS ATTACHED. The Houserockers were again the session's backing band. But contrary to previous sessions, Springsteen did not play on any of these three recordings, although his wife Patti Scialfa provided backing vocals on the first track.

Although the album was essentially completed at this stage, and filed with the US Copyright Office on 13 Dec 1994, Grushecky had trouble finding an interested record company. "We got turned down by everybody, I mean everybody. That's another reason why it took so long [for release]; I didn't have any funding," Grushecky commented in an interview. "Right around the turn of the year [Dec 1994 - Jan 1995] Pinnacle UK became involved and we knew we had a home for the project".

The final overdubbing/mixing sessions for American Babylon took place around April 1995 at Thrill Hill Recording, and the album was released in October 1995 on Pinnacle Records, and reissued in 2004. The album's title track, AMERICAN BABYLON, is the only one not produced by Bruce Springsteen.

Excerpts from all American Babylon tracks (except TALK SHOW and BILLY'S WALTZ) appear on American Babylon In Conversation, a UK-only promotional CD featuring interviews with both Grushecky and Springsteen recorded on 29 Aug 1995 at Cheers in Long Branch, NJ.

Other Official Releases

A live recording of WHAT DID YOU DO IN THE WAR (taken from one of the two October Assault Pittsburgh gigs, 20 or 21 Oct 1995) was released in 2009 on the A Good Life: The Joe Grushecky Story DVD. See the live Oct 1995 version for more details.

Live History

In October 1995, Joe Grushecky and The Houserockers kicked off the release of their American Babylon album with a six-stop tour dubbed the "October Assault." Introduced as "honorary Houserocker of the week" on the first night, Springsteen joined the band for the majority of the set on all six dates, playing guitar and sharing vocals with Grushecky. At each show, Springsteen came out for American Babylon's WHAT DID YOU DO IN THE WAR and remained on stage for the rest of the set.

17 Oct 1995 at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ
18 Oct 1995 at Tramps, New York City, NY
19 Oct 1995 at Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA
20 Oct 1995 at Nick's Fat City, Pittsburgh, PA
21 Oct 1995 at Nick's Fat City, Pittsburgh, PA
24 Oct 1995 at Park West, Chicago, IL

Springsteen also performed WHAT DID YOU DO IN THE WAR on a few more occasions from 1995 onwards, always with Joe Grushecky and The Houserockers.

22 Jul 1995 at Tradewinds, Sea Bright, NJ (with Joe Grushecky and The Houserockers)
02 Mar 1998 at Nick's Fat City, Pittsburgh, PA (with Joe Grushecky and The Houserockers)
04 Nov 2010 at Soldiers And Sailors Memorial Hall And Museum, Pittsburgh, PA (with Joe Grushecky and The Houserockers)
05 Nov 2010 at Soldiers And Sailors Memorial Hall And Museum, Pittsburgh, PA (with Joe Grushecky and The Houserockers)

Available Versions

Credits / References

Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake at BTX and Greasy Lake) for the lyrics help and Steen Andersson (rosalita101 at Greasy Lake) for the American Babylon album scan.

Most info on the recording sessions taken from Brucebase. Info about the October Assault Tour is taken from Backstreets magazine issue #50/51.

Request

If you have any corrections or additional info about this song or the American Babylon recording sessions, please contact me via the below form or by email: . You will be credited. Thanks in advance.