I'm not from a military family per se, though my ex-hubby was an army brat and his dad a viet vet and my grandfather was a light horseman in WW1, so I've heard my share of war tales. However, I'm starting to feel like I haven't heard enough. So I've temporarily joined this group just to ask a question as it's the most appropriate place to ask.
I've recently been roped into singing for a local band, and one of the songs I was given to learn is "I was only 19" (originally titled "a walk in the light green") by Redgum. It's about PTSD and the Vietnam war.
Now I can relate in the sense that I also suffer PTSD very extremely - even wrote a few advice articles about it, and I have done enough research to get an idea how bad it must have really been; but I haven't been in any war, never been to Vietnam, and have never even been in the army reserves.
I'll be singing it in the first person with no lyric changes and I'm not only too young to have been in the Vietnam war, but I'm also female. I'm a little concerned that people are going to look at me and think, "Yeah, ya singing the song but what the hell would you know!" I'm singing it for the purpose of dedication and that it's a great song that should never be forgotten, just as the story it tells shouldn't be forgotten.
I was wondering if anyone here can tell me anything that might help me get into the headspace of someone that was actually there, looking back on it now. It's a song that needs passion and emotion, but is the emotion needed saddness, anger, frustration or what? I can imagine all of the above and can do that, but looking for a personally experienced opinion here.
Also, would having a younger female singing the song instead of a bloke be frowned upon or appreciated? I imagine appreciated, cause it's not like we're doing a mock of it or anything, but being a female singer... might it be perceived the wrong way? I've never even heard of any female singer doing this song before, not even at a karaoke gig!
Any ideas, stories, opinions, etc; would be appreciated.
Cheers, DA