The Windows of the World
Where is the sunshine we once knew?
Hi all,
Thank you for joining me for this song from 1967, “The Windows of the World”, lyrics by Hal David, music by Burt Bacharach, sung by Dionne Warwick. If you’d like to hear the song before you read about it, I’ve included a YouTube video below the article.
Below, you’ll find my interpretation of the lyrics which are written in italics. Comments and questions are welcome. For Japanese students, vocabulary words in bold are provided in Japanese below. TOEFL (PBT) 450+, Eiken 2, CEFR B1.
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(352 words)
In the 1950s, the U.S. spent a lot of money helping France keep control of Vietnam. When France decided to stop fighting, Vietnam was split into two parts: the north, which was communist, and the south, which was not.
The U.S. was worried that if Vietnam became a communist country, other nearby countries like Thailand and Japan might also become communist. To stop this, American presidents decided to help South Vietnam. They sent military supplies and soldiers, and the Vietnam War began.
By 1967, the war in Vietnam was a major concern for the government and for the people of the U.S., many of whom had sent their sons, husbands, and fathers to fight in the war. The person who wrote the lyrics to this song, Hal David, had two sons. One of them was almost old enough to be sent to fight in the war.
The windows of the world are covered with rain
Where is the sunshine we once knew?
Everybody knows when little children play
They need a sunny day to grow straight and tall
Let the sun shine through
The windows of the world are covered with rain
When will those black skies turn to blue?
Everybody knows when boys grow into men
They start to wonder when their country will call
Let the sun shine through
In the 1960s, young men who were between the ages of 18 and 25 had to register for the draft. Each man was given a number. Then, the U.S. chose young men to go to Vietnam by picking numbers. When their country will call means that if your number came up, you had to go for military training.
The windows of the world are covered with rain
What is the whole world coming to?
Everybody knows when men can not be friends
Their quarrel often ends where some have to die
Let the sun shine through
The windows of the world are covered with rain
There must be something we can do
Everybody knows whenever rain appears
Its really angel tears
How long must they cry?
Let the sun shine through
Question
Is there a draft or military requirement in your country? Is there another way to settle quarrels without going to war or creating a conflict?
Vocabulary
communist 共産主義的
supplies 供給
quarrel 争い
Sources
Wikimedia Foundation. (2023, October 10). The windows of the world (song). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Windows_of_the_World_(song) Accessed 14 September 2024.
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One of my very earliest memories was watching footage of the Vietnam war in black and white broadcast by the BBC, I don't know what year it was or even if it was reporting on a war that was already over but I remember the noise of the guns from tanks and my mother sitting beside me refusing to move or look at me or answer my question, 'why are they killing each other mummy?' I think I must have been just three or four years old, so probably it was a war still being fought.
I can still remember the room where I was sitting in the apartment we were living in. It was my first experience of war. If only it could have been the last too...
With love Louise xx