NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Yellow ribbon

Yellow ribbon flown in 1979 by Penne Laingen when her husband, US diplomat Bruce Laingen, was held captive during the Iran hostage crisis; among the first of the modern "yellow ribbons." Picture courtesy Library of Congress

A yellow ribbon is a symbol with various meanings, mostly associated with those waiting for the return of a loved one or of military troops who are temporarily unable to come home. It is also sometimes used with political implications, and at county and state fairs in the United States, it indicates a fourth-place finish in a contest. Recently, it has been used to symbolize support for the International Suicide Prevention Program and to raise awareness against Testicular Cancer. Yellow Ribbon, US lib of congress picture from http://www. ... Yellow Ribbon, US lib of congress picture from http://www. ... The Great Hall interior. ... For other uses of the word fair see Fair (disambiguation) Fair is the name for the gathering together of people to display or trade produce or other goods, to parade or display animals and often to enjoy associated carnival or fairground entertainment. ... This article is about three films. ... Testicular cancer is a type of cancer that develops in the testicles, a part of the male reproductive system. ...

1 "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon"
2 "Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Old Oak Tree"
3 Middle East conflicts
4 Early Puritan history
5 Use in Singapore
6 Use in Australia
7 See also
8 External links

"She Wore a Yellow Ribbon"

Yellow is the official color of the Cavalry branch of the U.S. Army, used in insignia, etc., and originally exemplified in the yellow neckerchiefs worn in the 19th Century by cavalry soldiers.

In the United States military, the symbol of the yellow ribbon is used in a popular marching song. The first version copyrighted was the 1917 version by George A. Norton, which he titled 'Round Her Neck She Wears a Yeller Ribbon (For Her Lover Who Is Fur, Fur Away). While he tells in the song about the love between Susie Simpkins and her soldier lover Silas Hubbard, his chorus goes:

'Round her neck she wears a yeller ribbon,
She wears it in winter and the summer so they say,
If you ask her "Why the decoration?"
She'll say "It's fur my lover who is fur, fur away.

The lyrics were altered and the song was titled She Wore a Yellow Ribbon by Russ Morgan for the 1949 movie of the same name. This was performed by several popular musicians of the 1940s, including Mitch Miller and The Andrews Sisters. The text of the Army version approximates the following, with local variations: To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... The 1940s decade ran from 1940 to 1949. ... Mitch Miller (born Mitchell William Miller on July 4, 1911 to a Jewish family in Rochester, New York), is remembered as one of the best-selling recording artists of the 1950s and early 60s. ... The Andrews Sisters on the cover of the reissue collection From left to right: Maxene, Patty and LaVerne. ...

Around her neck she wore a yellow ribbon
She wore it in the springtime
And in the month of May
And if you ask me why the heck she wore it
She wore it for her soldier who was far far away

Far away, far away
She wore it for her soldier
Who was far, far away

Around the block she pushed a baby carriage
She pushed it in the springtime
And in the month of May
And if you ask me why the heck she pushed it
She pushed it for her soldier who was far far away

Far away, far away
She pushed it for her soldier
Who was far, far away

Behind the door her daddy kept a shotgun
He kept it in the springtime
And in the month of May
And if you ask me why the heck he kept it
He kept it for her soldier who was far far away

Far away, far away
He kept it for her soldier
Who was far, far away

The words and meter were probably changed for cadence, as the lines are typically sung in time to the steps of the march by the drill instructor and responded to by the troops. The expletive hell or fuck is often substituted for heck and a specific kind of soldier for soldier, i.e., trainee, MP, etc. The word expletive is currently used in three senses: syntactic expletives, expletive attributives, and bad language. The word expletive comes from the Latin verb explere, meaning to fill, via expletivus, filling out. It was introduced into English in the seventeenth century to refer to various kinds of padding -- the padding... For other uses, see Hell (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

According to Glenn Morris, a member of the Leadership Council of the American Indian Movement of Colorado, an Attorney and Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Colorado at Denver, the idea of the yellow ribbons originated during the early days of this country when the cavalry that would go out to kill Indians. Before they left, the cavalry soldiers "would take that yellow kerchief off, tie it in their wife or their girlfriend's hair, and say, 'You wear this until I come back safely from killing Indians.'"

"Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Old Oak Tree"

The symbol became widely known in civilian life in the 1970s. It was the central theme of the popular song "Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Ole Oak Tree", Written by Irwin Levine and L. Russell Brown and recorded by Tony Orlando and Dawn among many others, as the sign a released convict requested from his wife or lover, to indicate that she still wanted him and that he would therefore be welcome to return home. He would be able to see it from the bus driving by their house, and would stay on the bus in the absence of the ribbon. He turned out to be very welcome: there were a hundred yellow ribbons. Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree was a popular song by Dawn featuring Tony Orlando. ... Tony Orlando and Dawn was a pop music group that was very popular in the 1970s. ...

From the Library of Congress: The Great Hall interior. ...

In October of 1971, newspaper columnist Pete Hamill wrote a piece for the New York Post called "Going Home." In it, college students on a bus trip to the beaches of Fort Lauderdale make friends with an ex-convict who is watching for a yellow handkerchief on a roadside oak. Hamill claimed to have heard this story in oral tradition.

In June of 1972, nine months later, Reader's Digest reprinted "Going Home." Also in June 1972, ABC-TV aired a dramatized version of it in which James Earl Jones played the role of the returning ex-con. A month-and-a-half after that, Irwin Levine and L. Russell Brown registered for copyright a song they called "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree." The authors said they heard the story while serving in the military. Pete Hamill was not convinced and filed suit for infringement.

One factor that may have influenced Hamill's decision to do so was that, in May 1973, "Tie A Yellow Ribbon" sold 3 million records in three weeks. When the dust settled, BMI calculated that radio stations had played it 3 million times--that's seventeen continuous years of airplay. Hammill dropped his suit after folklorists working for Levine and Brown turned up archival versions of the story that had been collected before "Going Home" had been written. [1]

Pete Hamill Pete Hamill (born 1935) is a prominent American journalist, novelist, and short story writer. ... The New York Post is the 13th-oldest[] newspaper published in the United States and the oldest to have been published continually as a daily. ... Raymond W. Kelly is seen here wearing a handkerchief in his left-breast pocket. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) operates television and radio networks in the United States and is also shown on basic cable in Canada. ... James Earl Jones (b. ...

Middle East conflicts

During the Iran hostage crisis, the yellow ribbon was used a symbol of support for the hostages held at the U.S. embassy in Tehran. This symbolism began in December 1979, when Penelope Laingen, wife of the most senior foreign service officer being held hostage, tied a yellow ribbon around a tree on the lawn of her Maryland home. The ribbon primarily symbolized the resolve of the American people to win the hostages' safe release, and it featured prominently in the celebrations of their return home in January 1981. Iranian militants escort a blindfolded U.S. hostage to the media. ... A hostage is a person (sometimes another entity) which is held by a captor (often a criminal abductor) in order to compel another party (relative, employer, government. ... Tehran (IPA: ; Persian: ØªÙ‡Ø±Ø§Ù† TehrÄn), population (as of 2006) 7,354,000 (metropolitan: 12,651,000), and a land area of 658 square kilometres (254 sq mi), is the capital city of Iran (Persia) and the center of Tehran Province. ... For the song by the Smashing Pumpkins, see 1979 (song). ... Official language(s) None (English, de facto) Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Area Ranked 42nd - Total 12,417 sq mi (32,160 kmÂ²) - Width 90 miles (145 km) - Length 249 miles (400 km) - % water 21 - Latitude 37Â°53N to 39Â°43N - Longitude 75Â°4W to 79Â°33... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The yellow ribbon saw renewed popularity in the United States during the Gulf War in the early 1990s. It appeared along with the slogan "support our troops", in the form of yellow ribbons tied to trees, and countless other contexts. It often had the implied meaning of supporting the Desert Shield and Desert Storm troop deployments themselves and/or loyalty to President George Bush, and therefore became somewhat politicized. It appeared again during the 2003 Invasion of Iraq with similar meanings, most prominently in the form of a yellow ribbon printed on magnetized material and displayed on the outside of automobiles. Combatants UN Coalition Republic of Iraq Commanders Norman Schwarzkopf, Peter de la BilliÃ¨re, Khalid bin Sultan, Saleh Al-Muhaya, Mohamed Hussein Tantawi Saddam Hussein Strength 883,863 360,000 Casualties 378 dead, 1,000 wounded 25,000 dead, 75,000 wounded The Gulf War or the Persian Gulf War... Support our troops is a political slogan commonly used in the United States in reference to the military of the United States. ... See also: 2003 invasion of Iraq and Gulf War (disambiguation) C Company, 1st Battalion, The Staffordshire Regiment, 1st UK Armoured Division The Persian Gulf War was a conflict between Iraq and a coalition force of 34 nations led by the United States. ... See also: 2003 invasion of Iraq and Gulf War (disambiguation) C Company, 1st Battalion, The Staffordshire Regiment, 1st UK Armoured Division The Persian Gulf War was a conflict between Iraq and a coalition force of 34 nations led by the United States. ... Order: 41st President Vice President: Dan Quayle Term of office: January 20, 1989 – January 20, 1993 Preceded by: Ronald Reagan Succeeded by: Bill Clinton Date of birth: June 12, 1924 Place of birth: Milton, Massachusetts First Lady: Barbara Pierce Bush Political party: Republican George Herbert Walker Bush, KBE (born... Combatants Coalition Forces: United States United Kingdom South Korea Australia Poland Romania others. ...

Early Puritan history

The song/poem "She wore a yellow ribbon" has appeared in various forms for at least four centuries. It is based upon the same general theme. A woman of destiny is under some sort of test or trial as she waits for her beloved to return. Will she be true to him? This seems to be the lingering question and the basis for a great unfolding drama.

The song appears to have been brought to America from Europe by English settlers. The origin of the yellow ribbons seems likely to have come from out of the Puritan heritage. It was during the English Civil War that the Puritan Army of English Parliament wore yellow ribbons and yellow sashes onto the battlefield. This article is 150 kilobytes or more in size. ... A Puritan of 16th and 17th century England was any person seeking purity of worship and doctrine, especially the parties that rejected the Laudian reform of the Church of England. ... The English Civil War consisted of a series of armed conflicts and political machinations that took place between Parliamentarians (known as Roundheads) and Royalists (known as Cavaliers) between 1642 and 1651. ...

Use in Singapore

In Singapore, the government has initiated an annual Yellow Ribbon campaign to promote giving ex-convicts a second chance in society. Typically, a person shows his support for ex-convicts by pinning a yellow ribbon on his shirt during the annual campaign.

Use in Australia

In Australia, the Save Albert Park group have utilized the yellow ribbon as a symbol of protest. The group is a coalition protesting the reclamation of public space in Albert Park, Melbourne for the annual Australian Grand Prix. When the race moved to Melbourne in 1996, yellow ribbons were tied around the trees in the park which were designated for removal. Although the group were unsuccessful in protecting the designated trees, they and their supporters still tie ribbons around the trees each year at the time of the race. Melbournes CBD has grown to straddle the Yarra River in three major precincts. ... Promotional poster for the first Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide in 1985. ...

External links

How the Yellow Ribbon Became a National Folk Symbol from the Library of Congress American Folklife Center
The Meaning of the Yellow Ribbon
Straight Dope - Why Do We Put Up Yellow Ribbons?
Yellow ribbons personalized with photo

Category: Ribbon symbolism

Results from FactBites:

The History of the YELLOW RIBBON (2660 words)
	According to the song he tied the yellow ribbon in her hair because of the bold look in her eyes and because of her golden hair.
	In our search for the history of the yellow ribbon some have concluded that the hostage crisis in Iran was the first time the yellow ribbons were seen across the country on a national scale.
	Indeed, the yellow ribbons are part of the heraldry of the Puritan Army.

Yellow Ribbon - Launching Your Programme (646 words)
	Yellow Ribbon Australia is committed to providing a programme of awareness and education to (primarily) secondary school students that will in turn generalise across time, settings and situations to impact positively on both the school and the broader community’s general ability to use “help seeking” behaviour.
	Yellow Ribbon is not promoted as a ‘youth suicide prevention programme’ per say, but as a “help seeking behaviours” educational course (suicide is not mentioned).
	Yellow Ribbon Australia is committed to working alongside government departments and community agencies to endeavour to complement national and state based initiatives aimed at the health and wellbeing of young Australians.

More results at FactBites »

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