Glossary entry for
soldier of fortune
Van's song "Soldier of Fortune" appears in concert quite regularly, as part of a
medley that usually runs something like: See Me Through / Soldier of Fortune /
Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin / Burning Ground". However its only official appearance
on CD is on the double live album A Night In San Francisco.
The literal reference is to a mercenary: a soldier for hire. But Van suggests
(as he introduces the song during the 1998 Rockpalast Christmas Special) that it
refers to someone specific:
This song was inspired by a songwriter I used to know. You've probably heard
a lot of his songs on the radio, I won't mention his name, but, uh, he had a
lot of hits by pop artists. This guy kind of really blew my mind one day
when he told me he killed people for a living, so...
Van-L list member dcat notes that
Van has previously said many times that the song is about Bobby Scott
who wrote "He Ain't Heavy" and other pop hits. If this is the same
"Bobby Scott" noted on several music-related sites, here's a few
bits: "born Jan 24, 1937... won the 1962 Grammy award for Best
Instrumental Theme, the song, co-written with Rick Marlow, "A Taste
Of Honey", recorded by The Beatles, among others... one site noted
him as a "singer, pianist" on the song "Chain Gang"...his name shows
up in association with Marvin Gaye, Quincy Jones, Paul Simon, and
Nina Simone (covering his song, "Don't Pay Them No Mind", in
1967)...he did a cover of West Side Story's "Maria" on his 1960
album "Bobby Scott Plays the Music of Leonard Bernstein" (Verve
MGVS-6065)...and that's it"
Van references in:
- a "See Me Through / Soldier of Fortune / Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin" medley
(on A Night In San Francisco)
- variations on a "See Me Through / Soldier of Fortune / Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin / Burning Ground" medley
(during various live concerts through the late 1990's, including Misty Wet With Rain)
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