Gerald Parson's first suggestion for how yellow ribbons came to be a symbol for supporting the troops starts with this song made popular by the group Dawn featuring the magnificently coiffed Tony Orlando.
During the Iran Hostage Crisis, Penelope Laingen, wife of hostage Bruce Laingen, tied a yellow ribbon around a tree in her yard as a symbol of support for her husband.
She said she got the idea from the song "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree," copyrighted in 1972 by Irwin Levine and L. (Larry) Russell Brown and made popular by several recording artists in the 1970s.
The song tells the story of a convict riding home on a bus after serving a three year sentence. He tells the bus driver that he'd asked his lady love to tie a yellow ribbon on an oak tree near the road if she was willing to have him back.
The bus driver shares the story with the passengers, who are at the edge of the seats waiting for the tree. As they draw near, the convict is unable to look at the tree for fear that it will be empty. He is reassured by the cheers of the passengers who are excited to see the tree covered in yellow ribbons.
The idea for the song didn't originate from Levine or Brown, though. Levine said he heard the tale of the convict in prison while he was in the army. Originally, it was a white handkerchief that was supposed to be tied on the tree -- but Levine and Brown took some artistic license to help complement the melody. And, according to a Washington Post article, because Levine said the color was more musical and romantic.
To be honest, I was kind of hoping for a more romantic version for the yellow ribbon's symbolism. The story of a convict seeking forgiveness just doesn't seem to match my view of the ribbon.
For me, it's both a symbol of hope that my brother will come home from war unscathed and symbol that he is not forgotten. Even though he is half-way across the world, all I need to do is look out my window at the oak tree in my backyard, or look away from my monitor to my babushka-d Dwight Schurte bobble head to remember him.
If I were to delve even deeper into it, I guess the convict story might have some parallels. When Steve sees the ribbons he'll also know that despite the acts that war might have forced him to commit, we forgive him.
What we don't forgive, is Tony Orlando's hair.
Leave a comment