The song criticizes racism and war through an African-American who doesn't want to fight for his country, because of the way black people are treated in the United States.

[2] After an unsuccessful career as an artist, Ferre Grignard had learned to play the guitar and sing the blues.

In 1966 this version, distributed on 500 copies,[3] became a hit, and because of its mixture of skiffle, folk and blues, Grignard's first album Ring, Ring I've Got to Sing scored high on the European charts.

The song was re-issued many times, and it appeared in numerous compilations.

In 2007, the song was inducted into the Flemish Hall of Fame of pop music.