Why do we put up yellow ribbons during wars, hostage crises, etc.?

As a kid in the late fifties - early sixties, we had family devotions after dinner. I vividly remember my father reading one in a book that my older sister brought home from school.

It was about a man riding on a bus, heading home from prison. He was explaining to an older passenger that he had served his time and had written to his wife, that if she still wanted him home, to put (as I recall) a yellow ribbon around the tree on the front yard. If he saw the ribbon, he would know that he was wanted, if not, he would keep on down the road. The story told how he didn’t have the nerve to look our the window, so he asked the old man to tell him what he saw. You know the rest.

When Tony Orlando and Dawn had their hit and afterwards, when EVERYONE had yellow ribbons to show support for the Iran hostages, I tried and tried to find the devotional that my family had read.

It infuriated me to hear interviews with Larry Brown saying how he came up with the story. I never heard him say that he heard the story in the Army, that must have been a later interview. I just always assumed that his family had read the same devotional that mine did.

I’ve come to realize that for what the publishers pay for devotionals, the writers are not likely to give them prime original material. More than likely, the writer had heard the same urban legend that Cecil refers to.

Link to column: Why do we put up yellow ribbons during wars, hostage crises, etc.? - The Straight Dope

I always thought it was from the Andrews Sister’s song form World War 2… probably the same devotional but it’s been around a lot longer then we thought maybe?

“Tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree… tie a yellow ribbon if you’re still in love with me!”

As far as I know, the Andrews Sisters recorded the old folk song “Round her neck she wore a yellow ribbon” (as a polka!) in 1949. Apart from involving yellow ribbons and somehow or other invoking the fidelity of separated lovers, the two songs have nothing in common.

I always find it amusing to think the guy on the bus has come back from serving a prison sentence for rape. Possibly sneaking out from round trees, gagging his victims with yellow ribbon. Gives it a different tone, and it’s a horrible song to start with.