I enlisted in the Corps in 1966. I was 17 and right out of high school. I spent 13 months in Nam 68/69. I came home to a 10 month old son I had not met. That first year home was tough, thank god for my wife she saved me. I went to the VA, they were fine with the physical wounds but in 1969 PTSD did not exist. I spoke with a young lieutenant, a Nam vet, probably 2 years older than me. I told him about the nightmares, my anger and survivors guilt. He said to me “we were all in the shit, you just have to deal with it” So that is what I did just like so may of my brothers and sisters. I pushed it down and numbed the pain with alcohol. So I am driving home from work in 1982/83. I am listening to Fleetwood Mac and the radio is cranked. Before I can turn the volume down, I hear that one of a kind sound only Huey’s make. The tears started and I had to get off the road because I am sobbing so hard. I have no idea how long I sat. At some point you will dance with your demons and this was the start of my dance. I stopped drinking and started a 12 step program, there were other vets there dealing with the same and worse issues. It was good just to not be feel alone. In the early 2000’s the VA started to deal with PTSD and I was able to get help. I still listen to this song a couple of times a year, usually on November 10 and 11. I still cry, but now it is for my 58,000 brothers and sisters who thought they were doing the right thing but died for a lie. Semper Fi
I didn't even realize I had some PTSD to deal with until I was driving home from work one morning and this song came on the radio ... when the last part came on with the machine gun fire, I had to pull over and I just started crying my ass off. I called my wife (who was at work) and she talked to me until I got my shit together and then drove home. I love this song but I have to be very careful when I play it ... I don't like drudging up bad memories.
Bill Irvin Thank God for the women in our lives. I went to Nam a boy and returned a broken old man. She gently picked up the pieces and gave us a life. May you find peace with you demons and always hold your wife close. Semper Fi and Namaste Sokuze
I loved reading this exchange... and you're right. This song is about the struggles and relationships of the soldiers, it does not honour the war in any way. I'm glad you have people in your life who care for you, and I hope you continue to have a wonderous, fulfilling life
one early fall morning when i was nine years old i answered the door and a soldier was standing there asking for my father who was dead, i knew why he was there , mom had been up crying the whole night before because my brother was spending his 21st birthday in vietnam, i knew why the soldier had come that day. my brother was gone and my life was changed forever. this october 17th it will be 51 years. but i can still see the frightened young man at my door that day
I remember a close friend of the family, going off to fight in Vietnam. I was 7 yrs old.his name was Roger Davenport. He never came back.i remember that he had a nice smile.
At 4AM really loud music coming from my window woke me. I was angry but then listened. It was a beautyful song. I used Shazam and got to this song. Love it. (Thanks, annyoing guy for waking me up)
I had one of the most respected substitute teachers who was a Vietnam War veteran and now has hearing aids, possibly as a result of the war. He would substitute at my high school for teachers of various subjects. Once in my freshman year US History class, we happened to be learning about the Vietnam War, and he was substituting. That day he told us all about his experiences in the war. He brought in souvenirs, such as his dog tag. He showed us pictures of him during the war with his dog, who would go everywhere with him on duty. I remember him telling us 3 things: 1) The effects of throwing a grenade, as in what it would to a person. 2) He was spit at when he came home from the war. 3) His most important piece of advice: Never ask a soldier if they've ever killed anyone, because you never know how they'll react. Thank you, Mr. Jim Stastny and all the other veterans for serving our country.
There was never any documented evidence of a solider being spit on or at, it’s just a myth. He didn’t “serve his country” he was either tricked and lied to into joining or forcibly recruited and sent off to a war we had no business in. He suffered for no good reason, and that’s terrible.
@@jack6126 well tricky dicky had no problem drafting my poor southern ass and yeah, I had people spit at me and even called me a baby killer Jack. My dad was a Korean War - and it was a WAR - vet. I almost didn’t come back to the country after my first leave. My dad cursed about being shoved onto the shore at Inchon and the VA till the day he died but he helped me get over Nam and said we had no damn business there either. And I got no use for the VA like my old man. And Nam; They hated us. HATED US for being in their country! F*** the the memory of Richard Nixon.
@@jack6126...right. Because you've spoken to every Vietnam veteran who came back. You know every single moment of their lives, and you're able to ascertain that it's a myth. You're an insufferable human being. I guess that's a punishment you well and truly deserve.
@@jack6126 yeah and he wouldn't be the first who misremembers being spit on (or just lied about it) just because of that media campaign. Literally brainwashed people who were there
I don't know how this song has a dislike I feel like it's impossible to not like this song, me being a huge Billy Joel fan aside. This song gives me the chills no matter how many times I listen to it. That line "remember Charlie, remember Baker. They left their childhood on every acre" always gets me. When he played this song at the concert I went to and they brought veterans onto the stage I cried. Such a powerful song and so well written.
@@rjjcms1 yeah, they were clever, smarter than our top brass, middle brass, and lower brass. Get down to the Sargents, Corporals, Privates, yeah, we damn sure knew.
This original album version of Billy Joel’s “Goodnight Saigon” remains the BEST. My father-in-law died in Vietnam in 1966. 3 weeks before his scheduled return to the U.S. Never knowing his daughter, my wife.
The Vietnam War veterans really got the short end of the stick. I'm a Millennial and can't not be emotional listening to this song because it was similar to what happened when a lot of my friends went off to Iraq or Afghanistan. Most just saw it as a lost cause. I grew up hearing this song as my father is/was a Billy Joel fan. The cruel reality is that while history rarely repeats, it often rhymes. I think of an Australian song that also took its perspective of the Vietnam War, "Khe Sanh" by Cold Chisel, as Australia also fought in the Vietnam War as allies of the United States, which is about the lament of the Aussie Vietnam veteran coming back home. It was just as controversial there as it was here. "There were no V-Day heroes in 1973."
And that was exactly how it sounded...crickets at first in the middle of the steaming, torpid night and then, in the distance, drawing ever nearer, the whump-whump-whump of UH-1 rotors. Go by us, we'd pray, but they never did. They always picked us up, never deviating or going off to another base...and so they took us off into the bush......far too many of us never came back.
I had a Grandpa Bob that was a Vietnam Veteran, he passed away at the beginning of Last Summer the second half of May, He told his family that he wasn't just in the NAVY, he did a lot of things, he was a police officer and he was a mailman. He was a great guy.
I am listening in 2019, and remember Vietnam so well. I still hate the sound of helicopters. This is so brilliant, I had forgotten how Billy Joel summarized the awfulness of the Vietnam experience.
I was just a young man back in 1966 when I was drafted into the Army, and I spent the required two years serving our country. While I personally was fortunate to never have received orders to go to Nam, I was friends with several guys who were sent there. Some came back physically unharmed, some came back with various injuries and some never made it back. But make no mistake, everyone of these guys I knew and for the scores of us who served during that horrendous period, we all returned scarred (either physically or emotionally) and scorned to a country that took it out on all of us veterans. All we did was answer the bell for our country/ Listening to this song always brings tears to my eyes and ALWAYS makes me proud to have served our country. And God Bless Billy Joel for his amazing tribute to those brave men that went to Nam paid a dear price for our country.
I was in college 1967-1971 , so I had a deferment and then , in 1970 , a high lottery number when that was introduced. Had two buddies , both in the Marines , who did not make it back . I want to go to the wall in D.C. to find their names and lay a wreath . I'd like to find out when / what battles they were in . Thanks for your service , Peter , and your sacrifice .It was a horrible time and the returning vets were called " baby killers " ( My Lai massacre didn't help ) . Now we are older and wiser , but the politicians and war profiteers are still the same .It started out as a noble cause but went off the rails in a hurry. 58,000 died for ???. Sorry .
It saddens me the loyalty americans have for their government during this time . Like you said, a country that took it out on those who served. A false war that killed and destroyed so many. Nam was never a war that threatened our freedom.
My husband was there 3 times, Black ops and he told his commander because he wanted more to come back home safe because they don't know who to trust the languages, the true natives in the mountains were very helpful if you respect them. And besides out of the 200 guys he went over there with only 8 came back. He didn't let that happen again if he was able. If he walked in your camp and he took you out on a mission, you came back, A three day trip and no sleep till you were back. If you ran into one of those guys you came back if he had to carry you! He is gone now, and I tell you all this because he loves yoh all so much, had nightmares, ptsd, cried wake up screaming into his pillow, the sit up, get a cup of coffee, and we would smoke and talk through it or anything . we danced on our rug in living g room and just hug each other tight glad we still could.He has been gone 20 years this summer, but to me he never left. He's just waiting for me!
Billy Joel wasborn in May , 1949 . I was born in June . He lived on Long Island , in Hicksville ; I lived in N.J. I had a student deferment , so I surmise that he was also in college at the time and had a deferment or was 4F . Probably knew guys tat died there and has a certain amont of survivor's guilt. Masterpiece that moves me every time . What a genius !
I still picture in my mind a group of Viet Nam vets, arm in arm singing this at the memorial Wall ! 🎗️🕊️The memories of those close to me lost bring tears to my eyes still ! Rest in Peace, 🕊️ My Brothers and Sisters ❤️
First heard this as part of a lecture called "How to write a decent anti-war song" at a reading party in the wilds of Angus. I've forgotten everything else about the lecture but this song has remained with me ever since. Never fails to evoke a feeling of stark horror and huge admiration for those who lived through Vietnam first hand.
@@Dahlia10 the song’s about how the men sent to Vietnam went through hell for nothing, that they shouldn’t have gone. Yes it’s also about comradely but the main thing about the song is that those men suffered unimaginably and almost certainly would deal with it for long after, all because the American government wanted to “stop communism”.
@@jack6126 The song is actually very purposefully neither anti or pro war. It's pro-veteran. You're projecting your own views onto it. "And who was wrong, and who was right? It didn't matter in the thick of the fight."
I'm a 70's child. My parents let us post MIA stickers on our bedroom windows. We wore the bracelets of the missing. Not everyone was against you guys. Thank you.❤
The first time I heard this song I was stunned. Literally frozen in place. Nothing I've heard captures it like this masterpiece from Billy Joel. Thank you to all who served and sacrificed.
If any song can stop the world from turning, it is this one. I joined after talking with a VN vet who lived down my street, he asked why? I said so those next generation of kids won't have to, he teared up and that moment will be forever frozen in time. USN 1988-2009
I Seen loads of filming AboutVietnam war Full metal jacket hamburger hill Apocalypse now I believed what I was seeing but this song made it all real and far more disturbing to watch a live in Ireland and I am Irish I was born in 74 well after the war I still admired and respected young men that Fought in the Vietnam war
Answering the call of duty, stopping the plans that you have to answer the call to serve your country. Whether you got drafted or enlisted, draft dodgers or men that absolutely refused to serve this country, will never have the courage to defend our great nation. Any and all of the wars that our great nation has been in, I salute all who died, got wounded, or those that made it through the war. As I am looking at all of Graves in Arlington cemetery, I salute you all, Amen .....
Remarkable song. I got to hear it in person, and it was a grim but great performance. The arena was dark. Then the sound of the choppers crept in, and the shadow of rotors appeared on the ceiling. During the chorus, a line of people in fatigues, arms around each other's shoulders, and began to sing in the dim gray light. It was so mourningly moving. A true classic.
This is an excellent song, but in the '80s I really got sick of hearing people gripe about the Vietnam War. It makes me sick to think about the soldiers who had their lives altered forever (mostly negatively) come home to find the people blaming them for the whole thing, instead of voting out the politicians that created it. I'm glad we're not doing that to the soldiers coming home from today's unpopular war.
James Edgar " It makes me sick to think about the soldiers who had their lives altered forever (mostly negatively) come home to find the people blaming them for the whole thing, instead of voting out the politicians that created it. " This is what people don't understand about the military and wars. What they don't get is that if their nation is war-mongering, it's not the military that's at real fault. As Carl von Clausewitz said it, war is simply politics in another way. In other words, politicians cause wars. As simple as that.
Ivan The Mouse I agree .and so did the government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.. Post war .American veterans who visited the country ,were made welcome and forgiven by the Vietnamese victors . Catholic citizens who fought against their own peoples war for reunification and independence .were put through re-education programs ,to help them readjust and to fit-in and make a contribution to the nation. The most heinous war criminals faced the courts ,but there were no mass executions ,put out by CIA psy-ops people ..that caused .many people to flee with their sponsors to the US..Many of those people have now returned to their homeland.. James Zumwalt .son of US Vice Admiral Elmo Zumwalt .commander of naval forces in Vietnam (68--70) was sent to post war Vietnam to study effects of "orange agent "that "ironically "had caused the death of his brother .who had served on us gunboats .patrolling waterways .which his father had ordered to be sprayed with dioxins.. He arrived with hate in his heart for the "brutal" Vietnamese .that had been instilled in him by wartime propaganda . In a short time his views quickly changed after meeting many of the Vietnamese vets ,and hearing their often tragic stories.. He writes in his truly remarkable book,of his experience amongst former enemies .who became his "brothers" .He explains how he believes ,that any foreign invader could not possible have defeated the Vietnamese ,in their fight for independence . He relates how after defeating a huge Chinese army centuries ago .they apologized to the Chinese Emperor .for destroying his army . They believe the least possible damage done to relationships ,makes it easier to make-up and move on to positive things . BAREFEET AND IRON WILL .by JAMES ZUMWALT .whose family have had someone ,who has fought in every major American war ,since .the war for Independence .
Leo Anderson William Blum former State Dept official ,writes in his book "Americas Deadliest Export ;Democracy ," and "Killing Hope " that "Americans are the most brainwashed nation on the planet ". You help to explain what he means ,
In about 1992, I went to visit my American dad who lived in Baltimore at the time. It was summer vacation for me, and one of the places we went was the Vietnam Memorial. The most fascinating thing to me was the wall of names. When I felt it, at first I thought, "What a fancy design!". My American dad informed me those designs were actually names of people who died in the Vietnam War. My heart goes out to anyone who has lost their lives, lost their loved ones, or even lost their homes. I'm one of those girls who believes wholeheartedly that there's absolutely no need for war! There's no reason to fight! Freedom can just as easily be achieved if we all live in peace and harmony, and love one another like sisters and brothers!
We met as soulmates On Parris Inland We left as inmates From an asylum And we were sharp As sharp as knives And we were so gung ho to lay down our lives We came in spastic Like tameless horses We left in plastic As numbered corpses And we learned fast To travel light Our arms were heavy but our bellies were tight We had no homefront We had no soft soap They sent us playboy They gave us bob hope We dug in deep And shot on sight And prayed to Jesus Christ with all of our might We had no cameras To shoot the landscape We passed the hash pipe And played our Doors tapes And it was dark So dark at night And we held onto each other Like brother to brother We promised our mothers we'd write And we would all go down together We said we'd all go down together Yes we would all go down together Remember Charlie Remember Baker They left their childhood On every acre And who was wrong And who was right It didn't matter in the thick of the fight We, held the day In the palm of our hands They, ruled the night And the night, seemed to last as long as six weeks On Parris Island We held the coastline They held the highland And they were sharp As sharp as knives They heard the hum of the mortars They counted the rotors And waited for us to arrive And we would all go down together We said we'd all go down together Yes we would all go down together
Orange County Civic Center, Orlando, Florida, during the _An Innocent Man_ tour. One of the most powerful shows I've ever been to. Some 22,000 people that joined in singing the chorus. Absolutely the most intense crowd experience I've participated in.
I served in the Navy, 1982-94, post Nam, non combat, E-5 Yeoman, so I can only begin to know what true soldiers/sailors/Marines went through there. Can only thank them for their sacrifice.
Just play this song…. Shut yr eyes….. And watch the best film about the Vietnam war you’ve ever seen….. Truly one of the greatest masterpieces of music ever recorded in my humble opinion…. And this is just one of many … And I’m glad to live in a time when this man existed along side me…
the initial sounds and the slow push into the power of these words is overwhelming..I lost 2 friends and a cousin in this fool's war. Joel listened to the ones who came back with his poets ears--briillant.
D best gig I ever had the pleasure to hear was him and Elton John at croke park, Ireland and to make it better I was serving a 5year sentence in the Joy on C3 ,so thanks judge best free concert ever.
As the automaton commissar stood on the edge of the cliff, heavily damaged and losing power, on malevelon creek, it felt... A sense of happiness. It was happy that it finally able to complete its task, *To serve And fight alongside its mechanical brethren* It looked at the rising sun, as the gunfire slowly died down as the helldivers were cut down one by one by troopers and hulks. It sat down, admiring the scenery... As its eyes began to dim.. it let out one last cry of defiance before shutting off forever.. "CANT KEEP HER DOWN!" . . . . . . The automaton fell on its side, losing power to its movement outputs. As its eyes dimmed slowly.. its story concluded. Not shot dead by helldivers, but on a cliff edge, at peace with itself and happy that it had done what it was made to do. One. Last. Time.
I was sitting on a beach in 1988 and a teenage boy plops down behind everyone on the edge of the grass with the biggest boom box I had ever seen. Most people did not notice when he pressed play on the cassette player and, with the volume turned ALL THE WAY UP we heard what sounded like a helicopter landing on the beach. Every single person turned around and looked up at the sky, then knew what was happening once the plinks of Billy's piano started. The kid was grinning ear to ear.
We met as soul mates On Parris Island We left as inmates From an asylum And we were sharp As sharp as knives And we were so gung ho To lay down our lives We came in spastic Like tameless horses We left in plastic As numbered corpses And we learned fast To travel light Our arms were heavy But our bellies were tight We had no home front We had no soft soap They sent us Playboy They gave us Bob Hope We dug in deep And shot on sight And prayed to Jesus Christ With all of our might We had no cameras To shoot the landscape We passed the hash pipe And played our Doors tapes And it was dark So dark at night And we held on to each other Like brother to brother We promised our mothers we'd write And we would all go down together We said we'd all go down together Yes we would all go down together Remember Charlie Remember Baker They left their childhood On every acre And who was wrong? And who was right? It didn't matter in the thick of the fight We held the day In the palm Of our hand They ruled the night And the night Seemed to last as long as six weeks On Parris Island We held the coastline They held the highlands And they were sharp As sharp as knives They heard the hum of our motors They counted the rotors And waited for us to arrive And we would all go down together We said we'd all go down together Yes we would all go down together Traducir al español
Brilliant the way it ends with the same sounds as the start just reversed. Insuiating that the soldiers are now coming home to the sound of crickets instead of leaving to the sound of choppers.
Thank you for trying to give Afghan girls and women 20 years of school and work. Thank you. Some of these women are still trying to protest, holding little 8x11 "signs". They are so brave and determined, and I am SO scared for them, but I also think I know who taught them some of that bravery: the American soldier. Be strong, be safe, and thank you.
I was only 7 when this came out. It took about 10 more years before I appreciated how good this song is. It took being in the Navy to truly embrace this masterpiece. I may not have lived through the pain of this song, but for me it will always be about brotherhood. Thank you all my brothers and sisters past, present, and future. May this song live forever.
This was Vietnam's sensless war. The lyrics are quite clear. Those of us of age and not American, lived this conflict as ours. Senseless and bloody.. Just to benefit the warmongers.
How the hell if you didn't fight it ,it was yours? I did, 68-69. You watched it on TV? Don't comment if you didn't have any skin in the game..Damn it ,I'm so tired of people that weren't there giving their useless and uniformed opinion of this. Sorry pal but you sound like what we call the idiotic left.
I know Vietnamese whose father's fought in the war, and they hated killing, but felt they needed to defend their homes. The Vietnamese were people, just like the American soldiers. It's horrible war makes enemies out of people who would probably sit and share a meal together.
Oh, and the communists that were "defending their land" were fighting to take over South Korea (in short, they were fighting to spread Communism and take away the freedoms of the South Vietnamese).
I love this song. I always have, ever since I heard a college mate running out of words trying to explain how it affected him. When I listened, I understood. No one has ever justified to me how there was any rhyme or reason in the USA getting involved in the Vietnam war in the first place
An incredible song. Sad. Beautiful. and very fucking awesome. A song that should make us all grateful of the sacrifices other people have made..for you and me. Many vets in Australia did NOT choose to go, but they did their duty and served us proud. They have my respect, always.
You can't listen to this and not get goose bumps. Thanks to all Vietnam Vets, wherever you are. Note: Whenever I have to go out & fight mole incursions into my yard, sometimes at night, I play this song afterwards.
Chris said it right with one word...Senseless!...Cause if nobody decided to lift up arm or weapon against another that war couldve been avoided...And yet most everyone just wants peace in thier lives with their families...Think about it
I enlisted in the Corps in 1966. I was 17 and right out of high school. I spent 13 months in Nam 68/69. I came home to a 10 month old son I had not met. That first year home was tough, thank god for my wife she saved me. I went to the VA, they were fine with the physical wounds but in 1969 PTSD did not exist. I spoke with a young lieutenant, a Nam vet, probably 2 years older than me. I told him about the nightmares, my anger and survivors guilt. He said to me “we were all in the shit, you just have to deal with it” So that is what I did just like so may of my brothers and sisters. I pushed it down and numbed the pain with alcohol.
So I am driving home from work in 1982/83. I am listening to Fleetwood Mac and the radio is cranked. Before I can turn the volume down, I hear that one of a kind sound only Huey’s make. The tears started and I had to get off the road because I am sobbing so hard. I have no idea how long I sat. At some point you will dance with your demons and this was the start of my dance.
I stopped drinking and started a 12 step program, there were other vets there dealing with the same and worse issues. It was good just to not be feel alone.
In the early 2000’s the VA started to deal with PTSD and I was able to get help.
I still listen to this song a couple of times a year, usually on November 10 and 11. I still cry, but now it is for my 58,000 brothers and sisters who thought they were doing the right thing but died for a lie.
Semper Fi
I didn't even realize I had some PTSD to deal with until I was driving home from work one morning and this song came on the radio ... when the last part came on with the machine gun fire, I had to pull over and I just started crying my ass off. I called my wife (who was at work) and she talked to me until I got my shit together and then drove home. I love this song but I have to be very careful when I play it ... I don't like drudging up bad memories.
Welcome home and thank you for your service!
Bill Irvin
Thank God for the women in our lives. I went to Nam a boy and returned a broken old man. She gently picked up the pieces and gave us a life.
May you find peace with you demons and always hold your wife close.
Semper Fi and Namaste
Sokuze
I loved reading this exchange... and you're right. This song is about the struggles and relationships of the soldiers, it does not honour the war in any way. I'm glad you have people in your life who care for you, and I hope you continue to have a wonderous, fulfilling life
@@fs55261 Namaste Sokuze 🙏
one early fall morning when i was nine years old i answered the door and a soldier was standing there asking for my father who was dead, i knew why he was there , mom had been up crying the whole night before because my brother was spending his 21st birthday in vietnam, i knew why the soldier had come that day. my brother was gone and my life was changed forever. this october 17th it will be 51 years. but i can still see the frightened young man at my door that day
I'm so sorry
So incredibly touching words. Thanks for your sincerity.
These moments that imprint themselves upon our very existence.
I send love and strength to all in need of it.
I'm so sorry. Peace and love.
It destroyed so many lives
I remember a close friend of the family, going off to fight in Vietnam. I was 7 yrs old.his name was Roger Davenport. He never came back.i remember that he had a nice smile.
Billy Joel absolutely at his finest singing about the misery of the common man
One thing I love about this recording is how Billy is in no hurry to get to the chorus.
Yeah... but WHAT a chorus!!
Insightful point, yes. Good observation.
At 4AM really loud music coming from my window woke me. I was angry but then listened. It was a beautyful song. I used Shazam and got to this song. Love it.
(Thanks, annyoing guy for waking me up)
+Zombie Superhero haha . awesome! but not awesome lol
Zombie Superhero honestly this was probably me and my dad
It was probably me because I remember blasting this song at around that time lmfao most likely not but still
Sorry & Your Welcome
Probably me and my dad as well. We’d ride in our Audi and he’d blast the live version in Moscow
I had one of the most respected substitute teachers who was a Vietnam War veteran and now has hearing aids, possibly as a result of the war. He would substitute at my high school for teachers of various subjects. Once in my freshman year US History class, we happened to be learning about the Vietnam War, and he was substituting. That day he told us all about his experiences in the war. He brought in souvenirs, such as his dog tag. He showed us pictures of him during the war with his dog, who would go everywhere with him on duty. I remember him telling us 3 things: 1) The effects of throwing a grenade, as in what it would to a person. 2) He was spit at when he came home from the war. 3) His most important piece of advice: Never ask a soldier if they've ever killed anyone, because you never know how they'll react. Thank you, Mr. Jim Stastny and all the other veterans for serving our country.
There was never any documented evidence of a solider being spit on or at, it’s just a myth. He didn’t “serve his country” he was either tricked and lied to into joining or forcibly recruited and sent off to a war we had no business in. He suffered for no good reason, and that’s terrible.
@@jack6126 well tricky dicky had no problem drafting my poor southern ass and yeah, I had people spit at me and even called me a baby killer Jack. My dad was a Korean War - and it was a WAR - vet. I almost didn’t come back to the country after my first leave. My dad cursed about being shoved onto the shore at Inchon and the VA till the day he died but he helped me get over Nam and said we had no damn business there either. And I got no use for the VA like my old man. And Nam; They hated us. HATED US for being in their country! F*** the the memory of Richard Nixon.
I can only listen to this song maybe once a year. PTSD is the medal I got for my service.
@@jack6126...right. Because you've spoken to every Vietnam veteran who came back. You know every single moment of their lives, and you're able to ascertain that it's a myth. You're an insufferable human being. I guess that's a punishment you well and truly deserve.
@@jack6126 yeah and he wouldn't be the first who misremembers being spit on (or just lied about it) just because of that media campaign. Literally brainwashed people who were there
I don't know how this song has a dislike I feel like it's impossible to not like this song, me being a huge Billy Joel fan aside. This song gives me the chills no matter how many times I listen to it. That line "remember Charlie, remember Baker. They left their childhood on every acre" always gets me. When he played this song at the concert I went to and they brought veterans onto the stage I cried. Such a powerful song and so well written.
Probably Jane Fonda
Luckily for you, RUclips is removing the dislike count.
@@georgeofhamilton aaaaand it's gone...
(in Greaseman voice) goodniiiiiiiiight assholio.
Yeah I saw him in Chicago in 2015 and when he played this song he did the same thing. This is one hell of a song to see performed live. Just amazing.
For me this song is sad, for there are wars still going on, until now.
"They heard the hum of our motors, they counted the rotors and waited for us to arrive."
Those Vietnamese were far cleverer and more resourceful than the US's military top brass gave them credit for.
@@rjjcms1 yeah, they were clever, smarter than our top brass, middle brass, and lower brass. Get down to the Sargents, Corporals, Privates, yeah, we damn sure knew.
Easily one of the best songs ever written by anyone ever. Always moving.
1982
Billy Joel
This original album version of Billy Joel’s “Goodnight Saigon” remains the BEST. My father-in-law died in Vietnam in 1966. 3 weeks before his scheduled return to the U.S. Never knowing his daughter, my wife.
We left in plastic as numbered corpses!!!! That lyric hits me like a kick in the bollocks!! WAR IS FUTILE. Wake up world 😎😎😎
Goodnight Kabul.
The Vietnam War veterans really got the short end of the stick. I'm a Millennial and can't not be emotional listening to this song because it was similar to what happened when a lot of my friends went off to Iraq or Afghanistan. Most just saw it as a lost cause. I grew up hearing this song as my father is/was a Billy Joel fan. The cruel reality is that while history rarely repeats, it often rhymes.
I think of an Australian song that also took its perspective of the Vietnam War, "Khe Sanh" by Cold Chisel, as Australia also fought in the Vietnam War as allies of the United States, which is about the lament of the Aussie Vietnam veteran coming back home. It was just as controversial there as it was here. "There were no V-Day heroes in 1973."
And that was exactly how it sounded...crickets at first in the middle of the steaming, torpid night and then, in the distance, drawing ever nearer, the whump-whump-whump of UH-1 rotors. Go by us, we'd pray, but they never did. They always picked us up, never deviating or going off to another base...and so they took us off into the bush......far too many of us never came back.
I had a Grandpa Bob that was a Vietnam Veteran, he passed away at the beginning of Last Summer the second half of May, He told his family that he wasn't just in the NAVY, he did a lot of things, he was a police officer and he was a mailman. He was a great guy.
I am listening in 2019, and remember Vietnam so well. I still hate the sound of helicopters. This is so brilliant, I had forgotten how Billy Joel summarized the awfulness of the Vietnam experience.
I was just a young man back in 1966 when I was drafted into the Army, and I spent the required two years serving our country. While I personally was fortunate to never have received orders to go to Nam, I was friends with several guys who were sent there. Some came back physically unharmed, some came back with various injuries and some never made it back. But make no mistake, everyone of these guys I knew and for the scores of us who served during that horrendous period, we all returned scarred (either physically or emotionally) and scorned to a country that took it out on all of us veterans. All we did was answer the bell for our country/ Listening to this song always brings tears to my eyes and ALWAYS makes me proud to have served our country. And God Bless Billy Joel for his amazing tribute to those brave men that went to Nam paid a dear price for our country.
GOD BLESS YOU.
I was in college 1967-1971 , so I had a deferment and then , in 1970 , a high lottery number when that was introduced. Had two buddies , both in the Marines , who did not make it back . I want to go to the wall in D.C. to find their names and lay a wreath . I'd like to find out when / what battles they were in . Thanks for your service , Peter , and your sacrifice .It was a horrible time and the returning vets were called " baby killers " ( My Lai massacre didn't help ) . Now we are older and wiser , but the politicians and war profiteers are still the same .It started out as a noble cause but went off the rails in a hurry. 58,000 died for ???. Sorry .
thanks for serving, i truly wish we had done better for our vets, i will pass down the stories i hear.
I'm British and I cry every time I hear this incredibly moving song.To me, its a song for all wars....
It saddens me the loyalty americans have for their government during this time
. Like you said, a country that took it out on those who served. A false war that killed and destroyed so many. Nam was never a war that threatened our freedom.
A haunting reminder of my father's service in Vietnam; he served honorably; but did NOT receive a "hero's welcome"! :(
My late father was 9th Infantry Division and didn't get one either. They played Taps at his funeral though. Not good enough.
Love you, Dad. Combat engineer, USMC. Fought for my freedom so I wouldn't have too. I love you, sir. SEMPER FIDELIS AND OORAH!! 🇺🇸
one of his very best songs
Daniel Hudelson Top 10 for sure
Daniel Hudelson Not one of. His BEST song without a doubt.
Make it "his best"
Billy Joel The Nylon Curtain 1982
Mar 22, 2013
My husband was there 3 times, Black ops and he told his commander because he wanted more to come back home safe because they don't know who to trust the languages, the true natives in the mountains were very helpful if you respect them. And besides out of the 200 guys he went over there with only 8 came back. He didn't let that happen again if he was able. If he walked in your camp and he took you out on a mission, you came back, A three day trip and no sleep till you were back. If you ran into one of those guys you came back if he had to carry you! He is gone now, and I tell you all this because he loves yoh all so much, had nightmares, ptsd, cried wake up screaming into his pillow, the sit up, get a cup of coffee, and we would smoke and talk through it or anything . we danced on our rug in living g room and just hug each other tight glad we still could.He has been gone 20 years this summer, but to me he never left. He's just waiting for me!
My grandfather Served in Vietnam 1970-1971 Royal Australian Engineers
The lyrics to this song always move me. I know jack-shit about combat but the scenes indicated in this song make me glad I never had to learn.
I miss you, dad
May you find peace 🙏🏻
Namaste
I'm so sorry
My condolences
Billy Joel...pianist, poet, storyteller...i've been a fan for decades and this is the song of the day.
This song describes so well the mood and feeling of many soldiers in Vietnam... War is a terrible thing, every war.
This is an amazing song by Billy Joel, even though he wasn't involved in Vietnam, he has such a clear understanding of it.
Billy Joel wasborn in May , 1949 . I was born in June . He lived on Long Island , in Hicksville ; I lived in N.J. I had a student deferment , so I surmise that he was also in college at the time and had a deferment or was 4F . Probably knew guys tat died there and has a certain amont of survivor's guilt. Masterpiece that moves me every time . What a genius !
I read that this song is actually based off letters home he read from soldiers in Vietnam.
I still picture in my mind a group of Viet Nam vets, arm in arm singing this at the memorial Wall ! 🎗️🕊️The memories of those close to me lost bring tears to my eyes still ! Rest in Peace, 🕊️ My Brothers and Sisters ❤️
First heard this as part of a lecture called "How to write a decent anti-war song" at a reading party in the wilds of Angus. I've forgotten everything else about the lecture but this song has remained with me ever since. Never fails to evoke a feeling of stark horror and huge admiration for those who lived through Vietnam first hand.
@@spell105 I want to hear this lecture for that reason.
This song is about brotherhood.
@@Dahlia10 the song’s about how the men sent to Vietnam went through hell for nothing, that they shouldn’t have gone. Yes it’s also about comradely but the main thing about the song is that those men suffered unimaginably and almost certainly would deal with it for long after, all because the American government wanted to “stop communism”.
@@jack6126 yes I know honey my father-in-law was there 27 years he was in the Navy
@@jack6126 The song is actually very purposefully neither anti or pro war. It's pro-veteran. You're projecting your own views onto it.
"And who was wrong, and who was right? It didn't matter in the thick of the fight."
..............Goodnight America. ROCK ON!
WE WILL ALL GO DOWN TOGETHER
I'm a 70's child. My parents let us post MIA stickers on our bedroom windows. We wore the bracelets of the missing. Not everyone was against you guys. Thank you.❤
Whenever i heard this, as a teenager (along with the original video, most of the times then).....it made me cry.
And still is a milestone.
still gives me chills
This song and Leningrad get me every time.
Very powerful song. Thank You to all the Veterans who fought in this war.
Indeed.
The first time I heard this song I was stunned. Literally frozen in place. Nothing I've heard captures it like this masterpiece from Billy Joel. Thank you to all who served and sacrificed.
If any song can stop the world from turning, it is this one. I joined after talking with a VN vet who lived down my street, he asked why? I said so those next generation of kids won't have to, he teared up and that moment will be forever frozen in time. USN 1988-2009
If anything can stop the war in the world, it is men refusing to become soldiers.
This keeps showing up in my "watch it again" on youtube. Probably because most times I see it there, I play it. Fantastic song.
I Seen loads of filming AboutVietnam war Full metal jacket hamburger hill Apocalypse now I believed what I was seeing but this song made it all real and far more disturbing to watch a live in Ireland and I am Irish I was born in 74 well after the war I still admired and respected young men that Fought in the Vietnam war
Answering the call of duty, stopping the plans that you have to answer the call to serve your country. Whether you got drafted or enlisted, draft dodgers or men that absolutely refused to serve this country, will never have the courage to defend our great nation. Any and all of the wars that our great nation has been in, I salute all who died, got wounded, or those that made it through the war. As I am looking at all of Graves in Arlington cemetery, I salute you all, Amen .....
Remarkable song. I got to hear it in person, and it was a grim but great performance. The arena was dark. Then the sound of the choppers crept in, and the shadow of rotors appeared on the ceiling. During the chorus, a line of people in fatigues, arms around each other's shoulders, and began to sing in the dim gray light. It was so mourningly moving. A true classic.
Goodnight, Kabul.
Billy can tell "one more story"...all with his voice & music, how great is that?
Pretty wonderful~
This is an excellent song, but in the '80s I really got sick of hearing people gripe about the Vietnam War. It makes me sick to think about the soldiers who had their lives altered forever (mostly negatively) come home to find the people blaming them for the whole thing, instead of voting out the politicians that created it. I'm glad we're not doing that to the soldiers coming home from today's unpopular war.
James Edgar " It makes me sick to think about the soldiers who had their lives altered forever (mostly negatively) come home to find the people blaming them for the whole thing, instead of voting out the politicians that created it. "
This is what people don't understand about the military and wars. What they don't get is that if their nation is war-mongering, it's not the military that's at real fault. As Carl von Clausewitz said it, war is simply politics in another way. In other words, politicians cause wars. As simple as that.
Ivan The Mouse
I agree .and so did the government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam..
Post war .American veterans who visited the country ,were made welcome and forgiven by the Vietnamese victors .
Catholic citizens who fought against their own peoples war for reunification and independence .were put through re-education programs ,to help them readjust and to fit-in and make a contribution to the nation.
The most heinous war criminals faced the courts ,but there were no mass executions ,put out by CIA psy-ops people ..that caused .many people to flee with their sponsors to the US..Many of those people have now returned to their homeland..
James Zumwalt .son of US Vice Admiral Elmo Zumwalt .commander of naval forces in Vietnam (68--70) was sent to post war Vietnam to study effects of "orange agent "that "ironically "had caused the death of his brother .who had served on us gunboats .patrolling waterways .which his father had ordered to be sprayed with dioxins..
He arrived with hate in his heart for the "brutal" Vietnamese .that had been instilled in him by wartime propaganda .
In a short time his views quickly changed after meeting many of the Vietnamese vets ,and hearing their often tragic stories..
He writes in his truly remarkable book,of his experience amongst former enemies .who became his "brothers" .He explains how he believes ,that any foreign invader could not possible have defeated the Vietnamese ,in their fight for independence .
He relates how after defeating a huge Chinese army centuries ago .they apologized to the Chinese Emperor .for destroying his army .
They believe the least possible damage done to relationships ,makes it easier to make-up and move on to positive things .
BAREFEET AND IRON WILL .by JAMES ZUMWALT .whose family have had someone ,who has fought in every major American war ,since .the war for Independence .
+moonbeam you just said re-education as a positive thing
Leo Anderson
William Blum former State Dept official ,writes in his book "Americas Deadliest Export ;Democracy ," and "Killing Hope " that "Americans are the most brainwashed nation on the planet ".
You help to explain what he means ,
moonbeam One man's opinion, regardless of what position he held before, does not count as fact.
Cpl Michael Caputo, Alhambra California, and we all go down together
I’m a veteran and my grandfather served in Vietnam, this brings a tear to my eyes...
In about 1992, I went to visit my American dad who lived in Baltimore at the time. It was summer vacation for me, and one of the places we went was the Vietnam Memorial. The most fascinating thing to me was the wall of names. When I felt it, at first I thought, "What a fancy design!". My American dad informed me those designs were actually names of people who died in the Vietnam War. My heart goes out to anyone who has lost their lives, lost their loved ones, or even lost their homes. I'm one of those girls who believes wholeheartedly that there's absolutely no need for war! There's no reason to fight! Freedom can just as easily be achieved if we all live in peace and harmony, and love one another like sisters and brothers!
We met as soulmates
On Parris Inland
We left as inmates
From an asylum
And we were sharp
As sharp as knives
And we were so gung
ho to lay down our lives
We came in spastic
Like tameless horses
We left in plastic
As numbered corpses
And we learned fast
To travel light
Our arms were heavy
but our bellies were tight
We had no homefront
We had no soft soap
They sent us playboy
They gave us bob hope
We dug in deep
And shot on sight
And prayed to Jesus Christ
with all of our might
We had no cameras
To shoot the landscape
We passed the hash pipe
And played our Doors tapes
And it was dark
So dark at night
And we held onto each other
Like brother to brother
We promised our mothers we'd write
And we would all go down together
We said we'd all go down together
Yes we would all go down together
Remember Charlie
Remember Baker
They left their childhood
On every acre
And who was wrong
And who was right
It didn't matter
in the thick of the fight
We, held the day
In the palm of our hands
They, ruled the night
And the night, seemed to last
as long as six weeks
On Parris Island
We held the coastline
They held the highland
And they were sharp
As sharp as knives
They heard the hum of the mortars
They counted the rotors
And waited for us to arrive
And we would all go down together
We said we'd all go down together
Yes we would all go down together
Thank you for that....I haven't listened to this since college and I was like hmmm.....whatrthelyrics??
Hum of the MOTORS.
Thank you
I was lucky enough to see this song performed live. What a treasure.
Me 2
Orange County Civic Center, Orlando, Florida, during the _An Innocent Man_ tour. One of the most powerful shows I've ever been to. Some 22,000 people that joined in singing the chorus. Absolutely the most intense crowd experience I've participated in.
I'm sorry for your loss.Our tribute is to never forget this period of history.I have the utmost respect for all veterans of Vietnam
I served in the Navy, 1982-94, post Nam, non combat, E-5 Yeoman, so I can only begin to know what true soldiers/sailors/Marines went through there. Can only thank them for their sacrifice.
this song only went to #56 on the pop charts in 1983!!!
Reached top 40 in the netherlands for sure
Just play this song….
Shut yr eyes…..
And watch the best film about the Vietnam war you’ve ever seen…..
Truly one of the greatest masterpieces of music ever recorded in my humble opinion….
And this is just one of many …
And I’m glad to live in a time when this man existed along side me…
the initial sounds and the slow push into the power of these words is overwhelming..I lost 2 friends and a cousin in this fool's war. Joel listened to the ones who came back with his poets ears--briillant.
this song brings tears to my eyes am I am not a Billy Joel fan.
Fallen never forgotten
D best gig I ever had the pleasure to hear was him and Elton John at croke park, Ireland and to make it better I was serving a 5year sentence in the Joy on C3 ,so thanks judge best free concert ever.
It took a great deal of artistic courage for Billy Joel to jump feet first into this subject but he wrote the definitive Vietnam Veterans anthem.
so amazing this song captures their soldiers desperation...
As the automaton commissar stood on the edge of the cliff, heavily damaged and losing power, on malevelon creek, it felt... A sense of happiness.
It was happy that it finally able to complete its task, *To serve And fight alongside its mechanical brethren* It looked at the rising sun, as the gunfire slowly died down as the helldivers were cut down one by one by troopers and hulks.
It sat down, admiring the scenery... As its eyes began to dim.. it let out one last cry of defiance before shutting off forever..
"CANT KEEP HER DOWN!"
.
.
.
.
.
.
The automaton fell on its side, losing power to its movement outputs.
As its eyes dimmed slowly.. its story concluded. Not shot dead by helldivers, but on a cliff edge, at peace with itself and happy that it had done what it was made to do. One. Last. Time.
1982
I was sitting on a beach in 1988 and a teenage boy plops down behind everyone on the edge of the grass with the biggest boom box I had ever seen. Most people did not notice when he pressed play on the cassette player and, with the volume turned ALL THE WAY UP we heard what sounded like a helicopter landing on the beach. Every single person turned around and looked up at the sky, then knew what was happening once the plinks of Billy's piano started. The kid was grinning ear to ear.
03 Marine, , 74 -80 , good song , for US
Thanks to all veterans for are freedom.
We need to be much more careful about who we give power to. Sorry we failed you, and still fail you.
We met as soul mates
On Parris Island
We left as inmates
From an asylum
And we were sharp
As sharp as knives
And we were so gung ho
To lay down our lives
We came in spastic
Like tameless horses
We left in plastic
As numbered corpses
And we learned fast
To travel light
Our arms were heavy
But our bellies were tight
We had no home front
We had no soft soap
They sent us Playboy
They gave us Bob Hope
We dug in deep
And shot on sight
And prayed to Jesus Christ
With all of our might
We had no cameras
To shoot the landscape
We passed the hash pipe
And played our Doors tapes
And it was dark
So dark at night
And we held on to each other
Like brother to brother
We promised our mothers we'd write
And we would all go down together
We said we'd all go down together
Yes we would all go down together
Remember Charlie
Remember Baker
They left their childhood
On every acre
And who was wrong?
And who was right?
It didn't matter in the thick of the fight
We held the day
In the palm
Of our hand
They ruled the night
And the night
Seemed to last as long as six weeks
On Parris Island
We held the coastline
They held the highlands
And they were sharp
As sharp as knives
They heard the hum of our motors
They counted the rotors
And waited for us to arrive
And we would all go down together
We said we'd all go down together
Yes we would all go down together
Traducir al español
To all of the people that suffered and experienced the war in Vietnam, I salute.
Brilliant the way it ends with the same sounds as the start just reversed. Insuiating that the soldiers are now coming home to the sound of crickets instead of leaving to the sound of choppers.
Goodnight kabul
Thank you for trying to give Afghan girls and women 20 years of school and work. Thank you. Some of these women are still trying to protest, holding little 8x11 "signs". They are so brave and determined, and I am SO scared for them, but I also think I know who taught them some of that bravery: the American soldier. Be strong, be safe, and thank you.
Great song one of his best .War sucks population control.None of us were right.This song is about brotherhood...
One of Joel's most important and sobering songs
Anyone who likes modern music should listen to this.
❤’And we were sharp, as sharp as knives’.
Billy Joel
"Goodnight Saigon"
#56, 1983.
Billy Joel
Mar 22, 2013
Billy Joel The Nylon Curtain 1982
Billy Joel - Goodnight Saigon (Audio) 1982
1982
I was only 7 when this came out. It took about 10 more years before I appreciated how good this song is. It took being in the Navy to truly embrace this masterpiece. I may not have lived through the pain of this song, but for me it will always be about brotherhood. Thank you all my brothers and sisters past, present, and future. May this song live forever.
this is such a fantastic and powerful song, love it to bits!!
Billy Joel does Kurt Weill.... brilliantly.
Americans often seen as soft , I don't think so , so glad your our cousins , , good brave men 👏on the right side , from Manchester UK x
This was Vietnam's sensless war. The lyrics are quite clear. Those of us of age and not American, lived this conflict as ours. Senseless and bloody.. Just to benefit the warmongers.
How the hell if you didn't fight it ,it was yours? I did, 68-69. You watched it on TV? Don't comment if you didn't have any skin in the game..Damn it ,I'm so tired of people that weren't there giving their useless and uniformed opinion of this. Sorry pal but you sound like what we call the idiotic left.
Vietnam was to prevent the spread of communism. But it was carried out horribly. The war was necessary, but it was a failure.
love your george harrison profile pic
I know Vietnamese whose father's fought in the war, and they hated killing, but felt they needed to defend their homes. The Vietnamese were people, just like the American soldiers. It's horrible war makes enemies out of people who would probably sit and share a meal together.
Oh, and the communists that were "defending their land" were fighting to take over South Korea (in short, they were fighting to spread Communism and take away the freedoms of the South Vietnamese).
To all who served in Vietnam, Thank you for your service💯
Play it at 2X normal speed and it's a disco song.
I remember this song is actually about Vietnam Veterans like Gregory Harrison, Larry Wilcox, Richard Klein, and Blake Clark.
No shit
I love this song. I always have, ever since I heard a college mate running out of words trying to explain how it affected him. When I listened, I understood. No one has ever justified to me how there was any rhyme or reason in the USA getting involved in the Vietnam war in the first place
An incredible song. Sad. Beautiful. and very fucking awesome. A song that should make us all grateful of the sacrifices other people have made..for you and me. Many vets in Australia did NOT choose to go, but they did their duty and served us proud. They have my respect, always.
This song cuts you, in deep, so heavly...
聴けてよかったです！ありがとうございます
You can't listen to this and not get goose bumps. Thanks to all Vietnam Vets, wherever you are. Note: Whenever I have to go out & fight mole incursions into my yard, sometimes at night, I play this song afterwards.
History repeats itself
This song should've been in Full Metal Jacket.
Chris said it right with one word...Senseless!...Cause if nobody decided to lift up arm or weapon against another that war couldve been avoided...And yet most everyone just wants peace in thier lives with their families...Think about it
Such a brilliantly written song. I'd like to see those 82 dislikes survive a night over in Vietnam in that time.
Early Billy Joel albums brilliant give them a listen
to all the ones in armed forces thank you all i am an army brat so i knew it was tough losing loves and the ptsd type god bless yall
Here from Halt and Catch Fire Episode 3x4 (Season 3, Episode 4).
Brilliant album
Fantastic song!
THE MOST SAD AND HONOURABLE SONG IVE EVER HEARD . TEARS EVERYTIME. 🤘🇺🇸 👊
This should’ve been the album’s closer.