Billy Joel
Goodnight Saigon
Live, 1983

What Up Yo.

“And The Night, Seemed To Last As Long As Six Weeks…”

Goodnight Saigon – Wikipedia

The theme of “Goodnight Saigon” is the poor treatment Vietnam War veterans received. The lyrics are about Marines in battle bonding together, fighting their fears and trying to figure out how to survive. The singer, a United States Marine, sings of “we” rather than “I,” emphasizing that the Marines are all in the situation together.

Billy Joel Goodnight Saigon Live 1983

 

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 tame-less 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…
Night…
Night…
Night…
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…
Right…
Right…
Right…
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 highland

And they were sharp…
As sharp as Knives…
Knives…
Knives…
Knives…
Knives…

They heard the hum of the 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

Billy Joel

Billy Joel

 

 

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