Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Vietnam War Songs

The Unknown Soldier- The Doors

This song was in reaction to the Vietnam War and how the conflict was portrayed in American media. Lines such as "Breakfast where the news is read/ Television children fed/ Unborn living, living dead/ Bullets strike the helmet's head"(lyrics) criticize the way news of the war was presented in the living rooms of American people.

Born in the U.S.A. - Bruce Springsteen

The song deals with the negative effects of the Vietnam War on Americans, but is often misunderstood to be a patriotic or nationalistic anthem. However the tone of the song shows that Springsteen is actually criticizing the loss of a true sense of national pride. The song is said to be a tribute to Springsteen's friends in the Vietnam War, some who did not come back. It also protests the hardships Vietnam veterans faced upon their return home from the war.

Goodnight Saigon- Billy Joel



 This song depicts the attitudes of United States Marines during the Vietnam War. The lyrics of "Goodnight Saigon" are about soldiers in battle bonding together, fighting their fears and trying to figure out how to survive. The use of "we" rather than "I," emphasizes that the soldiers are all in the situation together. There is a part which has multiple voices singing that the soldiers will "all go down together"(lyrics), emphasizing their camaraderie.

19- Paul Hardcastle

Many people believe the song has an anti-war message, focusing on America's involvement in the Vietnam. Hardcastle was inspired to create the song after watching a Vietnam War documentary and comparing his own life at 19 to those of the soldiers featured. He says, "what struck me was how young the soldiers were: the documentary said their average age was 19. I was out having fun in pubs and clubs when I was 19, not being shoved into jungles and shot at"(6).

Still in Saigon- Charlie Daniels Band


The song portrays the struggles of an American Vietnam veteran after the war. The story is told ten years after Daniels, as the protagonist, faced being drafted into the Vietnam War. Although he could have escaped to Canada, he believed he was "brought up differently/couldn't break the rules"(lyrics) so he decided he had to serve. The song addresses the emotional toll of war, how it is worsened upon returning home, and dealing with PTSD.  

1.       http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_songs_about_the_Vietnam_War
2.       http://muse.jhu.edu/login?auth=0&type=summary&url=/journals/american_quarterly/v058/58.2cowie.html
3.       http://www.shmoop.com/born-in-the-usa/songwriting.html
4.       http://books.google.com/books?id=HHQqoUcbd8gC&pg=PA107
5.       http://www.allmusic.com/artist/paul-hardcastle-mn0000018513/biography
6.       http://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/sep/24/19-paul-hardcastle-ken-grunbaum
7.       http://www.nytimes.com/1982/04/21/arts/still-in-saigon-climbing.html
8.       http://www.shmoop.com/born-in-the-usa/lyrics.html

2 comments:

  1. It is interesting listening to the music in America during the Vietnam war and comparing it to the music that was popular in Vietnam during the war. Both the Vietnamese music and the American music portray societies dislike of the war. While both music was condemning war, it was using drastically different music styles.

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  2. Although Vietnam was a generally disliked war and forced upon the American population, our right to freedom of speech is evident in the magnitude and popularity of these songs, the majority of which include anti-war themes.

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