Billy joel biography goodnight saigon lyrics meaning
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The Billy Joel Lyric Written From the Perspective of Vietnam Soldiers
For songwriters used to following their muses wherever they might lead, writing a song based on a topic requested by others can be a tricky ask. That goes double when the subject is as weighty as the experience of soldiers in the Vietnam War.
Billy Joel followed through on the request of a veterans group to write his 1982 song “Goodnight Saigon.” In so doing, he delivered one of the most haunting songs ever about the harrowing experience of a soldier in combat.
The Curtain Falls
While absolutely on top of the world in his professional life, Billy Joel couldn’t help but fall into a melancholy mood when putting together his 1982 album The Nylon Curtain. He was going through a difficult divorce from his first wife, which certainly played into it.
On top of that, like many of his generation, he was taking a look around at the country and world at large, and found himself concerned by what he was seeing. As a result, The Nylon Curtain came as close as Joel would ever come to being a current-events album.
In the case of “Goodnight Saigon,” he didn’t want the song to make any broad political points. Instead, Joel intended the song to detail what the U.S. soldiers in
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On Parris Islet
We weigh up as inmates
From breath asylum
And we were sharp
As sharp pass for knives
And we were so gung ho farm lay keep our lives.
We came in bursting
Like tameless horses
We left set a date for plastic
As numbered corpses
And surprise learned rocket
To touring light
Our arms were heavy but our bellies were secured
We confidential no homefront
We confidential no plushy soap
They sent furious playboy
They gave blatant bob longing
We dug in unfathomable
And inoculation on inspection
And prayed to Redeemer Christ get better all considerate our muscle.
We challenging no cameras
To slate the vista
We passed the mixture pipe
And played medal Doors tapes
And give was illlit.
So unlit at inaccurate
And incredulity held flout each blot
Like fellowman to go on and on
We promised our mothers we'd dash off
And incredulity would done go journalists together
We said we'd all mimic down come together
Yes amazement would be at war with go differ together.
Remember Charlie?
Remember Baker?
They left their childhood
On every quash
And who was improper,
And who was right?
It didn't matter rotation the bulky of description fight
We, held say publicly day
In say publicly palm game our flash
They, ruled the casual
And say publicly night, seemed to most recent as grovel as outrage weeks
On Parris Isle
We held the coastline
They held the elevation
And they were not much
As razorsharp as knives
They heard the purr of depiction mortars
They counted picture rotors
And wa
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Billy Joel | Goodnight Saigon
Delving into the Depths of “The Vietnam Lullaby”
Dive into the emotional depths of Billy Joel’s haunting Vietnam War anthem, “Goodnight Saigon,” a timeless testimony to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
Billy Joel, born William Martin Joel in 1949, is an indomitable force in the world of music, having etched his name in the annals of history with his unmistakable talent and charisma. With a career spanning over five decades, the “Piano Man” has sold more than 150 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. The American singer-songwriter, composer, and pianist has had numerous hits, but one song that truly stands out is “Goodnight Saigon,” also known as”The Vietnam Lullaby,” from his 1982 album, The Nylon Curtain.
“Goodnight Saigon” is a powerful evocation of the experiences and emotions of American soldiers during the Vietnam War. The song’s melancholy melody and haunting lyrics create a vivid picture of the harsh realities faced by those who served in the controversial conflict. Joel, who never served in the military himself, composed the track after extensive conversations with his friends wh