Goodnight Saigon Lyrics

Performed by Billy Joel

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 fights

We held the day in the palm of our hands
They ruled the nights, and the nights
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


Submitted by Michael Hack

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Thank You! | Reviewer: Donovan | 9/13/11

I personaly listened to every recording I have of this song the day after 9/11, because I listened to the sound of silence that day. I think that this is a great song to commemorate the people who are serving and who have served. It seems as if we all know someone who has died and this song tells us pretty much what they, and the survivors, went though.

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Much respect | Reviewer: Tony Crew | 6/18/11

Yep, it's a great and very moving song and BJ is one of the most talented songwriters there have been, however these posts have moved in a different direction and I find myself compelled to comment on the content. For us ordinary folks, no song, no film, no book and no pictures can actually depict the sheer horror of war and conflict. That right is reserved for the small minority of incredibly brave people who pull on a uniform and put their lives on the line. We band about words like 'honour' far too easily in everyday life without really knowing the incredible bravery and sacrifice these people have demonstrated. Respect isn't just given, it's earned, and these brave men and women have certainly earned it from all of us. A hand shake and a thank you is a ridiculously small symbol of gratitude but I wish I were able to do that to each and every one of them.

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about hash | Reviewer: Anonymous | 6/17/11

I heard in an interview that Billy had a conversation with a group of vets and that the song is just about verbatim from that conversation. It may very will have been draftees that he interviewed, but he said that he was very careful to give them fair representation. I don't think he added it because it sounded good; I think that's what he was told. For those of us who were not there, thank you for the distinction and for serving. You are true heros.

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...more | Reviewer: Jesse | 10/31/10

Further to my last ...
It greatly irks me that many people have the impression that the war was fought by a bunch of half baked stone heads, getting high every chance that they could.
I can't speak much for the Army, but that behavior was not the norm for any USMC unit I served with ,,, And with 3 tours of Vietnam, I had a fair share of variety, and served with a whole lot of great soldiers in many different circumstances & locations - Including Oliver North in 1969.
I was 22 in 1967, and had already been in the military for 3 years at that point. I had never smoked pot up to then, never did in Vietnam, and never did after.
A few bottles of Jack Daniels yeah, gotta relieve that stress when you can, but with hardly any exception, all the guys I served with, even new recruits, were strictly professional, and had high disdain for anything associated with hippies, including pot.
I wouldn't have smoked pot any more that I would have considered chewing on a dandelion.
So that 1 line out of the whole song I resent, and I wish he had thought twice about it. A man of his creativeness and imagination surely could have thought of something better ,,, But yeah, I guess it sounded good, and fits in with the image that most have of Vietnam vets.
Not a fair representation at all, and promotes the myth that American troops in Vietnam were stoned out of their minds for most of their tour.

Now I have been to quite a few rear army bases, fire support base and what not, and some of the riff raff manning those outfits was questionable at the very least.
These guys rarely left the security of their bases, didn't want to be there in the first place because they were drafted, were into all that hippy shit anyhow, got bored out of their minds so yeah, they got toasted alot.
You could smell those bases miles away, literally.
That was getting towards the end and moral, at least among the draftees, couldn't have gotten much lower.
The professional fighting men, of which I was one, maintained their discipline, moral and combat effectiveness largely unscathed.
We wanted to be there, or anywhere else that there was a fight. Thats what we did, and to excel at that, you must maintain top physical & metal condition. Simple as that, really.
The conscripts couldn't hack it, and actually shouldn't have been expected to ,, And they showed their lack of discipline in many ways, smoking pot among them.

Ok I'm done ranting, I meant BJ by the way, instead of BG above.
Talented guy, above average song.

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Not bad | Reviewer: Jesse | 10/29/10

As a USMC Vietnam vet [67-70] who is very familiar with Parris Island, I'll give Joel credit for putting into a few words quite alot of emotion.
For someone who was not there, the man obviously has a very good imagination ,,, I can assure you, not many hash pipes passed around with my crew though.
That was mostly rear echelon Army draftees, out in the field the last thing you'd want to do is dull your senses in any way, shape or form.

Once again, credit to BG for a nice tune, I like it.

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How difficult is war, how difficult is peace. | Reviewer: Tom Clark | 10/9/10

I hate war but have always loved this song. You could make a case for no wars but would tis allow peace. I don't have the answer but it hurts your soul everytime you see another body of our young and not so young coming back.

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Emotionally Beautiful Song | Reviewer: Erin | 9/27/10

Every time I hear this song my heartbreaks for every single man and woman who fight for our freedom. My father, my hero, fought in the Vietnam War and actually flew the Huey helicopters and the stories he has told me have just literally brought me to tears, just as this song does every time it plays and I hear it. My father gave a lot for this country, the biggest of all was his health. He is still alive but his health is failing fast and it is due to the Agent Orange that he contracted while in Vietnam amongst other health issues.

I love Billy Joel because he sings with his heart and soul and I do not know many that do the same.

God Bless all of the troops and their families as I know it is a very difficult time and I will continue to pray that every troop is brought home safe. :-)

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Just a fan, with tears in her eyes. | Reviewer: Anonymous | 8/16/10

As a huge Billy Joel fan, and loving everything he has done, this song reduces me to tears I feel it is a tribute to the songwriter he clearly is, to produce such an epic song, that reminds lots of us after the V war exactly the feelings that were involved by those who took part. It states that so well as to be unforgettable. What a stain on America's history, perhaps like the Iraq/ Afghan war will be for Britain.

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Elegiac... | Reviewer: blestlyrical | 5/7/10

Dr Harris put it best...this song captures the everyday reality and tragedy of war. Often its the element of banality in these sort of crazy circumstances that make them all the more tragic. Like the best songwriters Billy Joel evokes the pathos of the tune perfectly by saying so much whilst saying very little. '...Remember Charlie, remember Baker, they left their childhood on every acre'. Teenagers killed in battle-could there be a more poignant image?

So difficult to be moving and make a statement without being manipulative. This song depicts the horror and sadness of the V-war for me in a way that makes it hard to listen to it despite its elegiac beauty. This is the power of music...it gives a voice sometimes to those unable to express it themselves for whatever reason.

Shalom x

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Billy's greatest song | Reviewer: Anonymous | 12/1/09

This is pure poetry, touching on a very deep level. I have seen it performed live, and it is very powerful. I think by pointing out so many monstrous aspects of war, this is one of best peace songs I have ever heard.

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