YouLyric
Sign in
Sign up for free
Talking Vietnam
Share
Phil Ochs
What's this song about?
Generate meaning
1
Sailing over to Vietnam
2
Southeast Asian Birmingham
3
Well training is the word we use
4
Nice word to have in case we lose
5
Training a million Vietnamese
6
To fight for the wrong government and the American way
7
Well they put me in a barracks house
8
Just across the way from Laos
9
They said, "You're pretty safe when the troops deploy
10
But don't turn your back on your house boy"
11
When they ring the gong
12
Watch out for the Viet-Cong
13
Well, the sergeant said, "It's time to train"
14
So I climbed aboard my helicopter plane
15
We flew above the battle ground
16
A sniper tried to shoot us down
17
He must have forgotten, we're only trainees
18
Them Commies never fight fair
19
Friends the very next day we trained some more
20
We burned some villages down to the floor
21
Yes we burned out the jungles far and wide
22
Made sure those red apes had no place left to hide
23
Threw all the people in relocation camps
24
Under lock and key, made damn sure they're free
25
Well, I walked through the jungle and around the bend
26
Who should I meet but the ghost of President Diem
27
Said you're fighting to keep Vietnam free
28
For good old democracy
29
That means rule by one family
30
And 15,000 American troops, give or take a few
31
Thousand
32
American
33
Troops
34
He said, "I was a fine old Christian man
35
Ruling this backward Buddhist land
36
Well, it ain't much but what the heck
37
It sure beats hell out of Chiang Kai-shek
38
I'm the power elite
39
Me and the 7th fleet"
40
He said, "Meet my sister, Madam Nhu
41
The sweetheart of Dien Bien Phu"
42
He said, "Meet my brothers, meet my aunts
43
With the government that doesn't take a chance
44
Families that slay together
45
Stay together"
46
Said, "If you want to stay you'll have to pay
47
Over a million dollars a day, but it's worth it all, don't you see?
48
If you lose the country you'll still have me
49
Me and Syngman Rhee, Chiang Kai-shek, Madam Nhu
50
Like I said on 'Meet the Press'
51
I regret that I have but one country to give for my life"
52
Well, now old Diem is gone and dead
53
All the new leaders are anti-Red
54
Yes they're pro-American, freedom sensations
55
Against Red China, the United Nations
56
Now all the news commentators and the CIA
57
Are saying, "Thank God for coincidence"
13 views
0 meanings
Go Pro
Unlimited meanings ยท Priority generation
Upgrade