Favorite Vietnam War Songs

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DrMckay
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Favorite Vietnam War Songs

Post by DrMckay »

The Vietnam War Era was a time of great musical diversity, with many songs of different genres written about the actual war or personal aspects of the conflict. (I'm also looking for good new music :wink: )

I am curious to know what your favorite 3-5 songs from/concerning the war and its effects are.

Mine are:

1) For What it's Worth-Buffalo Springfield
2)I was only 19 (A walk in th Green light)-Redgum (a bit obscure, and I just found it, but really good.)
3) Fortunate Son-Creedence

Note: this may be extended later to any war/military songs.
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Re: Favorite Vietnam War Songs

Post by weemadando »

DrMckay wrote: 2)I was only 19 (A walk in th Green light)-Redgum (a bit obscure, and I just found it, but really good.)
Not obscure if you're Australian. More recently, The Herd did a decent cover of it, but the original is, well, just plain better.

As for my favourites?

Naturally, Creedence is way up there. But seeing as they're already mentioned...

The Byrds - Chimes of Freedom
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Ohio
Blood, Sweat & Tears - And When I Die
Jefferson Airplane - Volunteers

That's a few. I can think of a good number more, but damned if I can remember the title or artist and my CD collection isn't to hand and my mp3s on a different box...
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Post by Kuja »

Goodnight Saigon - Billy Joel
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Post by Darth Lucifer »

"Nineteen" by Paul Hardcastle

Cheesy 80's song, but what I liked about it were the news clips scattered throughout the song
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Post by Brother-Captain Gaius »

Some of my favorites with that late-60s feel:

Jefferson Airplane - White Rabbit
Buffalo Springfield - Stop Children (What's That Sound?)
Jimi Hendrix - All Along the Watchtower
Deep Purple - Hush
The Kinks - All Day and All of the Night
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Post by The Yosemite Bear »

As per my stepdad, My Uncle Tom, & a few others:

"Jet Airliner"- Steve Miller
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyQ1znMc3og

Country Joe and the Fish
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0jxHB3E710

as voted by actual Vietnam war vets.
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"Paint it Black". I didn't understand that at first... but there are times now...
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Post by The Yosemite Bear »

Which strangely enough is about a guy whose girlfriend has committed scuicide...
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The scariest folk song lyrics are "My Boy Grew up to be just like me" from cats in the cradle by Harry Chapin
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Post by Shroom Man 777 »

The End by The Doors. Does that count? It was in Apocalypse Now wherein Martin Sheen gets naked and starts messing up his hotel room in his unexplained insanity :)
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Post by Decue »

Camouflage by Stan Ridgway
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Post by The Yosemite Bear »

about vietnam, but like goodnight saigon, and born in the USA isn't a vietnam era song.
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The scariest folk song lyrics are "My Boy Grew up to be just like me" from cats in the cradle by Harry Chapin
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Post by Qwerty 42 »

Creedence Clearwater Revival- Who'll Stop the Rain
Neil Young- Ohio

None of these are specifically about Vietnam, but they are associated:

The Rolling Stones- Paint It Black
Led Zeppelin- That's the Way
John Lennon- Imagine
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Post by NomAnor15 »

C'mon, no one's said Draft Dodger Rag (Phil Ochs) yet? Unfortunately, I can't find a recording on YT. But that one gets my vote.
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Post by Kronos »

Country Joe & The Fish - Vietnam Song

I really don't know any other Vietnam songs(I never looked for them).
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Post by Ziggy Stardust »

Qwerty 42 wrote:None of these are specifically about Vietnam, but they are associated: Led Zeppelin- That's the Way
How is this song associated with Vietnam? I've never heard that connection before.

Anyway:

Gimme Shelter by The Rolling Stones
Turn, Turn, Turn by Pete Seeger (I like the Byrds version better, though)
Ohio by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (well, it's actually about Kent State, but irrevocably linked to Vietnam)
The Ballad of the Green Berets by Barry Sadler (great cover by Johnny Cash)
Drive On by Johnny Cash
Sky Pilot by Eric Burdon & the Animals
Come Together by the Youngbloods
Someday by Chicago (not sure if it is necessarily anti-Vietnam, but a famous political protest song)
And too many songs by Bob Dylan and other folk artists of the era to note
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Post by Thanas »

Kuja wrote:Goodnight Saigon - Billy Joel
Seconded. That song is something else.
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Re: Favorite Vietnam War Songs

Post by thejester »

weemadando wrote:Not obscure if you're Australian. More recently, The Herd did a decent cover of it, but the original is, well, just plain better.
That version is shit. The one released on the Hottest 100 is better than both, IMO, isn't ridiculously overproduced.
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Post by tim31 »

I was so mad when I heard that cover, because I had always wanted to cover that song. I even suggested it to Jay from 28 Days over post-gig beers, but he thought I've been to Bali would make an even better Redgum cover.

That said, I did perform A Walk in the Light Green as spoken, horrified prose for an exam once, and it was well received. That song is special to me for so many reasons.
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Qwerty 42
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Post by Qwerty 42 »

Ziggy Stardust wrote:
Qwerty 42 wrote:None of these are specifically about Vietnam, but they are associated: Led Zeppelin- That's the Way
How is this song associated with Vietnam? I've never heard that connection before.
It deals a lot with America during the counterculture, which, while not exclusively shaped by the war, certainly had a lot to do with it.
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Post by Grahf: Seeker Of Power »

There's Rooster by Alice in Chains....
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Post by The Yosemite Bear »

is that there here to kill the rooster?
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The scariest folk song lyrics are "My Boy Grew up to be just like me" from cats in the cradle by Harry Chapin
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Post by Grahf: Seeker Of Power »

The one and only..
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