Phil Ochs - Talking Vietnam Lyrics
Sailing over to Vietnam
Southeast Asian Birmingham
Well training is the word we use
Nice word to have in case we lose
Training a million Vietnamese
Well they put me in a barracks house
Just across the way from Laos
They said you're pretty safe when the troops deploy
But don't turn your back on your house boy
When they ring the gong, watch out for the Viet-Cong
Well the sergeant said it's time to train
So I climbed aboard my helicopter plane
We flew above the battle ground
He must have forgotten, we're only trainees
Them Commies never fight fair
Friends the very next day we trained some more
We burned some villages down to the floor
Yes we burned out the jungles far and wide
Made sure those red apes had no place left to hide
Threw all the people in relocation camps
Under lock and key, made damn sure they're free
Well I walked through the jungle and around the bend
Who should I meet but President Diem
Said you're fighting to keep Vietnam free
For good old de-em-moc-ra-cy (Diem-ocracy)
That means rule by one family
And 15,000 American troops, give or take a few
Thousand
American
Troops
He said, "I was a fine old Christian man
Ruling this backward Buddhist land
Well it ain't much but what the heck
It sure beats hell out of Chiang Kai-shek
I'm the power elite. Me and the 7th fleet"
He said, "Meet my sister, Madam Nhu
The sweetheart of Dien Bien Phu"
He said, "Meet my brothers, meet my aunts
With the government that doesn't take a chance
Families that slay together, stay together"
Said, "If you want to stay you'll have to pay
Over a million dollars a day
But it's worth it all, don't you see?
If you loose the country you'll still have me
Me and Syngman Rhee, Chiang Kai-shek, Madam Nhu
Like I said on Meet the Press
'I regret that I have but one country to give for my life'
Well now old Dien is gone and dead
All the new leaders are anti-Red
Yes they're pro-American, freedom sensations
Against Red China, the United Nations
Now all the news commentators and the CIA
Are saying, "Thank God for coincidence"
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Rand Lyrics
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Phil Ochs Talking Vietnam Comments
Phil Ochs will never die. He always will sing to us.
15,000 American troops ... that's what it was when Phil wrote the song.
Big fkin deal!,wats your point?
I love this song. Phil was an amazing singer. RIP.
Talking Middle East blues
I'm sure someone can tell me when this was first released? Curious because it's reminiscent of Dylan's Talking World 3 Blues. Just wondering which was first. I suspect Bob's, but would like to know...
Dylan's song was from 1963. I think that was before we were involved in Viet Nam.
@Jerry Stanaway We sent military advisers as early as 1950. After JFK was elected, he sent U.S. troops. By 1963, there were about 16,000 U.S. troops in Viet Nam. The peak year was 1968, with over half a million U.S. troops in Viet Nam, but we were already heavily involved in Viet Nam when Dylan did Talking WW-III Blues.
I think this song was released on record in 1964.
How I wish Phil sang a song about the Philippines. Long before My Lai was Balangiga, Caloocan, Pasay, Batangas, Malabon, Paco, Santa Rosa, Sorsogon, etc. La lista es interminable. Mabuhay ka Phil ! Ang galing-galing mo!
Actually he did! CELIA (of the HUKS) both Celia and her husband survived and eventually lived in England (PS. their are Youtubes of interviews with them)
@John Pocock Yes, Celia is a beautiful song.
"Familes that slay together, stay together." From the Catholic slogan popular in the Philippines by conservative Father Peyton.
thank you Democracy Now for playing this! rest in peace Tom Hayden, and Phil Ochs.
You could change a few names of countries and politicians in Phil's Talking riffs and realize things haven't changed much...if at all....Gone too soon.
We have lost so many great minds to suicide. This life can hurt us in so many ways. We must be strong.
Phil R.I.P One of the best
I still miss him. He would be having a field day with things now....
They took a stand for peace! "Sir, No Sir" https://soundcloud.com/user660132316/sir-no-sir …
"familys that slay together stay together "
forever alive in my heart phil though i was born after you left
Damn Phil, where are you now we need you?
A lot to say about all that is going on in Afghanistan...etc..guess we're still the cops of the world
Thanks Phil, well said :-)