(Ambrose-Woodhouse/Backer]
This is about the misery of the war, the Vietnam veteran in common and the aftermath of the conflict.
To all who had fought and died in the Vietnam war.
I. The arrival.
Da Nang 1965…. 365 and a wake up.
II. Ignorance and heavy combat.
Fear expressions, 19 here in Nam.
I don’t know where I belong and don’t even know where I am.
New guy, madcap, steppin’ on a booby-trap.
Yelled it out, we shut him down, he couldn’t take the pain.
Left out in the jungle, to serve the U.S.A.
We sang “God bless America” and shot our hope away.
III. Second tour.
Saigon ‘66, ready for take off..
Hueys sliding up to combat zone. Basically grunts digging foxholes,
lock and load and on patrol.
Into the bush we gotta lose some of the best of our platoon.
P.F.C.’s face shot off during the monsoon rain.
The dead will be anonymous to us in memory.
We’ll settin’ up an ambush and waitin all to see.
Bang, Victor Charlie. It seems we’re gone lose our minds.
Slowly running out of ammo, right behind the enemy line.
We fought to survive… and prayed to stay alive.
IV. Tunnel warfare.
Fire in the hole.
I’m down in the dark with a tunnel rats mark.
A flashlight and a gun aside.
Slide through the mud and gather my guts,
thinkin’ it’s gonna be alright.
But the feeling is gone , I am afraid and alone.
And think about home.
Cu chi ‘67, the other side of heaven. the start of “Cedar falls”.
To drive the Viet Cong to the walls.
Down it’s hot and sweaty, dangerous and tricky.
Vermin on the floor… and bamboo behind the door.
Crawling like a madman, soon maybe a dead man and I’m afraid
That’s what I’m gonna be.
My bloods running fast and the pumpin’ sound of my heartbeat is loud.
like there’s yellin’ a crowd.
V. Search and destroy mission.
Out from the ground, into villages around,
search and destroy, look for decoy.
Zippo raid, ace of spades, cover your back, air attack.
Left out in the jungle, inside the enemy’s mouth.
The N.V.A. is marching, he chews and spits us out.
VI. Tet offensive.
(instrumental).
VII. The disillusion.
Vietnam, after 1972.
It’s all over now and put back behind.
For those who fought there it left scars in their minds.
Khe sanh, My lai, didi mow, get away.
Silver star, purple heart, body-bag or M.I.A.
Back home, still in the jungle, we’ve served the U.S.A.
We sing “God bless America”, our youth has blown away
VIII. The awakening.
Good morning Vietnam.