Vietnam is a song written and performed by Jamaican reggae musician Jimmy Cliff. It appeared on Cliff’s self titled album in 1969 and was released as a single the following year. The lyrics of Vietnam tell of a soldier serving there who writes to friends about his return home. Instead, the soldier’s mother receives a telegram notifying her of his death. According to Cliff the song was based on an artist he knew who was drafted to fight in Vietnam; the artist was not killed but returned home psychologically transformed. Vietnam had only modest chart success, reaching number 46 in Britain – however some artists, most notably Bob Dylan, considered it the most effective of all anti-Vietnam War songs.
Hey, Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam
Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam, VietnamYesterday I got a letter from my friend fighting in Vietnam
And this is what he had to say
“Tell all my friends that I’ll be coming home soon
My time’ll be up some time in June
Don’t forget”, he said, “To tell my sweet Mary
Her golden lips are sweet as cherry”And it came from Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam
Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam, VietnamIt was just the next day, his mother got a telegram
It was addressed from Vietnam
Now Mistress Brown, she lives in the USA
And this is what she wrote and said
“Don’t be alarmed”, she told me the telegram said
“But Mistress Brown your son is dead.”And it came from Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam
Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam, hey, Vietnam
Somebody please stop that war nowVietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam, oh Vietnam
Vietnam, oh Vietnam, oh oh, oh oh
Somebody please stop itVietnam, Vietnam, oh Vietnam
Vietnam oh oh, oh oh Vietnam
Hey Vietnam, aha Vietnam, oh oh, yeah
I wanna say now somebody stop that war
Content on this page is © Alpha History 2016. Content created by Alpha History may not be copied, republished or redistributed without our express permission. For more information please refer to our Terms of Use.