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Mar 31, 2007

THIS LAST WEEKEND, ONE OF MY KAREOKE D.J'S, JON B., ASKED IF HE COULD SING A SONG THAT I'VE BEEN DOING FOR A LONG WHILE, A SONG CALLED "GOODNIGHT, SAIGON." BILLY JOEL WROTE THIS FOR HIS FRIENDS WHO HAD TO GO OFF TO FIGHT IN VIETNAM. AS BILLY JOEL PUT IT, "THEY LEFT AS BOYS, AND CAME BACK AS OLD MEN. AND THEY WERE THE LUCKY ONES, BECAUSE MANY OF THEM DIDN'T COME BACK AT ALL." IT BROKE MY HEART TO GIVE IT UP, BUT IT'S JOHN'S SONG NOW. IT'S NOT MY SONG. REALLY, IT NEVER WAS MINE. SO WHY DID I SING IT IN THE FIRST PLACE? I WAS WAY TOO YOUNG TO HAVE TO GO TO VIETNAM. WHY WOULD I FEEL SO STRONGLY ABOUT A SONG ABOUT THAT WAR?

Theme Music "Hot Swing," Background "Meditation Impromptu" by Kevin MacLeod  http://incompetech.com/m/c/royalty-free/

Image from http://www.usmemorialday.org/gallery.html


BV Rich
almost eighteen years ago

Wow, powerful stuff, Griz. That podcast is why your podcast is amazing.

Rich...

Jon (The Karaoke DJ)
seventeen and a half years ago

Well, Grizzly, I do have to say it does shine some light on the subject as to why you sang that song the way you did. I hope that you will continue singing that song. For myself, it is a song for the people who, like you said, didn\\\'t come back, or came back as old men. They WERE the lucky ones. Please don\\\'t stop singing it. It\\\'s a good honor for those who fought and for those who are fighting for our rights to do what we do while they are off fighting. Please remember tho, even tho you didn\\\'t fight in a war, you did give of your time to make sure that if a war was fought, that you \\\"volunteered\\\" yourself for the defense of a country that, for the time being, allows us to be free to express the way we feel in ways like you can on here. See you on Friday Grizz. And please, keep up the song, it\\\'s a fitting epitaph for those who can\\\'t voice their opinions.