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Artist Tarnfarbe
Release Heroes of Today
Year 1984
Label Rat # RR 040
Format LP · Album
Language English
Songs here 2 in the archive
Citation: Justin A. Brummer, Vietnam War Song Project (VWSP) — Tarnfarbe, Heroes of Today; cite each song by its SongID

Heroes of Today

1984 · Album · Rat # RR 040 · Germany: West [FRG]
2 songs from this release are in the archive, listed below in catalogue order. Track positions are not recorded; the release may carry other songs that do not reference the war. Most common themes: Anti-War, Napalm.
Annotation
Punk Rock group formed in 1982 in Neuwied, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. They disbanded in 2003. The 80s line-up featured: William Faber (drums, 1982-86), Michael Breiler (guitar, 1982-96), Ralf Weidauer (vocals, bass, 1983-2003), Guido Reich (guitar, 1983-84), Siggi Kuhl (vocals, 1983-84), Stefan Ziehn (bass, drums, 1985-88). Firstly, this album (Rat Records # RR 04) contained a cover of "Agent Orange" , by the The Destructors (released on their 1982 EP Religion! There is No Religion!) - a reference to the defoliant / herbicide used by U.S. forces during the Vietnam War, which had long term negative health effects on the Vietnamese and US soldier whom came into contact with the chemical.

Next on this album was the song "Saigon" . This contained strong anti-war sentiment, referenced P.O.W.s, PTSD, drug use, and focused on the indiscriminate killing of civilian, referencing the use of napalm: "to burn the land with napalm, you slaughter innocent women and kids" . chemical weapon Napalm B - a jellied gasoline mixture, with polystyrene, benzene, and gasoline. Declared a war-crime since 1980, the US government extensively used this weapon during the Vietnam conflict, dropping 388,000 tons on Indochina between 1963 and 1973.123

The lyrics looked at the negative impact of the war on soldiers and possible veterans, both physically: "see your friend loosing both of his legs" , and mentally, with a reference to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), frequently referenced in post-war 1980s songs about US veterans, often connected in songs to stress, shell shock, flashbacks, nostalgia, and feelings and dreams related to an event: "blow your mind to bits... you cry... closer to insanity step by step" . The song also noted the use of drugs in Vietnam: "take a lotta drugs to mitigate your pain" . Finally, the song made a reference to being held a prisoner of war (P.O.W.) in North Vietnam: "torture in Vietcong’s captivity... somewhere between Saigon and Hanoi" . Vietcong (or "VC") referred to the National Liberation Front (NFL), the political and military resistance to the US and South Vietnamese government from within South Vietnam.
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Collections
Songs from this release appear in these 3 curated collections.
The songs
1.
1984 · Album · Rat # RR 040 · Neuwied, Germany · Heroes of Today

German punk band from Neuwied, Germany. Both 'Saigon' and 'Agent Orange' appear on their 1984 recording 'Heroes of Today' (they also issued a three-track demo that year), and the band performed and released material into the late 1990s. [Source: Last.fm band bio via SonicHits]

2.
1984 · Album · Rat # RR 040 · Neuwied, Germany · Heroes of Today

German punk band from Neuwied, Germany. Both 'Saigon' and 'Agent Orange' appear on their 1984 recording 'Heroes of Today' (they also issued a three-track demo that year), and the band performed and released material into the late 1990s. [Source: Last.fm band bio via SonicHits]