Hello Frisco, Goodbye Viet Nam

Annotation

The song "Hello Frisco, Goodbye Viet Nam" (Western Lounge Inc. Record Co. # W-1298) by Dean Gross started with a radio transmit from a soldier in Vietnam requesting a trip home: "calling San Francisco, do you have news on my request...San Francisco calling, we are sorry....good hunting". Then the main song kicks-off. The narrator hates Vietnam – he tells us that he is "a lover not a fighter" and that he would rather "Be in Frisco, getting stoned". Nevertheless, he will continue to "do the best I can...I’ll fight on like a man". This is an interesting reflection of those who wanted peace and disagreed with war in general, but insisted on doing their duty, either to be "a man" or out of loyalty to the county.

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: Here I am across the sea 5000 miles / Among the snakes and mosquitoes and the Vietcong / I don’t like it here but I’ll do the best I can / Until I say hello to Frisco, goodbye Vietnam / When we got to old Saigon I thought we’d have a ball / Then I heard the captain shout: 'move out you all'... / I don’t like this place and I never will... / I’m a lover not a fighter... / I’d rather be in Frisco, getting stoned / Well it’s rained each day I’ve been here / Here it comes again... / I don’t like it here but I’ll fight on like a man

Notes

Western Lounge, Inc. Record Co., "Millionaire Memphis Sound", Record No. W-1298 (SO 2731); "Hello Frisco, Goodbye Viet Nam" (Gene Rowe), 2:47, Chickasaw Music Inc. — BMI and Millionaire Music, Inc. BMI. [From the record sleeve and labels]

Themes

Anti-War · Soldier's Perspective · Patriotic

In collections

Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs [War Years] · US Combat Perspective Songs [War Years]