Saigon
1984 · Rat RR 040 · Neuwied, Germany: West [FRG]
- Artist
- Tarnfarbe
- Title
- Saigon
- Release
- Heroes of Today
- Year
- 1984
- Label
- Rat # RR 040
- Format
- LP · Album
- Language
- English
- Country
- Neuwied, Germany: West [FRG]
- Genre
- Punk · Hardcore Punk
- Primary theme
- Post-War
Annotation — Punk Songs
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". 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
Lyrics
English: You send your forces to Vietnam / To burn the land with napalm / You slaughter innocent women and kids / The war will blow your mind to bits / And you stop, you cry, you cry / You known why: cause you too, soon will die / You see your friend loosing both of his legs / You get closer to insanity step by step / You take a lotta drugs to mitigate your pain / Although you realize that they’re driving you insane / You can’t stand war’s brutality / And the torture in Vietcong’s captivity / You know somewhere between Saigon and Hanoi / Your rotten life will be destroyed
About the artist
Punk rock group formed in 1982 in Neuwied, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany; disbanded in 2003. The 1980s line-up: 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). Both "Saigon" and "Agent Orange" are on their 1984 album Heroes of Today (Rat Records RR 040). [Source: Last.fm band biography; Discogs]
Themes
From the release Heroes of Today