Vietnam
1988 · Big Time BTS 25 · Sydney, Australia
- Artist
- Noel Watson
- Title
- Vietnam
- Release
- I'm Falling / Vietnam
- Year
- 1988
- Label
- Big Time # BTS 25
- Format
- 7" · Single
- Language
- English
- Country
- Sydney, Australia
- Songwriter
- Noel Watson
- Genre
- Rock · Pop Rock
- Primary theme
- Post-War
Annotation
Musician from Avoca, NSW, Australia, who was a Vietnam veteran. He gained much attention when he performed "Waltzing Matilda" at the 1988 VFL Grand Final. He died in 2013.1 He released the song "Vietnam" (The Big Time Phonograph Record Company # BTS 25) about his experience in that conflict, as a witness to violence, including: "bamboo houses burning" and "a wounded man... screaming for someone". All the while, he "watched it happen, and didn't care". He reflected that he was "playing games on the wrong side of 'Nam"..Sources1ABC (Australia)↩
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Annotation — Australian & New Zealand Songs
Musician from Avoca, NSW, Australia, who was a Vietnam veteran. He gained much attention when he performed "Waltzing Matilda" at the 1988 VFL Grand Final. He died in 2013.1 He released the song "Vietnam" (The Big Time Phonograph Record Company # BTS 25) about his experience in that conflict, as a witness to violence, including: "bamboo houses burning" and "a wounded man... screaming for someone". All the while, he "watched it happen, and didn't care". He reflected that he was "playing games on the wrong side of 'Nam". Sources1ABC (Australia)↩
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Lyrics
English: Spent much longer than I should have in Vietnam / Playing games on the wrong side of 'Nam / But I saw it happen, I was there, watched it happen, and didn't care / Watch the sun rising on a village on fire / Bamboo houses burning in the morning light / I watched it happen / I stood around and watch it happen, and I didn't care / I saw it happen / I stood around and watched it happen, and I didn't care.... / Saw the bomb fall... / Saw the building fall, and felt the ground move / I felt it happen, I stood around and felt it happen... / Heard a wounded man cry another night / Screaming for someone called mother, and a drink of water / I listened to it happen / I stood around and heard it happen, and I didn't care...
Notes
B side; from the album Noel Watson (Big Time BT 7087). Produced by Kevin Kerr, recorded at Silkwood Sound Studios, North Fitzroy; July Music; signed copy. Big Time BTS 25 (BTS 25 B, Side 2), green label, ℗ 1988 Big Time Records (Australia) Pty. Ltd.; "Vietnam" (Watson) (July), 5:29, from the album "Noel Watson" BT 7087; recorded at Silkwood Sound Studios, North Fitzroy, for Opal Music/Vaec; manufactured for and distributed by BMG Arista/Ariola Limited in Australasia. [From the record sleeve and labels]
About the artist
From NSW, Australia.