Wrong Side of Saigon

Annotation

Double-side Vietnam War record, released in 1967 (Kaylsodak Recording Company # Klsd 0003/0004), in Mitchell, South Dakota, USA, in the garage rock genre, with Mexican trumpets. The songs are composed by T. J. Magera. An article from The Daily Republic, Mitchell, South Dakota, on 29 July 1967, read: "the many faceted talents of Magera vastly transcend sales. They include composing and recording (Magera cuts his own discs on the "Kaylsodak Recording Company" label in partnership with Jan Grosz)... He's a gifted trumpet player and, as a composer, created such hopefuls as "The Ballad of John Kennedy," "The Eternal Light"...."Postmarked Home", and "The Wrong Side of Saigon"... Tom has his own band, not surprisingly named the "Versatones"."1 Both sides of this single are Vietnam War-related, narrated from the soldier's perspective. In the song "Postmarked Home", the soldier described mail call - a reference to military personnel assembling for the distribution of mail - he received a letter and recalled home and his sweetheart. He said that he needed to "kill some more to make these people free", a small patriotic / pro-government message. In the song "Wrong Side of Saigon", also narrated from the soldier's perspective, the protagonist revealed that his sweetheart had left him: "shattered all my dreams". He expressed his sadness at being along in Saigon.Also featured in: • Vietnam War: Mexican-American Songs • Vietnam War: Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs Sources1Newspapers.com↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — Mexican-American / Hispanic Songs

Double-side Vietnam War record, released in 1967 (Kaylsodak Recording Company # Klsd 0003/0004), in Mitchell, South Dakota, USA, in the garage rock genre, with Mexican trumpets. The songs are composed by T. J. Magera. An article from The Daily Republic, Mitchell, South Dakota, on 29 July 1967, read: "the many faceted talents of Magera vastly transcend sales. They include composing and recording (Magera cuts his own discs on the "Kaylsodak Recording Company" label in partnership with Jan Grosz)... He's a gifted trumpet player and, as a composer, created such hopefuls as "The Ballad of John Kennedy," "The Eternal Light"...."Postmarked Home", and "The Wrong Side of Saigon"... Tom has his own band, not surprisingly named the "Versatones"".1 Both sides of this single are Vietnam War-related, narrated from the soldier's perspective. In the song "Postmarked Home", the soldier described mail call - a reference to military personnel assembling for the distribution of mail - he received a letter and recalled home and his sweetheart. He said that he needed to "kill some more to make these people free", a small patriotic / pro-government message. In the song "Wrong Side of Saigon", also narrated from the soldier's perspective, the protagonist revealed that his sweetheart had left him: "shattered all my dreams". He expressed his sadness at being along in Saigon.Sources1Newspapers.com↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs

Double-side Vietnam War record, released in 1967 (Kaylsodak Recording Company # Klsd 0003/0004), in Mitchell, South Dakota, USA, in the garage rock genre, with Mexican trumpets. The songs are composed by T. J. Magera. An article from The Daily Republic, Mitchell, South Dakota, on 29 July 1967, read: "the many faceted talents of Magera vastly transcend sales. They include composing and recording (Magera cuts his own discs on the "Kaylsodak Recording Company" label in partnership with Jan Grosz)... He's a gifted trumpet player and, as a composer, created such hopefuls as "The Ballad of John Kennedy," "The Eternal Light"...."Postmarked Home", and "The Wrong Side of Saigon"... Tom has his own band, not surprisingly named the "Versatones"."1 Both sides of this single are Vietnam War-related, narrated from the soldier's perspective. In the song "Postmarked Home", the soldier described mail call - a reference to military personnel assembling for the distribution of mail - he received a letter and recalled home and his sweetheart. He said that he needed to "kill some more to make these people free", a small patriotic / pro-government message.In the song "Wrong Side of Saigon", also narrated from the soldier's perspective, the protagonist revealed that his sweetheart had left him: "shattered all my dreams". He expressed his sadness at being along in Saigon.Sources1Newspapers.com↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: She said she'd always wait for me, but I was yoo long at sea / She buzzed around just like a bee / And now she shattered all my dreams / For a while I felt so blue, but I want to find a way.... / And bring her home with me someday / I thought at last I found my true love and at last my heartache is gone / But I found out how much I was wrong / From the wrong side of Saigon / I thought she cared a lot for me, that's why it's hard to tell a lie / She asked tomorrow were we'll be and then my buddies had to die / Well I saw right through her scheme / And though there is nothing more lonely than a man and his dream / I strung her along fellows and played her little game / Nothing worse than a spy boys, especially a dame

Notes

Pink Kaylsodak Recording Company label, Mitchell, S.D., 0004 (18468), 45 RPM; "Wrong Side of Saigon" (T. J. Magera), time 3:10, Kaylsodak Publishing, Mitchell, S.D. The picture sleeve is a handwritten letter headed "Sat. night, Saigon, Viet Nam" and opening "Dear Buddy," that sets out the song's words, overprinted in large crayon lettering with "Wrong Side of Saigon" and "Doc and the Medics"; it ends "Hanky panky U.S. to Hong Kong!!!! And the wrong side of Saigon" and is marked ©1967 T. J. Magera. [From the record sleeve and labels]

Themes

Soldier's Perspective

In collections

Garage Rock Songs · Mexican-American / Hispanic Songs · US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs [War Years]