Ho Chi Minh Trail

Annotation

The second, the song "Ho Chi Minh Trail" looked at the Ho Chi Minh Trail (Đường mòn Hồ Chí Minh, also know as the Annamite Range Trail), a network of road and trails, from North to South Vietnam, via Laos and Cambodia, to provide manpower and resources to the Viet Cong: "this supply route reigns supreme". It noted the North Vietnamese tactic compared to the US: "focused on guerrilla warfare... B-52s sweep the sky, the US air force". It referred back the First Indo-China War against the French: "origins are from a previous struggle... during the First Indochina War", arguing that it provided experience for the US conflict, and that North Vietnam started to achieve its objective: "the South Vietnamese morale collapses... public opinion in the States is in turmoil". The narrator also looked at the Tet Offensive, which is marked as a major turning point: "after the Tet Offensive, Westmoreland's army starts losing the hold". The song contained excellent examples of strategy and tactics, and reference to actual events and issues related to the Vietnam War.

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: Along the lines of southern Laos / NVA, focused on guerrilla warfare / With countless tons of ammunition / Thrown straight into combat / Moving vehicles and manpower / This supply route reigns supreme / Fuelled by something worth fighting for / A solid way to avoid a plain defeat / Determined to strike it down / But the trail is always shifting / Maintenance during the day and night / Tireless work force is unleashed / Carpet bombing on a daily basis / B-52s sweep the sky / The US air force, throttle set on full / Fulfilling a task which seems pointless / The origins are from a previous struggle / Baptized in battle / During the First Indochina War / First-rate engineering by VC / The group 559 assigned / Perfected all the concealment / Paved roads and vast bunker networks / "Build roads to advance, fight the enemy to travel" / Soviet supplies are in a firm use / Anti-aircraft defenses set up to the task / While the South Vietnamese morale collapses / The trail is steadily upgraded / The public opinion in the States is in turmoil / And the vague truce is shattered / After the Tet Offensive / Westmoreland's army starts losing the hold / Cannot maintain warfare with the lack of funds / The tide had changed / Keep up the pressure and continue on building up / Pushing forward to end the conflict / It is time to force Saigon down to its knees / Moving vehicles and manpower / A solid way to avoid a plain defeat / With countless tons of ammunition / Thrown straight into…

About the artist

Death Metal group, formed in 2010 in Helsinki, Finland; members include Matias Nastolin (bass, guitar, vocals), Benjam Lahdenpää (drums), Henri Hirvonen (guitar).

Themes

Ho Chi Minh Trail · VC · B-52 · Air Force · First Indo-China War · Tet Offensive · Westmoreland · Guerrilla Warfare

In collections

European Songs · Metal Songs