| Goodnight Saigon |
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What surprisingly resulted in an incredibly intense song, Goodnight Saigon, is a tribute to those that fought in the Vietnam War. The lyrics concentrate on the point of view of the soldiers knowing that they were in a strange land and though this may be the dream of many to travel, this was not a pleasant visit. He describes how rudimentary and primitive life was and how killing became instinctual. Ultimately it is an anthem of unity and it’s rise to popularity came as was no surprise, despite that the producer, Phil Ramone says there were no expectations that anything spectacular would come from the song and that it was released because of the meaning that it held for Billy Joel and those that lost their lives in Vietnam. Joel does not often perform this song in a live performance but each time he does the place comes apart. On some occasions Joel has even brought some of the old Vietnam War veterans to perform this song with him on stage. In the UK when this song was released it was on a single sided AA along with the track “Leave a Tender Moment. |