Vietnam by Jimmy Cliff

Album: Jimmy Cliff (1969)

Charted: 46

License This Song

lyrics

artistfacts

Songfacts®:

Cliff delivered this anti-war song in the form of a letter the narrator has received from a friend fighting in Vietnam. He told Mojo magazine July 2012 that it was inspired by the experiences of a friend of his: "I felt I could make a change through music," Cliff said, "maybe that stems back to church and Sam Cooke, but I was socially conscious and sensitive to things going in that war. A friend I went to school with, he was a great artist, he went to live with his family in America, he got drafted, went to Vietnam, and it blew his mind. He came back, he didn't recognise me, it was as if he was dead."
Bob Dylan once lauded this as "the best protest song ever written."
According to Paul Simon, his 1972 hit single "Mother and Child Reunion" was inspired by this song.
The song was part inspired by a close friend of Cliff's. They went to school in Somerton, Jamaica, together, but because his family lived in the States, he migrated there and got drafted for Vietnam. Cliff recalled to Uncut magazine:

"When he came back, he didn't know me. We met up again in Somerton where they have aeroplanes that fly low to spray the banana trees, and I remember he started running for cover. He lost his mind, and it was sad for me. A great person. So that was part of it, I had something personal to write about. And also I felt the war was wrong."

Comments: 2

Paul Vermehren from OkinawaSteve in UK.
You have failed to understand the sentiment of the song.
It's not about geopolitical history. It's about conscripts being sent to fight a war they may or may not believe in, and return home I'm a body bag. Or did up with PTSD.
Steve from Uk Like jimmy Cliff but these lyrics are reductive nonsense, North Vietnams war of aggression against South Vietnam was unjust not the war to defend it. The US was part of SEATO the Asia Pacific defense pact that included Australia, and south Korea amongst others, Hanoi's government was an evil communist regime that attacked neighbouring countries and tried to present it as a revolution which it was not, 85%of communist soldiers were North Vietnam National army add to that 300,000 Chinese soldiers hardly an internal conflict in south Vietnam, what were Chinese and NVA soldiers doing in the republic of South Vietnam? Most US soldiers were not conscripted but were regular army and the battles were convincingly won Hanoi was militarily defeated and forced to terms in 1973 by the Paris accords like North Korea had been 20 years earlier. That treaty was then undermined and south Vietnam defunded and the south fell to a new invasion years after the US and its allies had ceased armed Involvement, communists in asia have murdered tens of millions of people in Cambodia Laos Vietnam and China and were and are fascists. So why oh why time and again do some artists and musicians take the wrong side where is the morality and justice they pontificate about in there opposition to the correct side or support for the wrong side this has taken the form of agit propaganda since 1917 and actually cheapens art by not being honest and reducing complex issues to cheap propaganda I thought artists had a duty to tell the whole truth.

see more comments

More Songfacts:

Killer QueenQueen

The Queen song "Killer Queen," according to lead singer Freddie Mercury, is about a high-class call girl.

MC Skat Kat was created for the remix of "Opposites Attract," which was released as the last single from Paula Abdul's Forever Your Girl album. The team that created the Kat also did a-ha's "Take On Me" video.

FootlooseKenny Loggins

The names Louise, Jack, Marie and Milo all show up in the song "Footloose." Marie was the mother of Dean Pitchford, who co-wrote it.

Private IdahoThe B-52s

The B-52's chose the location of their song "Private Idaho" because the state has a reputation for being wacky and mysterious. The title is a play on the phrase "private eye."

The Way We WereBarbra Streisand

"The Way We Were" was the first of five #1 singles by Barbra Streisand. She is the only artist ever to receive an Oscar, Tony, Emmy and Grammy, and also record a #1 single and album.

Street HassleLou Reed

Lou Reed's 11-minute "Street Hassle" features a spoken part by Bruce Springsteen.