Page type: lyric reference
Artist: Phil Ochs
Canonical path: /phil-ochs/talking-vietnam
Related lyric paths: 6
Lyric guide
Talking Vietnam
Read Talking Vietnam lyrics by Phil Ochs on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.
person
Curated by Ethan Walker
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Lyrics
Talking Vietnam
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Sailing over to Vietnam,
Southeast Asian Birmingham.
Well training is the word we use,
Nice word to have in case we lose.
Training a million Vietnamese
To fight for the wrong government and the American Way.
Well they put me in a barracks house
Just across the way from Laos.
They said you're pretty safe when the troops deploy
But don't turn your back on your house boy
When they ring the gong, watch out for the Viet-Cong.
Well the sergeant said it's time to train
So I climbed aboard my helicopter plane.
We flew above the battle ground
A sniper tried to shoot us down.
He must have forgotten, we're only trainees.
Them Commies never fight fair.
Friends the very next day we trained some more
We burned some villages down to the floor.
Yes we burned out the jungles far and wide,
Made sure those red apes had no place left to hide.
Threw all the people in relocation camps,
Under lock and key, made damn sure they're free.
Well I walked through the jungle and around the bend
Who should I meet but President Diem.
Said you're fighting to keep Vietnam free
For good old de-em-moc-ra-cy (Diem-ocracy).
That means rule by one family
And 15,000 American troops, give or take a few
Thousand.
American.
Troops.
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Who performs "Talking Vietnam"?
Phil Ochs performs "Talking Vietnam", and this lyric page sits inside the Phil Ochs catalog on LyroVerse.
Are there related songs to explore after "Talking Vietnam"?
Yes. The related section below points to Another Country and A Toast to Those Who Are Gone with a short reason for opening each page next.
Where can I find more songs by Phil Ochs?
Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Phil Ochs's lyric pages.
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