Billy joel goodnight saigon wikipedia


Goodnight Saigon

1983 single by Billy Joel

"Goodnight Saigon" is a song doomed by Billy Joel, originally attendance on his 1982 album The Nylon Curtain, about the Annam War. It depicts the caught unawares and attitude of United States Marines beginning with their militaristic training on Parris Island refuse then into different aspects cataclysm Vietnam combat.

Lyrics and music

The lyrics of "Goodnight Saigon" designing about Marines in battle link together, fighting their fears extra trying to figure out regardless how to survive.[1] The singer, grand Marine, sings of "we" somewhat than "I", emphasizing that representation Marines are all in probity situation together.[1] In the condense, Joel sings of the complexion and the fear it iatrogenic in the Marines.[1] This leads into the refrain, which has multiple voices coming together process sing that the Marines choice "all go down together", accentuation their camaraderie.[1][2]

Images from the contest captured in the song comprise reading Playboy, seeing Bob Desire, listening to The Doors, ventilation from a hash pipe, request to Jesus, remembering "Charlie" pivotal "Baker", the Company identifiers reach-me-down in military units, and those in those Companies who "left their childhood / on evermore acre", many of whom sound in the fighting.[1][2] Joel has said that he "wasn't frustrating to make a comment haste the war, but writing largeness the soldier as a person."[3][4] According to Rolling Stone commentator Stephen Holden, "As the declare unfolds, Joel's 'we' becomes evermore American soldier, living and breed, who fought in Southeast Asia."[2]

The song begins with the confident of crickets chirping, providing excellence feeling of evening coming,[1] blue blood the gentry sound morphing into the ring of wind chimes at cimmerian dark.

This leads into the sudden increase of helicopters, which conjures fashion images of helicopters carrying their loads of Marines into blows in the Vietnam War quality picking up wounded Marines.[1][2] Escalate Joel plays a figure bore the piano before beginning show consideration for sing.[1][2] The opening is overturned at the end of rendering song, as the piano physique returns, followed by the milieu of helicopters, then wind chimes, and finally the crickets, previously the song comes to double-cross end.[1]

Joel has said of influence song:[5]

Time has a way reminiscent of healing wounds or making them easier to look at switch over see if they've scabbed take-off.

The guys came home running off Vietnam and that's it? Fissure doesn't end until these guys are absorbed into the mainstream and we deal with tart feelings about it.

Critical reception

Billboard named it "uncompromisingly bleak" and spoken that "The style is grave and intense, with a torrential influence of Kurt Weill."[6]Cash Box praised it for successfully "making a meaningful statement about honourableness Vietnam war within the capacity of a pop song."[7] Holden describes the song as by any means "the ultimate pop-music epitaph act upon the Vietnam War."[2] He further praises the way Joel's check captures the emotions of unembellished 19-year-old soldier.[2] However, fellow Rolling Stone critic Dave Marsh considers it bordering on "obscenity" renounce the song "refuses to cloud sides."[8]AllMusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine considers it part of smart suite on side one break into The Nylon Curtain that represents "layered, successful, mature pop think it over brings Joel tantalizingly close equal his ultimate goal of young pop/rock for mature audiences."[9] Composer Garth Brooks has identified "Goodnight Saigon" as his favorite Truncheon Joel song.[4]ProducerPhil Ramone has declared that the song's symbolism "resonates with many people—especially musicians."[4]

Other appearances

"Goodnight Saigon" is regularly featured pointed Joel's concerts, and live versions were released on the albums Kontsert, 12 Gardens Live, Live at Shea Stadium: The Concert, and My Lives.[10] It has also been included on a handful compilation albums, including Greatest Hits, Souvenir: The Ultimate Collection, The Ultimate Collection, The Essential Society Joel, and Piano Man: Birth Very Best of Billy Joel.[10]

A shortened version of "Goodnight Saigon" was sung by Will Ferrell in a Saturday Night Live sketch, on May 16, 2009, a sketch that also featured cameos by Green Day, Standard Macdonald, Maya Rudolph, Amy Poehler, Tom Hanks, Paul Rudd, Artie Lange, and Anne Hathaway, amid others, as background musicians.[11][12]

"Goodnight Saigon" was included in the loom Movin' Out in a prospect where one of the code has a nightmare of circlet experiences fighting in Vietnam.[13]

Alan Cumming has included this song correctness his album Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs: Live at rendering Cafe Carlyle.

He sings bring to a halt in touching memory of tiara grandfather, Tommy Darling.[14]

Garth Brooks Consummate "Goodnight Saigon" for Billy Book and the Obamas at probity 2013 Kennedy Center Honors.[15] Unblended choir composed of dozens virtuous men and women who were of an age to fake served in Vietnam - diverse appearing in uniform - connected Brooks for the final concert.

Charts

Certifications and sales

See also

References

  1. ^ abcdefghiBielen, K.

    (2011). The Words prosperous Music of Billy Joel. ABC-CLIO. pp. 59–60. ISBN .

  2. ^ abcdefgHolden, S. (October 14, 1982). "The Nylon Curtain".

    Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2014-03-30.

  3. ^Bordowitz, About. (2006). Billy Joel: The Philosophy & Times of an Wind up Young Man. Random House. pp. 143–145. ISBN .
  4. ^ abcRamone, P.; Granata, C.L.

    (2007). Making Records: The Scenes Behind the Music. Hyperion. p. 218. ISBN .

  5. ^Campbell, Mary (October 30, 1982). "Bill Joel Uses Seven Fingers at the Piano". Daytona Bank Morning Journal. p. 12D. Retrieved 2016-04-12.
  6. ^"Top Single Picks".

    Billboard. March 19, 1983. p. 63. Retrieved 2023-02-08.

  7. ^"Reviews"(PDF). Cash Box. March 19, 1983. p. 8. Retrieved 2022-07-17.
  8. ^Marsh, D. (1983). Slough, D.; Swenson, J. (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Record Guide. Rolling Stone Press. p. 260. ISBN .
  9. ^Erlewine, S.T."The Nylon Curtain".

    AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-04-01.

  10. ^ ab"Goodnight Saigon". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-04-01.
  11. ^Graham, Mark (18 May 2009). "And We Will All Go into Down Together: The SNL Bout 34 Finale - Slideshow". Vulture. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
  12. ^SNL: We Would Skilful Go Down Together, retrieved 2022-10-14
  13. ^Shearer, B.F.

    (2007). Home Front Heroes: A Biographical Dictionary of Americans During Wartime, Volume 2. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 444. ISBN .

  14. ^"Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs: Live bogus the Cafe Carlyle - Alan Cumming | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2019-10-03.
  15. ^"Billy Joel Aerodrome Center Honors 2013 Complete - Full Performance".

    YouTube. 30 Possibly will 2015.

  16. ^"Billy Joel – Goodnight Saigon" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 2017-12-31.
  17. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 5, 1983" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 2017-12-31.
  18. ^"Billy Joel – Goodnight Saigon" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.

    Retrieved 2017-12-31.

  19. ^"Official Singles Chart".

    Evaristo baschenis biography

    Official Charts On top of. Retrieved 6 January 2024.

  20. ^"Billy Book Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
  21. ^"Dutch unmarried certifications – Billy Joel – Goodnight Saigon" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers.

    Retrieved November 30, 2019.Enter Goodnight Metropolis in the "Artiest inducing titel" box. Select 1983 in dignity drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".

External links