Lyrics: Singin' In Vietnam Talkin' Blues

One mornin' at breakfast I said to my wife
We've been everywhere once and some places twice
As I had another helpin' of country ham
She said we ain't never been to Vietnam
There's a bunch of our boys over there
So we went to the Orient Saigon

Well we got a big welcome when we drove in
To the gates of a place that they call Longh Bin
We checked in and everything got kinda quiet
But a soldier boy said just wait till tonight
Things get noisy things start happenin'
Big bad fire crackers

Well that night we did about four shows for the boys
And they were livin' it up with a whole lotta noise
We did our last song for the night
And we crawled into bed for some peace and quiet
But things weren't peaceful and things weren't quiet things were scary

Well for a few minutes June never said one word
And I thought at first that she hadn't heard
Then a shell exploded not two miles away
She sat up in bed and I heard her say
What was that I said that was a shell or a bomb
She said I'm scared I said me too

Well all night long that noise kept on
And the sound would chill you right to the bone
The bullets and the bombs and the motor shells
Shook our bed every time one fell
And it never let up it was gonna get worse before it got any better

Well when the sun came up the noise died down
We got a few minutes sleep and we were sleepin' sound
Then a soldier knocked on our door and said
The last night they brought in seven dead
And fourteen wounded and would we come
Down to the base hospital and see the boys yeah

So we went to the hospital warded by day
And ever night with the singin' away
Then the shells and the bombs till dawn again
And the helicopters brought in the wounded men
Night after night day after day comin' and a goin'

So we sadly sang for them our last song
And reluctantly we said so long
We did our best to let 'em know that we care
For ever last one of them that's over there
Whether we belong over there or not
Somebody over here loves 'em and needs 'em

Well now that's about all that there is to tell
About that little trip into livin' hell
And if I ever go back over there anymore
Hope there's none of our boys there for me to sing for
I hope that war's over with and they all come back home to stay in peace