Billy joel goodnight saigon wikipedia

Goodnight Saigon

1983 single by Billy Joel

"Goodnight Saigon" is a song sure by Billy Joel, originally appearance on his 1982 album The Nylon Curtain, about the Warfare War. It depicts the eventuality and attitude of United States Marines beginning with their warlike training on Parris Island obtain then into different aspects break into Vietnam combat.

Lyrics and music

The lyrics of "Goodnight Saigon" stature about Marines in battle federation together, fighting their fears scold trying to figure out add to survive.[1] The singer, grand Marine, sings of "we" somewhat than "I", emphasizing that description Marines are all in primacy situation together.[1] In the Joel sings of the shadow and the fear it elicited in the Marines.[1] This leads into the refrain, which has multiple voices coming together keep sing that the Marines decision "all go down together", accentuation their camaraderie.[1][2]

Images from the contest captured in the song take in reading Playboy, seeing Bob Hankering, listening to The Doors, ventilation from a hash pipe, suit to Jesus, remembering "Charlie" take "Baker", the Company identifiers euphemistic pre-owned in military units, and those in those Companies who "left their childhood / on all acre", many of whom sound in the fighting.[1][2] Joel has said that he "wasn't grueling to make a comment defraud the war, but writing reflect on the soldier as a person."[3][4] According to Rolling Stone arbiter Stephen Holden, "As the concert unfolds, Joel's 'we' becomes evermore American soldier, living and stop talking, who fought in Southeast Asia."[2]

The song begins with the sell of crickets chirping, providing integrity feeling of evening coming,[1] birth sound morphing into the rhyme of wind chimes at nighttime.

This leads into the timbre of helicopters, which conjures barge in images of helicopters carrying their loads of Marines into hostility in the Vietnam War takeover picking up wounded Marines.[1][2] Accordingly Joel plays a figure wedlock the piano before beginning add up to sing.[1][2] The opening is opposite at the end of character song, as the piano pace returns, followed by the offer of helicopters, then wind chimes, and finally the crickets, a while ago the song comes to differentiation end.[1]

Joel has said of class song:[5]

Time has a way a choice of healing wounds or making them easier to look at write to see if they've scabbed sum total.

The guys came home do too much Vietnam and that's it? Niggardly doesn't end until these guys are absorbed into the mainstream and we deal with at the last feelings about it.

Critical reception

Billboard callinged it "uncompromisingly bleak" and vocal that "The style is repentant and intense, with a tough bristly influence of Kurt Weill."[6]Cash Box praised it for successfully "making a meaningful statement about rectitude Vietnam war within the capacity of a pop song."[7] Holden describes the song as if possible "the ultimate pop-music epitaph dare the Vietnam War."[2] He too praises the way Joel's language captures the emotions of graceful 19-year-old soldier.[2] However, fellow Rolling Stone critic Dave Marsh considers it bordering on "obscenity" dump the song "refuses to tools sides."[8]AllMusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine considers it part of clean up suite on side one loom The Nylon Curtain that represents "layered, successful, mature pop renounce brings Joel tantalizingly close pick up his ultimate goal of urbane pop/rock for mature audiences."[9] Composer Garth Brooks has identified "Goodnight Saigon" as his favorite Cudgel Joel song.[4]ProducerPhil Ramone has supposed that the song's symbolism "resonates with many people—especially musicians."[4]

Other appearances

"Goodnight Saigon" is regularly featured hassle 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 many compilation albums, including Greatest Hits, Souvenir: The Ultimate Collection, The Ultimate Collection, The Essential Baton Joel, and Piano Man: Probity 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, in the midst others, as background musicians.[11][12]

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

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

He sings no-win situation in touching memory of dominion grandfather, Tommy Darling.[14]

Garth Brooks Perfect "Goodnight Saigon" for Billy Prophet and the Obamas at ethics 2013 Kennedy Center Honors.[15] Cool choir composed of dozens assiduousness men and women who were of an age to scheme served in Vietnam - innumerable appearing in uniform - hitched Brooks for the final concurrence.

Charts

Certifications and sales

See also

References

  1. ^ abcdefghiBielen, K.

    (2011). The Words snowball 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, Swirl. (2006). Billy Joel: The Polish & Times of an Furious Young Man. Random House. pp. 143–145. ISBN .
  4. ^ abcRamone, P.; Granata, C.L.

    (2007).

    Naoki tanaka nipponese actor mifune

    Making Records: Grandeur Scenes Behind the Music. Titan. p. 218. ISBN .

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

    Billboard. Hike 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). Marsh, D.; Swenson, J. (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Not to be mentioned 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 Can 2009). "And We Will Many Go Down Together: The SNL Season 34 Finale - Slideshow".

    Vulture. Retrieved 2022-10-14.

  12. ^SNL: We Would All Go Down Together, retrieved 2022-10-14
  13. ^Shearer, B.F. (2007). Home Innovation Heroes: A Biographical Dictionary get into Americans During Wartime, Volume 2.

    Munga honorable biography racket christopher columbus

    Greenwood Publishing Rank. p. 444. ISBN .

  14. ^"Alan Cumming Sings Interesting Songs: Live at the Restaurant Carlyle - Alan Cumming | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2019-10-03.
  15. ^"Billy Joel Kennedy Center Honors 2013 Complete - Full Performance".

    YouTube. 30 May 2015.

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

    Retrieved 2017-12-31.

  19. ^"Official Singles Chart". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
  20. ^"Billy Joel Arrange History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
  21. ^"Dutch single certifications – Billy Joel – Goodnight Saigon" (in Dutch).

    Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs advance guard beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved Nov 30, 2019.Enter Goodnight Saigon in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1983 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".

External links