Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Donald Trump & Kim Jong Un In Vietnam February 2019 Songs To Remember


Whether this second summit between President Trump (USA) and Mr Kim (PRNK) will bring about a successful bid to a complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation is still unclear. 

 What is clear during this meeting is the venue. Vietnam reminds many pop song enthusiasts the music that made the charts in the 60s and 70s during the infamous War.

My family and I were in Danang for a holiday last Summer 2018 and we visited the beach where the American troops landed in March, 1965. Put these two pieces of information together and the number of pop songs on the topic is a nuclear blast. 
Here are some of the more well-known ones that have been taken from a few websites. I have included some of the anti-war protest songs, a soldier's plight and lament and home-sweet-home songs. It's a mix bag actually:

Blowing In The Wind Bob Dylan 1963
Detroit City Bobby Bare 1963
Masters Of War Bob Dylan 1963

 I Ain't Marching Anymore Phil Ochs 1965
We Gotta Get Out Of This Place The Animals 1965
Green Green Grass of Home Tom Jones 1965

 Bring 'Em Home Bob Seegar 1965
Feel Like I'm Fixin' To Die Rag Country Joe McDonald and The Fish 1965
Ballad Of The Green Beret Barry Sadler 1966
7O'clock Great News/Silent Night Simon Garfunkel 1966
The Letter BoxTops 1967
Backlash Blues Nina Simone 1967

 Saigon Bride Joan Baez 1967
All Along The Watchtower Bob Dylan 1967
Purple Haze Jimmy Hendrix 1967

 Waste Deep In The Muddy Pete Seeger 1967
Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay Otis Redding 1968
Draft Morning The Byrds 1968

 Sky Pilot Eric Burdon 1968
The Unknown Soldier The Doors 1968
Fortunate Son CCR 1969

 Vietnam Jimmy Cliff 1969
Susan On The West Coast Waiting Donovan 1969
Leaving On A Jet Plane John Denver 1969

 Give Peace A Chance John Lennon 1969
Gimme Shelter The Rolling Stones 1969
Okie From Muskogee Merle Haggard 1969

 War Edwin Starr 1970
Run Through The Jungle CCR 1970
What's Going On Marvin Gaye 1971

 Imagine John Lennon 1971
Chicago Graham Nash 1971
Peace Train Cat Stevens 1971

 I Want To Come Home For Christmas Marvin Gaye 1972
Happy Christmas The War Is Over John Lennon 1972
Give Me Love Peace On Earth George Harrison 1973

 SearchAnd Destroy The Stooges 1973
Billy Don't Be A Hero Paper Lace 1974
StraightTo Hell The Clash 1982

 Joan Baez asks in Saigon Bride:

 How many dead men will it take
To build a dike that will not break? 
How many children must we kill? 
Before we make the waves stand still...
Imagine by John Lennon. Song was recorded in 1971.
Below is a list of postings found on this blog pertaining to the same topic:

 https://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/2009/05/vietnam-war-protest-songs-60s-music.html

 https://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/2016/04/us-troops-from-vietnam-plays-motown-on.html

 https://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/2016/06/les-miz-miss-saigon-singapore-to-london.html

 https://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/2009/05/elvis-presley-dont-cry-daddy-vietnam.html

 https://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/2009/09/singapore-f1-formula-race-and-beatles.html
Seriously, let's just remember John Lennon's words: 

 I wonder if you can, 
No for greed or hunger, 
A brotherhood of man.
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one.

 Let's hope for a more conclusive summit this time around and another singer songwriter can compose a new peace treaty melody. Perhaps a Singaporean composer?

 Google Images.
at

7 comments:

  1. Richard R.27.2.19

    I do recaled this lyrics/melody vividly... *where have all the flowers gone, long time passing,...
    When will they ever learn? When will they ever... Learn?*
    Peter, Paul & Mary.. 👍Always heard on Reddifusion🙏

    ReplyDelete
  2. ELLE (WWW.KWCSINGAPORE.COM)27.2.19

    Great segue from politics to music.
    I agree that more Singapore-born music should go out internationally -
    Perhaps you can next try to round up the composers and arrangers.
    I have a lot of past singing championships who can make their songs come to life.

    ReplyDelete
  3. JERRY SARAM27.2.19

    I thought I would be hearing some music or songs pertaining to this meetingbut there are none.
    Did I miss out on something?

    By the way it was a great piece of ingenuity on your part to superipose your picture in between those two VIPs.
    You have stolen the thunder from these two characters as you are the best looking of the lot!

    ReplyDelete
  4. EDWIN GOH (FORMER RELC DIRECTOR)27.2.19

    Linking 'peace' talk between Trump and Kim to the Vietnam War music bagus lah (very good man1)

    ReplyDelete
  5. ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. ©27.2.19

    The connecting link is VIETNAM where the biggest war occurred in the 60s.
    Now peace?
    Hopefully?
    The photo is done for fun
    It's supposed to represent a peaceful music man between two noise makers.
    Haha.


    60s music interpreted Vietnam war as a curse to mankind killed and maiming US soldiers, Vietnamese citizens, etc.
    It was an example so horrid it has brought much shame to mankind.


    There are thousands of songs actually and this is only part of it.
    Dont forget the Vietnamese also have their own songs.
    I have heard some of them when I met the Vietnamese students in New Zealand in 1973 when I studied there.
    Mostly sad songs and lament that brought tears to many who listened to them.

    Let's hope this second summit will bring some sense to this very turbulent world today.

    THANK YOU ALL FOR RESPONSE

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous28.2.19

    Hi Andy,

    Let's hope some good comes of the meetings.

    Your list of songs about the Vietnam war made me think of some Australian ones that were around at the time. But Jerry's comment made me think there must have been a lot songs written about the Korean war as well. I found a website that lists some of them:

    https://www.historyonthenet.com/authentichistory/1946-1960/2-korea/3-music/

    Regards

    Steve

    ReplyDelete
  7. Alfredo Wongo28.2.19

    Good piece on those peace songs ! Well done Andy ! Hope there is More Peace on Earth

    ReplyDelete