19 [demo] Lyrics - 19 [30th Anniversary Mixes] - Paul Hardcastle

They fought the longest war in American history 

They fought the longest war in American history 

In 1965 Vietnam seemed like just another foreign war, 

but it wasn't. 

It was different in many ways, as so were those that did the fighting. 

In World War II the average age of the combat soldier was 26 

In Vietnam he was 19. 

In inininininin Vietnam he was 19. 

The shooting and fighting of the past two weeks continued today 

25 miles west of Saigon 

I really wasn't sure what was going on 

Nininini Nineteen, 19, Ni-nineteen 19 

19,19,19,19 

In Vietnam the combat soldier typically served a twelve month tour of duty but 

was exposed to hostile fire almost everyday 

Ninininininininininin 19 nininininninin 19 

Hundreds of Thousands of men who saw heavy combat in Vietnam were arrested 

since discharge 

Their arrest rate is almost twice that of non-veterans of the same age. 

There are no accurate figures of how many of these men have been incarcerated. 

But, a Veterans Administration study concludes that the greater of Vets 

exposure to combat could more likely affect his chances of being arrested or 

convicted. 

This is one legacy of the Vietnam War 

All those who remember the war 

They won't forget what they've seen 

Destruction of men in their prime 

whose average was 19 

Dedededededede-Destruction 

Dedededededede-Destruction 

War, War 

Dededede-Destruction, wa-wa-War, wa-War, War 

Dedededededede-Destruction 

War, War 

After World War II the Men came home together on troop ships, but the Vietnam 

Vet often arrived home within 48 hours of jungle combat 

Perhaps the most dramatic difference between World War II and Vietnam was 

coming home, none of them received a hero's welcome 

None of them received a heroes welcome, none of them, none of them 

Nenene Nenene None of them, none of them, none of them (etc) 

None of them received a hero's welcome 

None of them received a hero's welcome 

According to a Veteran's Administration study 

Half of the Vietnam combat veterans suffered from what Psychiatrists call 

Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder 

Many vets complain of alienation, rage, or guilt 

Some succumb to suicidal thoughts 

Eight to Ten years after coming home almost eight-hundred-thousand men are 

still fighting the Vietnam War 

Dedededededede-Destruction 

Nininininininininin Nineteen, 19, Ni-nineteen 19 

19,19,19,19 

Nininininininininin Nineteen, 19, Ni-nineteen 19 

19,19,19,19 

When we came back it was different 

Everybody wants to know "How'd it 

happened to those guys over there 

There's gotta be something wrong somewhere 

We did what we had to do 

There's gotta be something wrong somewhere 

People wanted us to be ashamed of what it made us 

Dad had no idea what he went to fight and he is now 

All we want to do is come home 

All we want to do is come home 

What did we do it for 

All we want to do is come home 

Was it worth it?