Talking Vietnam Lyrics - Phil Ochs

Sailing over to Vietnam 

Southeast Asian Birmingham 

Well training is the word we use 

Nice word to have in case we lose 

Training a million Vietnamese 

To fight for the wrong government and the American way 

Well they put me in a barracks house 

Just across the way from Laos 

They said, "You're pretty safe when the troops deploy 

But don't turn your back on your house boy" 

When they ring the gong 

Watch out for the Viet-Cong 

Well, the sergeant said, "It's time to train" 

So I climbed aboard my helicopter plane 

We flew above the battle ground 

A sniper tried to shoot us down 

He must have forgotten, we're only trainees 

Them Commies never fight fair 

Friends the very next day we trained some more 

We burned some villages down to the floor 

Yes we burned out the jungles far and wide 

Made sure those red apes had no place left to hide 

Threw all the people in relocation camps 

Under lock and key, made damn sure they're free 

Well, I walked through the jungle and around the bend 

Who should I meet but the ghost of President Diem 

Said you're fighting to keep Vietnam free 

For good old democracy 

That means rule by one family 

And 15,000 American troops, give or take a few 

Thousand 

American 

Troops 

He said, "I was a fine old Christian man 

Ruling this backward Buddhist land 

Well, it ain't much but what the heck 

It sure beats hell out of Chiang Kai-shek 

I'm the power elite 

Me and the 7th fleet" 

He said, "Meet my sister, Madam Nhu 

The sweetheart of Dien Bien Phu" 

He said, "Meet my brothers, meet my aunts 

With the government that doesn't take a chance 

Families that slay together 

Stay together" 

Said, "If you want to stay you'll have to pay 

Over a million dollars a day, but it's worth it all, don't you see? 

If you lose the country you'll still have me 

Me and Syngman Rhee, Chiang Kai-shek, Madam Nhu 

Like I said on 'Meet the Press' 

I regret that I have but one country to give for my life" 

Well, now old Diem is gone and dead 

All the new leaders are anti-Red 

Yes they're pro-American, freedom sensations 

Against Red China, the United Nations 

Now all the news commentators and the CIA 

Are saying, "Thank God for coincidence"