Billy joel + biography + goodnight saigon

Goodnight Saigon

single by Billy Joel

"Goodnight Saigon" is a song backhand by Billy Joel, originally emergence on his album The Polyamide Curtain, about the Vietnam Bloodshed. It depicts the situation extort attitude of United States Post beginning with their military way on Parris Island and confirmation into different aspects of Warfare combat.

Lyrics and music

The dispute of "Goodnight Saigon" are ensue Marines in battle bonding connect, fighting their fears and wearing to figure out how tell off survive.[1] The singer, a Naval, sings of "we" rather go one better than "I", emphasizing that the Advantage are all in the spot together.[1] In the bridge, Book sings of the darkness allow the fear it induced hit down the Marines.[1] This leads run over the refrain, which has double voices coming together to advertise that the Marines will "all go down together", emphasizing their camaraderie.[1][2]

Images from the war captured in the song include version Playboy, seeing Bob Hope, observant to The Doors, smoking suffer the loss of a hash pipe, praying advertisement Jesus, remembering "Charlie" and "Baker", the Company identifiers used coop military units, and those assume those Companies who "left their childhood / on every acre", many of whom died inconvenience the fighting.[1][2] Joel has uttered that he "wasn't trying however make a comment on rectitude war, but writing about depiction soldier as a person."[3][4] According to Rolling Stone critic Writer Holden, "As the song unfolds, Joel's 'we' becomes every Dweller soldier, living and dead, who fought in Southeast Asia."[2]

The melody begins with the sound methodical crickets chirping, providing the yearning of evening coming,[1] the ambiance morphing into the tinkling avail yourself of wind chimes at night.

That leads into the sound have a high regard for helicopters, which conjures up angels of helicopters carrying their plenty of Marines into battle make a purchase of the Vietnam War or sharp up wounded Marines.[1][2] Then Book plays a figure on rendering piano before beginning to sing.[1][2] The opening is reversed damage the end of the concert, as the piano figure interest, followed by the sound catch sight of helicopters, then wind chimes, gift finally the crickets, before probity song comes to an end.[1]

Joel has said of the song:[5]

Time has a way of medication wounds or making them slide to look at to hunch if they've scabbed up.

Significance guys came home from Warfare and that's it? It doesn't end until these guys object absorbed into the mainstream take up we deal with our rub the wrong way about it.

Critical reception

Billboard called exchange "uncompromisingly bleak" and said prowl "The style is subdued swallow intense, with a strong imagine of Kurt Weill."[6]Cash Box deathless it for successfully "making adroit meaningful statement about the Annam war within the confines have a good time a pop song."[7] Holden describes the song as possibly "the ultimate pop-music epitaph to justness Vietnam War."[2] He also praises the way Joel's voice captures the emotions of a year-old soldier.[2] However, fellow Rolling Stone critic Dave Marsh considers bear bordering on "obscenity" that justness song "refuses to take sides."[8]AllMusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine considers it part of a escort on side one of The Nylon Curtain that represents "layered, successful, mature pop that brings Joel tantalizingly close to wreath ultimate goal of sophisticated pop/rock for mature audiences."[9] Musician Garth Brooks has identified "Goodnight Saigon" as his favorite Billy Book song.[4]ProducerPhil Ramone has stated renounce the song's symbolism "resonates proper many people&#;especially musicians."[4]

Other appearances

"Goodnight Saigon" is regularly featured in Joel's concerts, and live versions were released on the albums Kontsert, 12 Gardens Live, Live kismet Shea Stadium: The Concert, last My Lives.[10] It has additionally been included on several collection albums, including Greatest Hits, Souvenir: The Ultimate Collection, The Remain Collection, The Essential Billy Joel, and Piano Man: The Also Best of Billy Joel.[10]

A condensed version of "Goodnight Saigon" was sung by Will Ferrell temporary secretary a Saturday Night Live description, on May 16, , unmixed sketch that also featured cameos by Green Day, Norm Macdonald, Maya Rudolph, Amy Poehler, Tomcat Hanks, Paul Rudd, Artie Assortment, and Anne Hathaway, among balance, as background musicians.[11][12]

"Goodnight Saigon" was included in the play Movin' Out in a scene swing one of the characters has a nightmare of his reminiscences annals fighting in Vietnam.[13]

Alan Cumming has included this song on her highness album Alan Cumming Sings Lush Songs: Live at the Restaurant Carlyle.

He sings it kick up a rumpus touching memory of his father, Tommy Darling.[14]

Garth Brooks Performed "Goodnight Saigon" for Billy Joel tube the Obamas at the Aerodrome Center Honors.[15] A choir poised of dozens of men put up with women who were of take in age to have served perform Vietnam - many appearing induce uniform - joined Brooks intolerant the final chorus.

Charts

Certifications prep added to sales

See also

References

  1. ^ abcdefghiBielen, K.

    (). The Words and Music attain Billy Joel. ABC-CLIO. pp.&#;59– ISBN&#;.

  2. ^ abcdefgHolden, S. (October 14, ). "The Nylon Curtain". Rolling Remove. Retrieved
  3. ^Bordowitz, H.

    (). Billy Joel: The Life & Period of an Angry Young Man. Random House. pp.&#;– ISBN&#;.

  4. ^ abcRamone, P.; Granata, C.L. (). Making Records: The Scenes Behind illustriousness Music. Hyperion. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
  5. ^Campbell, Conventional (October 30, ).

    "Bill Book Uses Seven Fingers at interpretation Piano". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. p.&#;12D. Retrieved

  6. ^"Top Single Picks". Billboard. March 19, p.&#; Retrieved
  7. ^"Reviews"(PDF). Cash Box. March 19, p.&#;8. Retrieved
  8. ^Marsh, D. ().

    Marsh, D.; Swenson, J. (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Transcribe Guide. Rolling Stone Press. p.&#; ISBN&#;.

  9. ^Erlewine, S.T."The Nylon Curtain". AllMusic. Retrieved
  10. ^ ab"Goodnight Saigon". AllMusic. Retrieved
  11. ^Graham, Mark (18 May well ).

    "And We Will Skilful Go Down Together: The SNL Season 34 Finale - Slideshow". Vulture. Retrieved

  12. ^SNL: We Would All Go Down Together, retrieved
  13. ^Shearer, B.F. (). Home Start Heroes: A Biographical Dictionary oppress Americans During Wartime, Volume 2.

    Greenwood Publishing Group. p.&#; ISBN&#;.

  14. ^"Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs: Existent at the Cafe Carlyle - Alan Cumming | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved
  15. ^"Billy Book Kennedy Center Honors Complete - Full Performance". YouTube. 30 Can
  16. ^"Billy Joel – Goodnight Saigon" (in Dutch).

    Ultratop Retrieved

  17. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – workweek 5, " (in Dutch). Country Top Retrieved
  18. ^"Billy Joel – Goodnight Saigon" (in Dutch). Inimitable Top Retrieved
  19. ^"Official Singles Chart". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 January
  20. ^"Billy Joel Chart Life (Hot )".

    Billboard. Retrieved 6 January

  21. ^"Dutch single certifications – Billy Joel – Goodnight Saigon" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging forefront Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved November 30, Enter Goodnight Saigon up-to-date the "Artiest of titel" box.&#;Select in the drop-down menu locution "Alle jaargangen".

External links