Still in Saigon

"Still in Saigon", is a song written by Dan Daley and performed by the Charlie Daniels Band and released on their 1982 album Windows. It was written by Daley in May 1981.^[1]

The song is an effective portrayal of the plight of the American Vietnam veteran ten years after the war; it was part of an early 1980s wave of attention to the subject, presaging treatments such as Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A." and "Shut Out the Light", Billy Joel's "Goodnight Saigon", Huey Lewis and the News' "Walking on a Thin Line", Paul Hardcastle's "19" and somewhat later Steve Earle's "Copperhead Road".

Content

The story is told ten years after Daniels, as the protagonist, faced being drafted into the Vietnam War. Though he could have escaped to Canada as a war protester, or chosen to stay in school under a student deferment (either way avoiding being sent), believing he was "brought up differently/I couldn't break the rules" elected to go ahead and serve.

He remained in the military for "thirteen months and fifteen days", with the latter portion taking an emotional toll on Daniels ("one minute I'd kneel down and pray/The next I'd stand and curse"). The emotional problems only worsened upon his return, as he came home to a bitterly divided family – his war-protesting younger brother labels him a "killer" while his father calls him a "vet". Moreover, he began to exhibit signs of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) resulting from his service (constantly looking behind doors for the enemy, and exhibiting flashbacks during the rainy summer season); symptoms which ten years later continue to plague him.

Chart performance

Chart (1982)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	22
U.S. Mainstream Rock Tracks	2

References

↑ http://www.nytimes.com/1982/04/21/arts/still-in-saigon-climbing.html New York Times: Still in Saigon climbing

External links

lyrics from CDBfan.com

Charlie Daniels Band

Charlie Daniels Chris Wormer Charlie Hayward Bruce Brown Pat McDonald Shannon Wickline former and original members Billy Cox Mark Fitzgerald Barry Barnes Joel DiGregorio Fred Edwards Tom Crain

Studio albums	Charlie Daniels (1971) Te John, Grease, & Wolfman (1972) Honey in the Rock (1973) Way Down Yonder (1974) Fire on the Mountain (1974) Nightrider (1975) Saddle Tramp (1976) High Lonesome (1976) Midnight Wind (1977) Million Mile Reflections (1979) Full Moon (1980) Windows (1982) Me and the Boys (1985) Powder Keg (1987) Homesick Heroes (1988) Simple Man (1989) Renegade (1991) The Devil Went Down to Georgia (1993) America, I Believe in You (1993) The Door (1994) Same Ol' Me (1995) Steel Witness (1996) Blues Hat (1997) By the Light of the Moon (1997) Tailgate Party (1999) Road Dogs (2000) How Sweet the Sound: 25 Favorite Hymns and Gospel Greats (2002) Redneck Fiddlin' Man (2002) Songs From the Longleaf Pines (2005) Deuces (2007) Hits of the South (2013)

Bootleg albums	Corbitt & Daniels: Live from Carnegie Hall (1970)

Compilation albums	A Decade of Hits (1983) Super Hits (1994) The Roots Remain (1996) Fiddle Fire: 25 Years of the CDB (1998) Volunteer Jam/Classic Live Performances: Volume One (1999) Volunteer Jam/Classic Live Performances: Volume two (1999) Freedom and Justice for All (2003) Essential Super Hits (2004) 16 Biggest Hits (2006) Land That I Love (2010) Country: Charlie Daniels (2013)

Live albums	Volunteer Jam (1976) Volunteer Jam III and IV (1978) Volunteer Jam VI (1980) Volunteer Jam VII (1981) The Live Record (2001) Live from Iraq (2007)

Christmas albums	Christmas Time Down South (1990) A Merry Christmas to All (2002) Joy To The World: A Bluegrass Christmas (2009) Hallelujah It's Christmas Time Again (2012)

Singles	"Robot Romp" (1961) "Middle of a Heartache" (1966) "Great Big Bunches of Love" (1972) "Uneasy Rider" (1973) "Whiskey" (1974) "Way Down Yonder" (1974) "Land of Opportunity" (1974) "The South's Gonna Do It" (1975) "Long Haired Country Boy" (1975) "Birmingham Blues" (1975) "Texas" (1975) "Wichita Jail" (1976) "Sweet Louisiana" (1976) "Billy the Kid" (1976) "Good Ole Boy" (1977) "Heaven Can Be Anywhere" (1977) "Sugar Hill Saturday Night" (1978) "Trudy" (1978) "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" (1979) "Mississippi" (1979) "Behind Your Eyes" (1979) "Long Haired Country Boy" re-release (1980) "In America" (1980) "The Legend of Wooley Swamp" (1980) "Carolina (I Remember You)" (1980) "Sweet Home Alabama" (1981) "Still in Saigon" (1982) "Ragin' Cajun" (1982) "We Had it All One Time" (1982) "Stroker's Theme" from Stroker Ace (1983) "American Farmer" (1985) "Still Hurtin' Me" (1985) "Drinkin' My Baby Goodbye" (1986) "Bogged Down in Love With You" (1987) "Powder Keg" (1987) "Boogie Woogie Fiddle Country Blues" (1988) "Uneasy Rider '88" (1988) "Cowboy Hat in Dallas" (1989) "Midnight Train" (1989) "Simple Man" (1989) "Mister DJ" (1990) "(What This World Needs is) A Few More Rednecks" (1990) "Oh Atlanta" (1990) "Honky Tonk Life" (1991) "Twang Factor" (1991) "Little Folks" (1991) "America I Believe in You" (1993) "Two Out of Three" (1994) "Long Haired Country Boy" re-release (1997) "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" re-release (1998) "Road Dogs" (2000) "This Ain't No Rag, It's a Flag" (2001) "Southern Boy" with Travis Tritt (2003) "My Beautiful America" (2003) "Let 'Em Win or Bring 'Em Home" (2011)

Guest singles	"Willie Jones" with Bobby Bare (1980) "The Devil Comes Back to Georgia" Mark O'Connor with Johnny Cash, Marty Stuart, and Travis Tritt (1993) "All Night Long" with Montgomery Gentry (2000) "Country Boy" Aaron Lewis with George Jones (2010)

Video releases	The Band (1981) The Saratoga Concert (1982) Homefolks and Highways (1993) Essential Super Hits (2004) CDB DVD Live (2005) Volunteer Jam: The Movie (2007) Live from Iraq (2007) Charlie Daniels & Friends: Preachin', Prayin', Singin' (2008) Joy To The World: A Bluegrass Christmas (2009)

Related articles	Discography "It Hurts Me" Volunteer Jam Urban Cowboy

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