Tom Paxton - Lyndon Johnson Told The Nation video free download


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Duration: 03:06
Uploaded: 2010/06/21

Tom Paxton - Lyndon Johnson Told The Nation

Lyrics:

I got a letter from L. B. J.

It said this is your lucky day.

It's time to put your khaki trousers on.

Though it may seem very queer

We've got no jobs to give you here

So we are sending you to Viet Nam

[Cho:]

Lyndon Johnson told the nation,

"Have no fear of escalation.

I am trying everyone to please.

Though it isn't really war,

We're sending fifty thousand more,

To help save Viet nam from Viet Namese."

I jumped off the old troop ship,

And sank in mud up to my hips.

I cussed until the captain called me down.

Never mind how hard it's raining,

Think of all the ground we're gaining,

Just don't take one step outside of town.

[Cho:]

Every night the local gentry,

Sneak out past the sleeping sentry.

They go to join the old VC.

In their nightly little dramas,

They put on their black pajamas,

And come lobbing mortar shells at me.

[Cho:]

We go round in helicopters,

Like a bunch of big grasshoppers,

Searching for the Viet Cong in vain.

They left a note that they had gone.

They had to get down to Saigon,

Their government positions to maintain.

[Cho:]

Well here I sit in this rice paddy,

Wondering about Big Daddy,

And I know that Lyndon loves me so.

Yet how sadly I remember,

Way back yonder in November,

When he said I'd never have to go.

[Cho:]

Comments

8 years ago

jacob smart

This song is so true 

8 years ago

Thiên Tính Lâm Huỳnh

I need mp3, please :D

9 years ago

W Smith

Hey, we did a lot for the Vietnamese. We introduced ham and lima beans into their cuisine and all those bomb craters became swimming holes during the monsoon rainy season. Not to mention that we exposed them to Afro American culture, Motown, and left tons of valuable brass scrap metal lying around for them to recycle. Where is the beef?

9 years ago

Anton Nydal

50001st view fuckyeah

9 years ago

wulatelong kr

1:41 do people fucking know the story of that photo well i will tell you that photo is called execution in saigon and the man that is about to be killed is a rapist thief and murderer that killed people in saigon in war times and hes about to be shot and killed for his crimes if you dont believe me google the story of the photo execution in saigon

9 years ago

TheHelpfulTroll

Anti War music

9 years ago

peter R

A classic. And history, as per USA policy, does repeat itself. Doesn't any government want peace? Is war just the economic advantage for the rulers? 

9 years ago

Richard Cassera

Its bad enough we did this for ten full years, but why in heavens name do we keep doing it over and over and over again??? Ever hear of "just say no"?

9 years ago

A Florida Son

Everyone complains about Vietnam, but Tom totally explains it in layman's terms. LBJ wasn't sending troops into war, we were just there "To help save Vietnam from Vietnamese" - lol. Great song.

9 years ago

Chi Sasa

Tom Paxton - Lyndon Johnson Told The Nation

9 years ago

Andy McWilliams

Chilling. I probably know some of the guys in these pics. I can never forgive LBJ, Kennedy and the whole Democrat war machine that got us into that.

9 years ago

Mark Muffs

Awesome melody with the acoustic guitar to accompany it. Would love to find CDs with 60s recordings of his but most available are of later vintage.

9 years ago

Sheila Bloom

It never ends. Now Obama. We invaded Laos and Cambodia by using their air spaces illegally then. Who will stop the US? Where are the "hell no, we won't go" voices from our tropps. Time to bring back the draft. That will get people angry.

9 years ago

Rodney Howard Basnett

Wonderful ! :D

9 years ago

Bill Purkayastha

"In their nightly little dramasThey put on their black pajamasAnd come lobbing mortar shells at me."That's exactly how a guerrilla army fights - by tying down and exhausting the occupation. 

9 years ago

Bill Purkayastha

"In their nightly little dramasThey put on their black pajamasAnd come lobbing mortar shells at me."That's exactly how a guerrilla army fights - by tying down and exhausting the occupation. 

9 years ago

Tis Herself

Jeff, I just sent a note to folks around the globe saying the same thing. Without the singer-song writers, how do we get the message out ? We can't rely on the print media aka the Fourth Estate, so what now ? I agree, who will write the song about Mr. Obama ? Everyone - or most everyone - relies on sound bites whether over TV or smart phones. Where are the investigative reporters? The 4th Estate was given the responsibility of keeping government in check - what happened?I am very much concerned about this situation --- any suggestions?

10 years ago

Miranda Paredes

listening to this song because i have to do a project on it...it's actually not that bad...i somewhat like the song that i randomly selected out of a bowl!

10 years ago

Jeff Brailey

Tom Paxton sang this song about the escalating war in Vietnam. Who will write a song for +Barack Obama as he keeps American troops in Afghanistan after his promise that all our forces will be back home by the end of 2014. Mr. President, obviously your promises ain't worth shit.

10 years ago

Steve Kay

Replace Vietnam with Syria and this song is becoming eerily similar

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