Vietnam Blues

                                 

                                    Written by Frank Delaney   Key of A

A song I wrote 20 years after service during the Vietnam Conflict, about all the psychologically wounded veterans that were abandoned by their country. Referred to as "Trip Wire Veterans".

 

The Iraq war is causing a lot of division in our country today, and its important for us to support our troops regardless of what your views are about the war... most of them are young kids away from home for the first time. It's become an unpopular war ... and I know what it's like to come home and be treated like you did something wrong. I served in the Navy during the Viet Nam era, and I came home and went to school on the GI bill. Us vets always hung around together in college, apart from the longhair peaceniks.

 

Years later I really began to see the horrible effects on many of the guys who had actually been in Vietnam. They're referred to now as "trip wire veterans", and as I travel around, it seems like every town and city has a "Crazy Bob" or a "Mad Mike", - you know – “just one of those crazy Vietnam veterans ...”

 

But these guys weren't crazy when they went into the service, and they've been cast off by their own country. So instead of avoiding them,  we should be doing everything we can to help them. It's important for us to recognize them and their contributions to our freedom.

 

This song is called Vietnam Blues - and it's on my North Idaho Woods Blues CD.

 

A                                                        D7                              A

Daddy came home from Korea, just as proud as he could be,

D7                                                             A

Daddy came home from Korea, yeah just as proud as he could be,

E7                                       D7                                       A

I came home from Viet Nam, people cursin' and spitting on me.

 

A                                       D7                        A

Agent orange, agent orange, see what you did to me,

D7                                                                    A

Agent orange, agent orange, see what you done  to me,

E7                                      D7                       A

now I'm livin' out my days, on government disability.

 

A                                           D7                   A

And I'm crazy in North Idaho, livin' out in the trees,

D7

and I'm crazy in Central Washington,         A

in the mountains near Leavenworth, living free,

E7                                      D7                                  A

and I'm crazy in Montana, in the hills, you'll never find me.

 

A                                 D7                                            A

And I'm sorry Daddy, never be the man you wanted me to be,

D7                                                              A

And I'm sorry Daddy, I'm sorry to disappoint you,

E7                           D7                         A

 just sittin' here now, with these Vietnam blues.

 

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