Saigon

Annotation — Australian & New Zealand Songs

Indie rock group, formed in 2011 in Brunswick, Victoria, Australia. Its line-up consisted of Julian Doan, Adrian Van Bloom, and Nick Manuell. The song "Saigon" looked at the impact of the war on a Vietnam vet, suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - frequently referenced in post-war 1980s songs about US veterans, often connected in songs to stress, shell shock, flashbacks, nostalgia, and feelings and dreams related to an event: "a flash back to youth pulled you away, in a crowded boat you crossed the waves".

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: Your hands are weathered and dry / You wiped down the walls / And you bleached the sky / A pain in your back since 87 / The roses have since never looked the same / And unpaid service just for the love / Us kids are fine, us kids are fine / You say there's not enough money / And not enough to keep the colour in your eyes / Come back and / Continue to colour / To the outlines / Of our lives / Even though we talk it's not the same / I need to refresh the memory of your face / Dust lies in every crease you made / A flash back to youth pulled you away / In a crowded boat you crossed the waves / Old blood at home, new life was made / They never knew how far you'd stray / Only to return to your birth place / Come back and / Continue to colour / To the outlines / Of our lives / I tried so hard / To make it easier on you

Notes

Self-released, 11 November 2016.

About the artist

The Sinking Teeth - indie rock trio formed 2011 in Brunswick, Victoria: Julian Doan, Adrian Van Bloom and Nick Manuell.

Themes

Vet · PTSD · Refugees · Boat People · Home Front Perspective

In collections

Australian & New Zealand Songs · PTSD Songs · Vietnamese Refugees & Boat People