Goodnight Saigon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "Goodnight Saigon" | ||||
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| Single by Billy Joel | ||||
| from the album The Nylon Curtain | ||||
| Released | 1983 | |||
| Format | CD | |||
| Recorded | Spring 1982 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 7:03 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Writer(s) | Billy Joel | |||
| Producer | Phil Ramone | |||
| Billy Joel singles chronology | ||||
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"Goodnight Saigon" is a song written by Billy Joel, originally appearing on his 1982 album The Nylon Curtain, about the Vietnam War. It depicts the situation and attitude of United States Marines beginning with their military training on Parris Island and then into different aspects of Vietnam combat.
Contents |
Covers [edit]
- Singer-activist Joan Baez covered the song in 1991.
- Will Ferrell performed it on Saturday Night Live on May 16, 2009, accompanied by the entire cast (save Kenan Thompson, Bill Hader, and Darrell Hammond, who were playing three confused businessmen), along with former SNL castmembers Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, and Norm Macdonald, musical guest Green Day, former MADtv castmember Artie Lange, Elisabeth Moss (who cameoed on the Jon Hamm/Coldplay episode and was, at the time, married to current castmember Fred Armisen), and past hosts Paul Rudd, Tom Hanks, and Anne Hathaway.
Chart positions [edit]
| Chart (1983) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Singles Chart (Flanders)[1] | 1 |
| Dutch Singles Chart[2] | 1 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 19 |
| UK Singles Chart | 29 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 56 |
| Preceded by "Save Your Love" by Renée and Renato |
Belgian Singles Chart (Flanders) 26 February 1983 (2 weeks) |
Succeeded by "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson |
| Preceded by "You Can't Hurry Love" by Phil Collins |
Dutch Singles Chart 22 January 1983 (4 weeks) |
Succeeded by "Fame" by Irene Cara |
References [edit]
- ^ http://www.ultratop.be/nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Billy+Joel&titel=Goodnight+Saigon&cat=s (Retrieved September 17, 2012)
- ^ "De Nederlandse Top 40, week 5, 1983". Retrieved 2009-07-24.
External links [edit]
- Review at the Rolling Stone magazine
- Review at the Daily Vault
- Full lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
