Goodnight Saigon    (video)    (midi)

 

    F - Dm - Bb - G

 

                       Dm                   G      C

1. We met as soul mates on Parris Island,

                    Dm                 G       C

    we left as inmates from an asylum.

                            Em    - Am                      Em     - Am

    And we were sharp,          as sharp as knives,

                          Dm                 C                  G         - C - G

    and we were so gung-ho to lay down our lives.

 

                           Dm          G              C

2. We came in spastic like tameless horses,

                     Dm          G               C

    we left in plastic as numbered corpses.

                              Em  - Am               Em   - Am

    And we learned fast          to travel light,

                             Dm                  C                Bb     - G - Dm - G

    our arms were heavy but our bellies were tight.

 

                       Dm                    G         C

3. We had no home front, we had no soft soap,

                          Dm                 G            C

    they sent us Playboy, they gave us Bob Hope.

                       Em   - Am                    Em     - Am

    We dug in deep          and shot on sight,

                            Dm                      F              G        - C - G

    and prayed to Jesus Christ with all of our might.

 

                       Dm                 G          C

4. We had no cameras to shoot the landscape,

                             Dm                                      C

    we passed the hash pipe and played our Doors tapes.

                       Em  - Am                  Em     - Am

    And it was dark,         so dark at night,

                        Dm                                F

    and we held on to each other, like brother to brother,

            Bb                  F                    G

    we promised our mothers we'd write.

 

      C                    F        Bb        C          - C7

    And we would all go down together,

                          F         Bb        C         - C7

    we said we'd all go down together,

                            F        Bb         G        - F - Dm - G

    yes, we would all go down together.

 

                          Dm           G          C

5. Remember Charlie, remember Baker,

                            Dm              G       C

    they left their childhood on every acre.

                             Em     - Am                        Em    - Am

    And who was wrong ?         And who was right ?

                  Dm                C              Bb      - G

    It didn't matter in the thick of the fight.

 

    Am Em          C  Dm      E    Dm        E     - E7

+  We held the day in the palm of our hand,

      Am Em          C      Dm        E     Dm              C               G

    they ruled the night and the night seemed to last as long as ...

 

    Dm                   G      C

6. Six weeks on Parris Island.

                          Dm                  G           C

    We held the coastline, they held the highlands,

                              Em   - Em - Am                       Em     - Em - Am

    and they were sharp,                  as sharp as knives,

                             Dm                                  F

    they heard the hum of our motors, they counted the rotors,

            Bb            F         G

    and waited for us to arrive.

 

      C                    F        Bb        C          - C7

    And we would all go down together,

                          F         Bb        C         - C7

    we said we'd all go down together,

                            F        Bb         G     

    yes, we would all go down together.

 

+  G - F - Dm - Bb     - G - F - Dm ….

 

    (Billy Joel)