Songtexte 19 - Paul Hardcastle

In 1965, Vietnam seemed like just another foreign war
But it wasn't, it was different in many ways
And so were those who did the fighting
In World War II, the average age of the combat soldier was 26
In Vietnam, he was 19
In-in-in-in-in Vietnam, he was 19

And the heaviest fighting of the past two weeks continued today
25 miles northwest of Saigon
I really wasn't sure what was going on

19, 19, 19, 19, 19
19, 19

In Vietnam, the combat soldier
Typically, served a 12 month tour of duty
But was exposed to hostile fire almost everyday

19
19
19
19

Hundreds of thousands of men who saw heavy combat in Vietnam
Have been arrested since discharge
Their arrest rate is almost twice that of non-veterans of the same age
There are no accurate figures on how many of these men have been incarcerated
But the veterans' administration studies concludes
That the greater of vets exposure to combat
Will more likely, is chanced to be arrested or convicted
This is one legacy of the Vietnam War

All those who remember the war
They won't forget what they've seen
Destruction of men in their prime
Whose average age was 19

D-d-d-d-d-destruction
D-d-d-d-d-destruction
D-d-d-d-d-destruction

War-war
D-d-d-d-d-destruction
War-war-war-war-war-war-war
D-d-d-d-d-destruction (war-war)
D-d-d-d-d-destruction (war-war)

After World War II
The men came home together in cruise ship
But Vietnam vet often arrived home within 48 hours of jungle combat
Perhaps the most dramatic difference between World War II and Vietnam
Was coming home

None of them received a hero's welcome
None of them received a hero's welcome
None of them, none of them
None of them, none of them, none of them received
None of them, none of them, none of them received
None of them, none of them, none of them received
None of them, none of them, none of them received

None of them, none of them, none of them
None of them received a hero's welcome
None of them received a hero's welcome
None of them received a hero's welcome
None of them, none of them, none of them, none of them, none of them

According to a Veteran's Administration study
Half of the Vietnam combat veterans suffered
From what psychiatrists call post-traumatic stress disorder
Many vets complain of alienation, rage, or guilt
Some succumb to suicidal thoughts
Eight to ten years after coming home
Almost eight-hundred-thousand men are still fighting the Vietnam War

D-d-d-d-d-destruction
D-d-d-d-d-destruction

19
19
19-19-19-19-19-19
19
19-19-19-19-19-19

Then we came back and we was different
And everybody wanted to know, what happened to those guys?
There's gotta be something wrong somewhere
We did what we had to do
There's gotta be something wrong somewhere

The people wanted us to be ashamed of what it made us
They had no idea what it meant for five, ten years now
All we want to do is come home (alright)
All we want to do is come home (what do you do it for?)
All we want to do is come home

Was it worth it?