I got a letter from L.B.J It said, "This is your lucky day" It's time to put your khaki trousers on Though it might seem very queer We've got no jobs to give you here So we are sending you to Vietnam Lyndon Johnson told the nation Have no fear of escalation I am trying everyone to please Though it isn't really war We're sending fifty thousand more To help save Vietnam from the Vietnamese I jumped off the old troop ship And sank in mud up to my hips I cussed until the captain called me down Never mind how hard it's raining Think of all the ground we're gaining Just don't take one step outside of town Lyndon Johnson told the nation Have no fear of escalation I am trying everyone to please Though it isn't really war We're sending sixty thousand more To help save Vietnam from the Vietnamese Every night the local gentry Slip out past the sleeping sentry They go to join the old V see In their nightly little dramas They put on their black pajamas And come lobbing mortar shells at me When Lyndon Johnson told the nation Have no fear of escalation I am trying everyone to please Though it isn't really war We're sending seventy thousand more To help save Vietnam from the Vietnamese We go round in helicopters Like a bunch of big grasshoppers Searching for the Viet Cong in vain They left a note that they had gone They had to get down to Saigon Their government positions to maintain Well, here I sit in this rice paddy Wondering about Big Daddy And I know that Lyndon loves me so Yet how sadly I remember Way back yonder in November When he said I'd never have to go And Lyndon Johnson told the nation Have no fear of escalation I am trying everyone to please Though it isn't really war We're sending hundred thousand more To help save Vietnam from the Vietnamese
Chesterproudfoot below nails it. 56 years later and we haven't learned a goddam thing. These lyrics can be applied to today's lunacy. Thanks for posting this gem.
Hadn't heard this song for years, thank you David for sharing it. My personal hero was shot down in 1967, grandmother and grandfather father never lived to see his remains returned.
David: Thank you for your comment. If your resources allow, I would sure appreciate your using the THANKS button under any of my videos including the one you have commented on. It is something new that TH-cam is beta testing and would mean a great deal for my continuing efforts. David Hoffman filmmaker
@@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker I deeply appreciate the amazing videos you share on your channel. A Vietnamese farmer went out to my uncle's crash sight and removed his remains. And in the early 2000's a joint team of Americans and Vietnamese knocked on his door asking if he knew of any downed Airmen, He took them out back of his home to a Buddhist shrine where he had buried him. There was good people on both sides of the Vietnam Conflict.
I got a letter from LBJ, it's probably a sign your going to war you'll have to train then go off to Vietnam war.people try anything to get out of it. Lol thanks for sharing. I heard of Tom Paxton a folk singer. Thanks David for sharing.🎞️🎥🙂
Thanks, David. Never heard this before, but it rang pretty much true with me, scenes bringing back memories, sad times and good times. We laughed a lot. We are fewer and farther between now due to cancer, etc., mostly from Agent Orange; yes, that infamous agent and now just age.
I actually like this song. Love the guitar. I love Tom paxtons song last thing on my mind. Tony rice and danko, fjeld, and Andersen make great covers of this song. Thank you for showing this
What a peculiar war. So sureal. Glad I was born in 65 I would have not wanted to go there. Though the women are beautiful there. One man's humble opinion. Love your work im here alot. What a interesting career u had.
As a millenial OIF/OEF veteran, I can saw we definitely learned from this era, and the lesson was to avoid instituting the draft so as to prevent people getting too riled up. Outstanding content and description as always, David.
The conflict that drove America crazy. I'm currently reading a history that points out how Mai Lai wasn't an exception but an almost daily occurrence. You can trace the madness over the last fifty years....
@@KittyGrizGriz NATO should be dismantled and American tax dollars should stay in America...along with our reservists. NATO was in response to the USSR.. Some folks should check the calendar..month-day-and especially year.
This man protested the Vietnam War by crawling on his hands and knees at a demonstration - th-cam.com/video/UDunOmVVLug/w-d-xo.html
“Though it isn’t really war, we’re sending 100,000 more. To help save Vietnam, from the Vietnamese.”
Got dang pithy. Wow. Thank you.
Tom Paxton is a legend. We need more like him and Phil Ochs, Pete Seeger nowadays.
I got a letter from L.B.J
It said, "This is your lucky day"
It's time to put your khaki trousers on
Though it might seem very queer
We've got no jobs to give you here
So we are sending you to Vietnam
Lyndon Johnson told the nation
Have no fear of escalation
I am trying everyone to please
Though it isn't really war
We're sending fifty thousand more
To help save Vietnam from the Vietnamese
I jumped off the old troop ship
And sank in mud up to my hips
I cussed until the captain called me down
Never mind how hard it's raining
Think of all the ground we're gaining
Just don't take one step outside of town
Lyndon Johnson told the nation
Have no fear of escalation
I am trying everyone to please
Though it isn't really war
We're sending sixty thousand more
To help save Vietnam from the Vietnamese
Every night the local gentry
Slip out past the sleeping sentry
They go to join the old V see
In their nightly little dramas
They put on their black pajamas
And come lobbing mortar shells at me
When Lyndon Johnson told the nation
Have no fear of escalation
I am trying everyone to please
Though it isn't really war
We're sending seventy thousand more
To help save Vietnam from the Vietnamese
We go round in helicopters
Like a bunch of big grasshoppers
Searching for the Viet Cong in vain
They left a note that they had gone
They had to get down to Saigon
Their government positions to maintain
Well, here I sit in this rice paddy
Wondering about Big Daddy
And I know that Lyndon loves me so
Yet how sadly I remember
Way back yonder in November
When he said I'd never have to go
And Lyndon Johnson told the nation
Have no fear of escalation
I am trying everyone to please
Though it isn't really war
We're sending hundred thousand more
To help save Vietnam from the Vietnamese
Chesterproudfoot below nails it. 56 years later and we haven't learned a goddam thing. These lyrics can be applied to today's lunacy. Thanks for posting this gem.
Always a gift when a David Hoffman notification is received. Thanks, David, a king among Directors, indeed.❤😇
Hadn't heard this song for years, thank you David for sharing it. My personal hero was shot down in 1967, grandmother and grandfather father never lived to see his remains returned.
David: Thank you for your comment. If your resources allow, I would sure appreciate your using the THANKS button under any of my videos including the one you have commented on. It is something new that TH-cam is beta testing and would mean a great deal for my continuing efforts.
David Hoffman filmmaker
@@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker I deeply appreciate the amazing videos you share on your channel. A Vietnamese farmer went out to my uncle's crash sight and removed his remains. And in the early 2000's a joint team of Americans and Vietnamese knocked on his door asking if he knew of any downed Airmen, He took them out back of his home to a Buddhist shrine where he had buried him. There was good people on both sides of the Vietnam Conflict.
Very sad to hear and I’m so sorry. Can still remember wearing a MIA bracelet in Jr HS, so wish I’d kept up with his name etc…
If you like the songs of tom Paxton then I recommend checking out Phil ochs if you dont already know of his music
I got a letter from LBJ, it's probably a sign your going to war you'll have to train then go off to Vietnam war.people try anything to get out of it. Lol thanks for sharing. I heard of Tom Paxton a folk singer. Thanks David for sharing.🎞️🎥🙂
Wow, this brings back those times. Paxton is so spot on with both history and the biting sarcasm we all felt.
Tom was great. I liked his "Talking Vietnam Potluck Blues". And of course, the "Zoo Song"!
I had a Paxton album at the time with this song. Pretty sure he was sporting a mustache on the cover photo. Thanks for the video.
Lovely little Ditty, great voice and picking. Thanks David 👍❤️
This is simply incredibe, thanks Mr Hoffman.
Thank you!!!!
Excellent thanks. 🐨👌
Every song from tom paxton brings pleasure to my ears.
Thanks, David. Never heard this before, but it rang pretty much true with me, scenes bringing back memories, sad times and good times. We laughed a lot. We are fewer and farther between now due to cancer, etc., mostly from Agent Orange; yes, that infamous agent and now just age.
I am from India and this is my first time that I am listening to the song. Summed up the apprehensions of the time perfectly...
He later did one on the Iraq invasion, "George W Told The Nation". It's on TH-cam as well.
I actually like this song. Love the guitar. I love Tom paxtons song last thing on my mind. Tony rice and danko, fjeld, and Andersen make great covers of this song. Thank you for showing this
I have never heard this before.
Thank you for this upload. This is gold.
What a peculiar war. So sureal. Glad I was born in 65 I would have not wanted to go there. Though the women are beautiful there. One man's humble opinion. Love your work im here alot. What a interesting career u had.
He wrote updated lyrics some years back, starting with "I got a letter from George Dubya, he said "I'm sorry to trouble ya...'"
I had never heard this but it is absolutely brilliant!! Thank You for uploading this, Mr. Hoffman.
Wow. Nice catch.
Fantastic
As a millenial OIF/OEF veteran, I can saw we definitely learned from this era, and the lesson was to avoid instituting the draft so as to prevent people getting too riled up. Outstanding content and description as always, David.
Make society miserly enough and kids will have no other option other than homelessness.
There's your freedom, America
Some things never change.
The songs called Lyndon Johnson Told the Nation
Wow. Still true to this day.
Beautiful. Just a pleasant song if it runs in the background, but it has some very smart observations about the political reality.
❤😁👍😁🇱🇷 Amen 🙏
The conflict that drove America crazy. I'm currently reading a history that points out how Mai Lai wasn't an exception but an almost daily occurrence. You can trace the madness over the last fifty years....
You are reading propaganda.
The correct title is Lyndon Johnson Told The Nation
Song title must have changed to “Lyndon Johnson told the Nation”
thank you, david!
Draft number ... 300. Dodged a lot of bullets.
I hope people think of this song when they realize Operation Atlantic Resolve in Europe is our POTUS way of escalating another foreign war.
I hope people even know what operation resolve is.
The disconnect is vast and intentionally created.
@@KittyGrizGriz NATO should be dismantled and American tax dollars should stay in America...along with our reservists.
NATO was in response to the USSR..
Some folks should check the calendar..month-day-and especially year.
@@denniskartes1302Don’t feel the same, nor does my marine~vet son.
And not just another war,a world war! And the POTUS and his family are financially involved/tied to Ukraine, what are the odds...........
Been there and serviced this mess
I didn’t know you had been to Vietnam!
I have never been to Vietnam.
David Hoffman filmmaker