Meaning of “Vietnam” by Jimmy Cliff

There was reportedly a time when Jimmy Cliff, who by the way is still alive and kicking as of this writing, was reportedly a bigger reggae artist than Bob Marley. 

And Cliff’s earliest hit may be considered “Vietnam”, a song released in 1969 which appears to be his first to have charted in a few countries over in Europe, including making an appearance on the UK Singles Chart. 

This track came out as part of Cliff’s self-titled studio album (aka “Wonder World, Beautiful People”) which was also released that year through Trojan Records (and in the US, A&M Records).

“Vietnam” may not have been a major hit, but it has been well-regarded by other professional musicians even more renowned than Jimmy. For instance, Paul Simon’s “Mother and Child Reunion” (1972), which was a notable hit, was heavily influenced by this song. 

The legendary Bob Dylan, i.e. the premiere countercultural folk musician of the 1960s, gave this track his personal distinction of being “the best protest song ever written”. And “Vietnam” has also been covered by the likes of Bruce Springsteen in 1981, New Order in 2009 and Paul Simon alongside Jimmy Cliff in 2012.

THE INSPIRATION BEHIND VIETNAM”

Besides being compelled, as a conscious musician, to raise awareness around what was happening in Vietnam at the time, Jimmy Cliff has also told an intriguing story about what inspired him to write and drop this song. 

The Vietnam War was a very terrible conflict, which is something those of us especially who know people who were personally involved can attest to. In other words, PTSD is real. And as for Cliff, he had a childhood friend in Jamaica who, being a US resident, unfortunately ended up being drafted and sent to the war.

By the time said friend returned to Jamaica, he no longer recognized Jimmy. Furthermore, when he heard the sound of an airplane flying low (as they would sometimes to spray crops), he would run for cover, as if the area was under attack. 

And of course witnessing his homey go through such psychological turmoil “was sad for” Cliff.

THE LYRICS OF “VIETNAM”

The lyrics of this piece are perhaps the most-direct we have thus far come across in an antiwar song. As with Jimmy Cliff in real life, the vocalist takes on the role of someone whose friend was sent to Vietnam. 

One day he receives a message from the homey, telling Cliff that he’ll “be coming home soon” and to greet his girlfriend at home, “Mary”, whom he obviously misses. In other words, the soldier sounds upbeat and confident in terms of actually making it back, healthy and whole, from the war.

But the very next day, “his mother”, who resides in the US, “got a telegram”. That is to say that Jamaicans themselves were not involved in the Vietnam War, but again, this friend was obviously an American citizen and therefore under such an obligation. 

Said communicado revealed that the homey had unfortunately been killed in the war. So resultantly being in his feelings, Jimmy proceeds to urge that “somebody please stop that war now”.

“And it came from Vietnam, Vietnam
Vietnam, Vietnam
Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam”

So again, what’s being relayed here is very straightforward, leaving little up to the listener’s imagination in terms of interpretation. But reading in between the lines, “Vietnam” also packs a lot of punch.

For instance, the way the subject’s story plays out illustrates just how quickly those on the frontlines could lose their lives. It can also be gathered that the homey wasn’t a soldier at heart as, to reiterate, civilians were being drafted to fight in Vietnam. 

Also, Jimmy goes about directly addressing the powers-that-be which, according to our research of songs from the 1960s/70s, was not a common approach back then. In other words the “somebody” he calls on to “stop that war now” would logically be those who were actually in a position to make such decisions. So in a roundabout way, it’s as if he’s saying that their course of action is unjust.

The Vietnam War did eventually end, in 1975. So whether or not this song had its intended effect is a matter of debate. Obviously, the power-that-be didn’t listen to it and just turn around and stop the conflict. But it did inspire other musicians and the anti-war movement in general, which did not cause an end to the atrocity as expeditiously as idealized but in the very least contributed to ushering in an era in which citizens have been more critical of the government’s actions.

THE PRODUCERS OF “VIETNAM”

The producers of this track were Chinese-Jamaican musician Leslie Kong (1933-1971), American composer Larry Fallon (1936-2005) and one John Kelly, all of whom were apparently associated with Island Records (which was affiliated with Trojan Records), i.e. the label that helped make reggae music an internationally-recognized genre.