Comments on: Does such a song even exisit?

Question: Does such a song even exisit?

dawson — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:31:22 -0800

A song that surely must exist. All we (dad and I) can recall is the line "but we were soldiers". This is not, and has nothing to do with the book/movie 'We were Soldiers". I am unsure of the title, but I believe the chorus begins with "but we were soldiers", as in the idea "but whatever, we, being soldiers, did what we had to do". Maybe a country tune, but I'm just not sure. Could be from a musical or whatever. Any ideas?

By: JaredSeth

JaredSeth — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:40:47 -0800

Isn't there a line like that in Billy Joel's Goodnight Saigon?

By: le morte de bea arthur

le morte de bea arthur — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:44:01 -0800

Possibly the song "Soldiers" (lyrics here) by the Bee Gees?

By: dawson

dawson — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:50:53 -0800

Gosh, I think that maybe it is the Joel tune! That's the song I was trying to recall. I'll check with dad this evening. That Bee Gees song is an awesome one I'd forgotten. I''ll remind him of that one as well, as it could be what he's looking for.

By: krautland

krautland — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:16:22 -0800

are you perhaps talking about the song currently used by nike in their "courage" ads (the ones celebrating 20 years of "just do it")?

that would be "The Killers" with "All These Things That I've Done" and the lyrics feature the phrase I got soul, but I'm not a soldier.

best answer, please.

By: EmpressCallipygos

EmpressCallipygos — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:02:29 -0800

I don't think the line "but we were soldiers" was in "Goodnight Saigon". The repeated line is "and we would all go down together".

The one time I saw Billy Joel in concert he had all of the roadies who were Vietnam vets come onstage and gather around an extra mike and they all sang along on "And we would all go down together". Nice move.

By: JaredSeth

JaredSeth — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:11:54 -0800

Now that I've had a few minutes to listen to it again, Empress is right that the line doesn't appear in the Billy Joel song. I must have been mixing it up with something else, which of course escapes me at the moment.

By: Tomorrowful

Tomorrowful — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:17:26 -0800

Doesn't quite fit, but Erin McKeown's Civilians has this chorus:

You hate the words of war, but baby face it!
That's what it's been for us
We were never good fighters or very good soldiers
But through this we are more

(emphasis mine)

By: dawson

dawson — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:03:08 -0800

well thanks for the responses, regrettably none of these are the one, though there are good tries!

By: tamitang

tamitang — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:39:51 -0800

After reading this, I have a tune something like "we were soldiers everyone, and our lives had just begun" running through my head; maybe something like an old Marty Robbins tune but I can't find it either.

By: MasonDixon

MasonDixon — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 21:39:11 -0800

Coming Home Soldier? (Link has lyrics and recording of the song.)

By: kajj

kajj — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 23:14:45 -0800

On the off chance that you're misremembering the exact lyrics: The first song that popped to mind for me is 1916 by Motorhead. The very bottom of this page has the lyrics.