Talking Vietnam Potluck Blues - Tom Paxton

Spoken:

«Ahhh…

Let’s do that again

Do you believe that?»

Well, when I landed in Vietnam

I hardly got to see Saigon

They shaped us up and called the roll

And off we went on a long patrol

Swappin' lies, swattin' flies

Firin' the odd shot here and there

The Captain called a halt that night

And we had chow by the pale moon light

A lovely dinner they’d planned for us

With a taste like a seat on a crosstown bus

Some of the veterans just left theirs layin' in the can

For the Viet Cong to find

Deadlier than a land mine

Hmmmm…

Naturally somebody told a joke

And a couple of the fellows began to smoke

I took a whiff as the a cloud rolled by

And my nose went up like an infield fly

The Captain, this blonde fellow from Yale looked at

Me and said «What's a matter wit chu, baby?»

(ghetto dialect)

Well I may be crazy, but I think not;

I swear to God that I smell pot!

But who’d have pot in Vietnam?

He said, «Whaddaya think you been sittin' on?»

These funny little plants…

Thousands of 'em

Good God Almighty!

Pastures of plenty!

So we all lit up and by and by

The whole platoon was flyin' high

With a beautiful smile on the Captain’s face

He smelled like midnight on St. Mark’s Place

Cleanin' his weapon

Chantin' sumpin' about Hari Krishna, Hari Krishna

The moment came

As it comes to all

When I had to answer nature’s call

I was stumbing around in a beautiful haze

When I met a little cat in black pj’s

Rifle;

ammo belt;

BF Goodrich sandals

He looked up at me and said «What's a matter wit chu, baby?»

(sounding just like the Captain had)

He said we’re campin' down the pass

And smelled you people blowin' grass

And since, by the smell, you’re smoking trash

I brought you a taste of a special stash

Straight from Uncle Ho’s victory garden

We call it Hanoi Gold

So his squad and my squad settled down

Passin' lovely stuff around

All too soon it was time to go

The Captain got on the radio

Said «Hello headquarters?, Helloo, ahh, Headquarters?

We have met the enemy and he has been smashed!»