As a Marine. This song has always hit deep. Very underrated song that needs more recognition. Great react.

I'm a Vietnam vet and this song causes me more emotional pain than any other Vietnam related song. It always makes me tear up because of its accuracy and detail, striking to the heart. I've always been impressed that he could write such a powerfully insightful song about the war, having never been in the armed forces or in combat!

His music & arrangements emphasize his glorious lyrics. 💜💜💜

To all the 65,000 young men that died in Vietnam. Heros!

My dad was in that war he never talked about it. Rest in Peace. I knew it was a traumatic thing in his life. When he was drunk he would play this song and sing at the top of his voice and cry. I can still see him doing it in my head to this day.

You got it exactly right. Billy wrote it at the request of his friends who were in the war. He was hesitant because he wasn’t there, but had his buddies tell him what it was like over there. He hated the war, but thought the soldiers deserved a heroes welcome home that they never received. He brings veterans on stage when he does it in concert. Try the River Of Dreams video for a totally different Billy Joel style. Great reaction.

Billy interviewed the vets to get their stories and many of their quotes are now lyrics, yes he has vets singing the chorus, it was shameful how Vietnam vets returned home to judgement...Billy is singing their songs, thank you to those who serve ❤❤❤

Thank you, Gentlemen for this. Made my eyes so sweaty. My father, RIP passed in 2009, from pancreatic cancer and mouth cancer and spread throughout his body at the end. Three tours in Vietnam and it broke him. Agent Orange got him. Then I was broken. Thank you for this!!

Loved when you put your arm around your brother!❤ It means so much in these days!

This is incredible live. I saw him back in 87 and it sounded like helicopters landing on the roof of the Forum. The background singers are Vietnam Veterans. Thank you to all who served in Vietnam, Welcome Home.

My Dad and Uncle are both Vietnam Vets. This song always makes me cry. Dad turned 80 last month. He still seems like, haunted, from his time there.

One of the most moving songs of all time! It is Billy’s most critically acclaimed song.

At every concert Billy Joel has a group of veterans brought on stage to sing 'and we would all go down together' during the song. It adds an element that brings tears to your eyes.

I saw him do this live at MSG when it first came out and man it was hard not to cry, he had the veterans up on stage with him.

All these guys that had to go into war had courage.

🙏✌❤ 🌎

Your openness to the rock genre is really impressive. My friend, Larry, was Billy's first bass player.. Lucky me, I got to go to all the shows. What a great time in my life.

First time I heard this was the first time I saw father cry.

This song kills me. Always has. No he never served and some folks, vets, called him on it, but the song lives on..so relevant today with so much violence in the world. Rock on Billy.

The song started with those "chopper" blades of Bell UH-1 "Hueys" comin' in. Man, even after decades, i still remember that sound, like I remember my mother's own voice

Two of his close friends were killed in Vietnam and some of his crewmates and friends had been in it and urged him to write it, even though he was hesitant since he hadn't served. But he talked to lots of veterans and there it is.

Billy wrote this for a good friend, who did go.

Along with Brothers in Arms, this is possibly the most powerful songs in honour of those who served.. To all who do, or have served.... THANK YOU is NEVER enough... I had a friend who DID serve, after leaving the service He once said. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I don't trust people, I can't settle ANYWHERE. WHAT DID I DO WORNG????." This broke my heart and I replied saying this... "You were a kind, gentle, intelligent and thoughtful person as a kid, The Army took you in and broke you down bit by bit, to create a warrior to defend us civvies. They made you part of a brotherhood I'll never understand, where even the comaptriots you HATE you absolutely KNOW will stand back to back with you and fight off oppresssion. You were a completely different person when you were on leave compared to who you were as a kid, but that's what they NEEDED you to be! When you left they just cut you loose, alone into civilian life. So you went from that world where you could trust EVERYONE around you with your life and were dumped into a world where everyone is trying to f**k everyone else over for almost nothing. How can you expect to trust ANYONE in civvie street after that? I can see it! You're around for 3-6 months, then you disappear for 3-6 months, same as your average posting in the military. Let me tell you something.... THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH YOU! NEVER say that to me again! You served with honour, You gave your blood, sweat and tears so we that have the freedoms we have right now. You will ALWAYS have my admiration, respect and friendship till my dying day! Anything you need just ask, even just someone to talk to, you don't need to relive what you went through, just show up and we'll sit quietly or shoot the breeze, I'll be right here." He broke down and wept... This warrior fell apart in front of me and said "How did YOU know?" "Because I watched, because I saw the transitions you went through, most importantly, because I was and always will be your friend, friends, TRUE friends become Family, just like those you served with are, You are the Brother I never had and I couldn't be more PROUD to have known you and counted you as my brother!"

The average age of the soldiers who fought in Vietnam was 19. The most common last words heard by medics were the boys calling for their mothers. Billy's lyrics ring so true. This song makes me weep & I didn't lose anyone in that war. But I was a young teen, horrified by the nightly news as I grew up. A couple of other great songs are "The Downeaster Alexa" (an ode to Long Island fisherman) & "Miami 2017" (hard to describe but evokes apocalyptic chaos). For Billy's lighter side check out "For The Longest Time", Billy's tip of the hat to the street corner acapella groups he loved growing up. I love that ya'll are appreciating this man's talent. 💙☮💙☮💙☮💙☮💙☮💙

I love your reaction. This legendary song needs to be felt and you guys were feeling it.

This song as always hit hard with me. Especially now with my "baby" going into basic training in June. For my money, the greatest song written about Vietnam in the history of the medium.

Alice In Chains do a song called "Rooster". It's songwriter/guitarist Jerry Cantrell's tribute to his father, a Viet Nam vet, and it's sung from Cantrell père's point of view. Mr. Cantrell Sr.'s nickname, even before he went into the service, was "Rooster". That is also what the M60 gunner in a platoon was called. Coincidental, but poetic. there's a line in there that always gets me. It goes _"Gloria sends me pictures of my boy"_ . Gloria was his wife, Jerry Jr.'s mom. Like many vets, Cantrell Sr. became distant or alienated from his family, and years later, this song was a conduit for both father and son to reconnect. As human beings we all need to be validated. The nation, as a whole, never validated the service of Viet Nam veterans. I personally believe that war was a mistake. The way the country treated those it asked to fight it was a sin.

Chills........

He didn't serve in the military but he had many friends who did.

When me first went to Vietnam they had no idea what to expect. Ask any of the solders in the first couple of years over there, they all thought they'd die!! Also, the Vietnamese would count the beats of the chopper rotors to know when to fire rpgs.

Can't ever listen to this and not get choked up. Beautiful song.

Hey, guys, if you get a chance, check out Joel's Kennedy Center Honors ceremony. Garth Brooks sang this song, and halfway through, he was joined onstage by a bunch of Vietnam Veterans who sang the chorus. Not a dry eye in the house.

THis is an incredible song and the lyrics are moving. You are right about having knowledge about the miltary. I had to look up the meaning of counting the rotors, had something to with knowing which type of helicopter was coming.

This video was recorded at Nassau coliseum Long Island

You guys are getting the music lovers treatment, great choice.

Billy interviewed vets about Saigon and used their words in his lyrics, the men singing the chorus are vets who shared their stories....Billy was upset about the way Vietnam vets were treated and wanted to help people understand the nightmare they survived. Thank you to all who have served ❤‍🩹

If you look carefully at Billy Joel's left hand, you'll easily see white bandages on his left thumb. He was performing with a broken thumb.

WOW!!!!!! OH GOD, HELP US ALL. GOD BLESS! FUNNY, REALLY. WE ALL KNOW WHATS COMING. I LOVE YOU, MY FRIENDS.

Apparently Billy never served in Vietnam but wrote this song as a tribute to his friends who did.

I cannot believe this song has not gotten as many hits as it deserves. Many thanks to every vet.

Never fails to bring tears....

No Billy was not in Vietnam, but many of his close friends were. He was leery about producing the song bc he was not there but always thought that the soldiers deserved recognition for fighting a war pushed by politicians. His veteran friends encouraged him to release the song.

No, Billy was not in the military But this is an incredible patriotic song. I believe we wrote it about the marines one for all for one. God bless America fellas

Great review, guys.

Such a tremendous song

That’s Veteran’s singing on stage. Today, Our flag is burned in the streets. Our Monuments are torn-down. Forgetting the sacrifices of our US Military.

One of the most beautifull, saddest, poignant, hardest hitting songs ever. There's no joy in war, only casualties, dead and living.

The drums at the end might very well be described as machine gun fire, just a thought. Absolutely touching song, Billy is a legend.

Check out Garth Brooks performing this at the Kennedy Center Honors Billy Joel 2013. Hardly a dry eye in the house.

We all watched it on Tv back then ,This was Vietnam senseless War !

Billy did not serve in the military, but he sure can write a story and put it to music!

I am a woman, never served, never had any relatives who served in Vietnam, and yet this song always makes me tear up. War is such a tragic blight on every country. So many millions of unnecessary dead, wounded, and forever missing. There has to be a different way.

when I seen it was live and that he was older in this performance... I didn't know how this was gonna go. To be honest I didn't think it was going to be good and I was kind of upset... thinking you would never hear the good version.... But I have to say that he did great. Those guys that were singing.... were really there. I didn't hear this song until the 90s...my sister was in the Marines and told me to listen to it... I went out and bought it right away. Starts out hearing a helicopter

Until the Night is one of his best songs you never heard It was written as a tribute to the Righteous Brothers .It takes you through an awesome story.

this song flaws me every time. Just incredible.

20th SOS MAC-V/SOG UH-1N Twin Engine Huey Door Gunner - I obsess on this song not only because of the words but those guys singing the chorus are all Vietnam vets. I was 20 and was paid an extra $4 a Day for that job. Shot a real Mini-gun GAU-2/B - not like the one on COD Black Ops - my grandson got me hooked on the game. My buddies asked if I wanted to go back to Vietnam for closure with them. I asked, "Can I take my gun with me - I think I missed a few." They went without me.

When I was a Soldier stationed in Germany in the 80's, we listened to this song and it always moved us. Thank you for sharing. Please consider Piano Man, Captain Jack, and I've Loved These Days. As Soldiers not long after Vietnam, Brother sin Arms by Dire Straits also moved us.

Billy interviewed some vets about experiences in the Vietnam war n told them he was writing a new song.

Piano Man unico artista che ha solo gioielli nel suo repertorio... E dal vivo nettamente il migliore ... Da giovane era un performer portentoso ... 🎹👏🎹👏

Chills, every time!

Makes me cry every time.

Cat. Stevens : moon shadow

great reaction do more billy!

Great song!

As a Soldier, always respect your Enemy.

This concert tour, the nylon curtain was amazing. This was the last song. Not a dry eye around.

He was therefor his friend and wrote h this

That stage was one hell of an LZ.

Stellar song to say the least...

Those boys were kids🇺🇸

The men singing the chorus are all viet nam vets - and still holding onto each other. F ck war.

Three important factors regarding Vietnam: 1) The South Vietnamese were our allies because they were supposedly fighting against the spread of Communism, but the truth is that regime was about as corrupt as it gets. The young Americans that were fighting the war were quite split on who was the enemy. The rest of the young people were trying to find a way to get out of being drafted or were protesting in the streets over here to stop the war - or both. Which brings us to fact 2) The draft changed everything. We were being literally kidnapped off the street and sent half way around the world to fight a war that most of us detested. 3) Over 50,000 American boys died there. About 30% of them were draftees. Almost everybody back in the States knew at least one young man that did not come back. The lyric, "Who was wrong and who was right didn't matter in the thick of the fight," was the perfect illustration of the fact that a lot of the soldiers were not in it for any principles. Many might have started with good intentions, but eventually most were just trying to survive and get home to the people they loved. Now with this in mind, react to Fortunate Son by Creedence Clearwater Revival. It's about how the rich could find ways to keep their sons out of the draft, but the poor kids just got sucked in. Thanks for the listen. Good job.

One of my favorite Billy Joel performances is this version of "And So It Goes." Just heartbreaking. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/fK5_acRjrZPUoY0.html

Those are Vietnam vets singing the chorus.

The visuals in the video aren’t needed. The lyrics are so vivid, as songs tend to be. Chills on this one, every time.

Don’t forget that the American phase of the war ended in January 1973. The North Vietnamese were truly beaten. When the Congress was shifted to the Democratic party in 1974, they totally abandoned the south Vietnamese. By 1973 they had become a decent and effective army In theSpring of 1975, the NVA invaded. And they had no more fuel, no ammunition. We left them to die.

Yes Billy Joel was in Vietnam. I feel the same way I was in the Marine corps in the '80s and it's real Marines leave no one behind dead or alive we are all coming home.

Let the dang song flow. It's too beautiful to get so butchered by the love of the pause button.

I saw hin perform this in los angeles year 2000..vets on stage singing .. , not a DRY EYE IN THE HOUSE!!

im in australia and i know that he knows how bad it was because it is very well known how bad america was at that war

Another great song . There’s no atheists in foxholes.

This sadly didn't get much airplay.

I can tell y'all appreciate storytelling try listening to Gordon Light foot another gifted storyteller.

So you like that one eh ? Here's another beauty for you ! kzfaq.info/get/bejne/qdGPituFtc2Vgqs.html

it was such a horrible war on all sides..

3 millions of vietnamits died for the elits.

Nice , I mentioned this after one of your previous Billy Joel reviews.

It's about Vietnam, so a lot of those boys weren't even given a choice, your number came up and you had to go. That's what always made it so poignant to me - a bunch of people, some who chose and some who were chosen, all thrown into the thick of war and told to fight and die. And they did, and those who came back were reviled for it, treated like scum, spit on, left to rot by the military. They deserved better. A whole generation, lost to war, and for nothing in the end - not because we couldn't win, but because we let the enemy within sap our spirits, revile our soldiers and break our spirits.