Kris Kristofferson - Vietnam blues (1993)

watch the video of better audio quality here
http://youtu.be/btxE81FBYh8

Kris Kristofferson - His life and work (1993)
Kris talking about Vietnam Blues and his attitude to Vietnam

"It's up to anybody who does have the information to try to pass it on..."

This is an amazing and interesting documentary about Kris's life and his songwriting, performing and acting career, including interviews with Kris, Fred Foster, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Dennis Hopper, Michael Cimino, Joan Baez, Alan Rudolp, Harry Dean Stanton, Jackson Browne and others. Kris sings a couple of unplugged songs. One of the most exciting moments to me: when he shows us around some important places in Nashville and comes to the place where he 'd live and where he stumbled down the stairs to meet the day ... Just amazing...

http://www.amazon.com/Kris-Kristofferson-His-Life-Work/dp/B0009WIE16
http://www.amazon.co.uk/His-Life-Work-Region-NTSC/dp/B0009WIE16

Kris about Vietnam Blues, " I'm not embarrassed about that song... but ...my own feelings about Vietnam turned 180 degrees. But I still felt, at the time, that all my friends were over there. And it wasn't their fault that they were over there. But I come to believe that it was a tremendous mistake for our government to be over there and that the things that we were doing were inhuman."

Vietnam Blues
(Kris was still in the army in Germany when he wrote that song in about 1965)

I was on leave at the time, just duckin' the fog,
nosin' around like a hungry dog
in that crazy place called Washington, D.C.

I saw a crowd of people on the White House lawn
all carrying signs about Vietnam,
so I went on over to see what I could see.

They was a strange-looking bunch.
But I never did understand civilians.

A fellow came to me with a list in his hand.
"We're gatherin' names to send a telegram of sympathy."
Then he handed me a pen.
I said, "I reckon this is goin' to the children and wives
of my friends over there who've given their lives."
He says, "Uh-uh, buddy, this is goin' to Ho Chi Minh."
I said, "Ho Chi who?"
He said, "Ho Chi Minh, People's Leader, North Vietnam."

Well, I wasn't real sure I was hearin' him right.
But I thought we'd better remove before we got in a fight
because my eyes were smartin', and my pulse started hitting a lick.

I thought about another telegram I'd read
tellin' my buddy's wife that her husband was dead.
It wasn't too long till I was feelin' downright sick.

Another held the sign that said 'We won't fight.'
And I thought to myself, 'You got that right.
You'd rather let a soldier die instead.'

I said, "You ever stop to think
that every man who died there in that far-off land
was dyin' so that you won't wake up dead?"

Of course, he looked at me like I was crazy,
just another warmonger.

Well, I left that place and went to town
and hit the first bar that I found to cool myself and pacify my brain.

See, I was on orders back to Vietnam, to a little place just north of Saigon,
and I had about an hour to catch my plane.

So, all I mean to say is, 'I don't like dyin' either.
But I care about the way I live.'