8th Of November
Big $ Rich Lyrics
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To fight for the red, white and blue
He was nineteen and green with a new M-16
Just doing what he had to do
He was dropped in the jungle where the choppers would rumble
With the smell of napalm in the air
And the sergeant said look up ahead
Twelve-hundred came down on him and twenty-nine more
They fought for their lives but most of them died
In the one-seventythird Airborne
On the eighth of November the angels were crying
As they carried his brothers away
With the fire raining down and the hell all around
There were few men left standing that day
Saw the eagle fly through a clear blue sky
1965, the eighth of November
Now he's fifty-eight and his pony tail's gray
But the battle still plays in his head
He limps when he walks but he's strong when he talks
About the Shrapnel they left in his leg
He puts on a gray suit over his Airborne tattoo
And he ties it on one time a year
And remembers the fallen as he orders a tall one
And swallows it down with his tears
On the eighth of November the angels were crying
As they carried his brothers away
With the fire raining down and the hell all around
There were few men left standing that day
Saw the eagle fly through a clear blue sky
1965
The eighth of November
The eighth of November (eighth of November)
Said goodbye to his momma as he left South Dakota
To fight for the red, white, and blue
He was nineteen and green with a new M-16
Just doing what he had to do
The song "8th of November" by Big & Rich tells the story of a young soldier who leaves his home in South Dakota to fight in the Vietnam War. The song describes his experiences in the jungle, where he was dropped and had to fight for his life against a large enemy force. He and his fellow soldiers experienced extreme horror with fire raining down on them and hell all around, and unfortunately, most of them died. The song also highlights the deep emotional scars that the soldier carries with him over the years, reminiscing the battle that still plays in his head.
In the chorus, the angels are crying as they carry away the soldier's fallen friends, and he remembers them every year by putting on his gray suit over his Airborne tattoo and ordering a tall one in honor of his friends. The song ends by repeating the first verse, tying together the young soldier's journey from leaving his home to fighting for his country to returning home and remembering the eighth of November, the day that changed his life forever.
Line by Line Meaning
Said goodbye to his momma as he left South Dakota
The soldier took farewell from his mother before leaving from South Dakota.
To fight for the red, white and blue
He was going to fight for his country's flag.
He was nineteen and green with a new M-16
The soldier was 19 years old and had a new M-16 rifle, which he was not experienced with.
Just doing what he had to do
He was doing what he felt duty-bound to do.
He was dropped in the jungle where the choppers would rumble
The soldier was dropped in the jungle where the sound of helicopters could be heard.
With the smell of napalm in the air
The air was filled with the scent of the chemical napalm that was used as a weapon at the time.
And the sergeant said look up ahead
The sergeant instructed the soldier to look ahead.
Like a dark evil cloud
The enemy appeared like an ominous cloud.
Twelve-hundred came down on him and twenty-nine more
The soldier was attacked by 1200 enemy troops and 29 other American soldiers.
They fought for their lives but most of them died
The soldiers fought for survival, but unfortunately, most of them lost their lives.
In the one-seventythird Airborne
These soldiers were part of the 173rd Airborne Brigade.
On the eighth of November the angels were crying
The artist believes that the angels were weeping on the day of the battle.
As they carried his brothers away
The soldiers who died were like brothers to him.
With the fire raining down and the hell all around
The battle was violent, with fire raining down and a sense of chaos all around.
There were few men left standing that day
Only a few soldiers were able to survive the intense battle.
Saw the eagle fly through a clear blue sky
The artist recalls seeing an eagle flying through the sky on that day.
1965, the eighth of November
This event took place on November 8th, 1965.
Now he's fifty-eight and his pony tail's gray
The soldier is now 58 years old and has gray hair tied in a ponytail.
But the battle still plays in his head
The soldier still remembers the battle vividly and thinks about it often.
He limps when he walks but he's strong when he talks
Although he walks with a limp due to injuries, he speaks with strength and resilience.
About the Shrapnel they left in his leg
The soldier still has shrapnel in his leg from the battle.
He puts on a gray suit over his Airborne tattoo
The soldier wears a gray suit to honor the occasion and covers a tattoo of his Airborne unit with the suit.
And he ties it on one time a year
He only wears the suit once a year, likely on the anniversary of the battle.
And remembers the fallen as he orders a tall one
He remembers the soldiers who died as he orders a drink.
And swallows it down with his tears
He drinks his beverage while holding back his emotions and trying not to cry.
The eighth of November (eighth of November)
The song is titled after the day of the battle - November 8th.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: KENNY ALPHIN, JOHN D. RICH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kelley Broussard
I understand that not too many people in this day and age, really truly know or understand about how truly horrific the tragic conundrums of the Vietnam War really was. As a child of a Retired USMC Vietnam Veteran, my Dad was one of the "lucky" ones to have survived the atrocities of the Vietnam War. It is utterly heart breaking to witness a soldier who is still fighting the same war that he left 30 years ago - and when that soldier is your father, it really makes you see things in a much more understanding and empathetic light.
I was born five years after the Fall of Saigon - which was when the Vietnam War had ended. I grew up watching how relentlessly haunted my Dad was from the unspeakable tragedies that he experienced while serving in the Vietnam War. I saw the way he simply couldn't help but to just re-hash the events over and over again, and what breaks my heart the most, is the way he suffered with so much that he just couldn't seem to find a way to forgive himself for... I'm not sure what those were, and I never asked him out of respect.
One thing that all of our Vietnam Vets had in common was the fact they all returned home to a grossly ungrateful country where they were commonly disparaged by their very own fellow American citizens. People spat in their faces, and commonly referred to them, not as patriotic soldiers, but as "baby killers". There was no recognition or support for the devastation that they had just been through, nor sympathies or acknowledgment for the soldiers who they had bonded with that were killed and had to be left behind.
I can only imagine the additional PTSD that this had to have had on many of them... So many of them were already struggling with all sorts of PTSD - but since PTSD wasn't yet a widely known or even understood condition yet - most of our Vietnam Vets were forced to simply deal with all the trauma they had just been through all on their own. Believe me when I say that their suffering was done in a deafening and absolutely debilitating amount of silence.
This is why I believe with every fiber of my being that it is our Vietnam Veterans who are some of the finest warriors God has ever put on this earth. They are the only soldiers in all of America's history who have had to know and feel the pain of their country’s insurmountable rejection and they had to carry on with the shambles that the Vietnam War left their lives in.
Because I wasn't born until 1980 - I am so glad that I didn't have to know a country that I love so dearly the way it was then... I can't fathom an America who rejects the soldiers who bravely answered the call to honorably fight for her... Then to turn their backs leaving them in the cold the way they did - it literally makes me so mad that I can't fight back the tears every time I think about how this must have felt for them...
I would just like to say to all of our Vietnam Veterans and to their families - that my family and I proudly honor, appreciate and acknowledge the tremendous service and sacrifices that each and every Vietnam Veteran so valiantly made. Today, yesterday and always. It is an honor to celebrate and acknowledge our Vietnam Veterans, and please know that your service will NEVER be forgotten.
As for me... Well... Some people dream of getting to meet their hero's. I was so very lucky to have been raised by mine. RIP MSgt Colin D. Broussard - USMC Retired - Operation Frequent Wind.
believeland heights believeland heights
This song, these lyrics
To everyone who gave all.
Especially to those who fought and came home.
I am the most peace loving man you ever created.
Because of your sacrifice.
I became myself with all my friends, who went into all branches of the military.
I stayed home.
Learned my country by traveling the Midwest.
My father served
My uncles served
Most of my friends served.
How can I serve my country ?
By making sure some of the greatest men in my life get their props.
There is no hour long program on most all of our families and friends who served.
I have made efforts to help write their life stories before their passing.
I spent my life learning.
When very young was abused by men.
Fought for my sanity.
And became friends with men,who would never hurt me.
Even though most of them had been hurt or seen the most devastating part of war.
I fing myself just wanting to listen to their stories.
And not wanting to hurt anyone.
I hope you are not disappointed, that you produced such a loving peaceful person.
My war was different here.
Find these people in your life and make sure their life stories are remembered also.
Thank you for reading.
✌
James Smith
Every time i hear this song i have tears. I am currently in iraq on my third tour but it still hurts thinking about the people who did this before us they are the true heros for making it possible for us to be doing what we are doing now. enlisted ,officer ,reserves , army, navy, marines, airforce and coast guard thank you. I been in 14 years and i hope to do another 14
Robin Frady
I hear you plain as day. I am in absolute love with Nam vet. What feels bad to me is that there are no young people in our country that never even knew it happened. We have some sucky ass public schools if they do not teach this. How will the children really learn? Do you know why it is not taught? Because it was an absolute comedy of errors from the top down that cost of fifty-eight thousand young beautiful men their lives
Andrew Jansen
Thank you for your service.
Katy Oliverson
Many thanks to you and all the other who have sacrificed so much. I hope you made your additional years in safety.
Colton Adams
Thank you for your service I hope you’re doing well
Martin Bruce
Thank you brother.
My Name
I play this song every 8th of November, and pray for the soldiers that gave their lives for The American people's freedom, but this year it means so much more cause this isn't the freedom that they died for, it was something so much more..God Bless America..
James Wellman
I'm a former Soldier of 12 years and born on the 8th of November. This is the Song that starts my B-day off right. All other trials or appreciations of the day pail to the gratitude I have to that I'm alive after multiple deployments, and am with my family.
Rob Johnson
Same here with my son being deployed in eastern Europe.
Krista Quintrell
AMEN!!