Saigon
Martha and the Muffins Lyrics

The Martha and the Muffins song "Saigon" is a reflective and introspective ballad about the haunting memories of the Vietnam War era. The lyrics are narrated from the perspective of someone who has survived the war and is now living with the emotional baggage that comes with such an experience. The singer limps through the corridors of the luxurious Hilton Hotel, a reminder that the physical and emotional scars of war are not easily forgotten. The city of Saigon is described as a place of obscure paternity, where East and West have collided and where the enduring legacy of war hangs heavy in the air.

The singer describes walking in pagoda gardens and drinking absinthe until dawn. These are scenes of beauty and decadence, juxtaposed against the trauma of war. They underscore how life goes on amidst conflict and how people's private lives can become escapes from the horror and violence that surround them. The endless nights filled with haunting shadows slowly fade into morning mist, suggesting that time moves on, but memories of the war remain. Faces seen but not remembered, suggests that the people encountered in Saigon result in fleeting memories, an indication of how traumatic experiences can produce a sense of detachment and emotional distance.