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Lyrics

[Intro] In 1965, Vietnam seemed like just another foreign war But it wasn't It was different in many ways, and so were those who did the fighting In World War II the average age of the combat soldier was twenty-six In Vietnam, he was nineteen In-in-in-in-in-in-in-in Vietnam, he was nineteen [Chorus] In-in-in-in-in-in-in-in Vietnam, he was nineteen In-in-in-in-in-in-in-in Vietnam, he was nineteen N-n-n-n-nineteen The heaviest fighting of the past two weeks continued today twenty-five miles northwest of Saigon I wasn't really sure what was going on N-n-n-n-nineteen, nineteen N-nineteen, nineteen [Verse 1] In Vietnam, the combat soldier typically served a twelve month tour of duty But was exposed to hostile fire almost everyday [Chorus] Ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-nineteen (Nineteen) Ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-nineteen (Nineteen) Ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-nineteen (Nineteen) Ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-nineteen (Nineteen) [Verse 2] In Saigon, an US military spokesman said today, more than 700 enemy troops were killed last week in that sensitive border area Throughout all of South Vietnam the enemy lost a total of 2,689 soldiers [Bridge] All those who remember the war They won't forget what they've seen Destruction of men in their prime Whose average age was nineteen D-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-destruction D-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-destruction [Verse 3] According to a Veteran's Administration study, half of the Vietnam combat veterans suffered from what psychiatrists call Post-traumatic stress disorder Many vets complain of alienation, rage, or guilt Some succumb to suicidal thoughts Eight to ten years after coming home, almost eight-hundred-thousand men are still fighting the Vietnam War None of them received a hero's welcome [Chorus] Nineteen Saigon, Saigon S-S-S-S-Saigon, Saigon S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-Saigon Ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-nineteen (Nineteen) Ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-nineteen Ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-nineteen (Nineteen) Ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-nineteen [Outro] Vietnam, S-S-Saigon Vietnam, S-S-Saigon Vietnam, S-S-Saigon Vietnam, S-S-Saigon Purple Heart, Saigon P-P-Purple Heart, S-S-S-Saigon I wasn't really sure what was going on I wasn't really sure what was going on