June 2024

MEMORABLE MUSIC: PHẠM’ DUY’S “RIDDLES” (“ĐỐ AI”), TRACK 17 ON SAIGON ROCK & SOUL

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Phạm Duy’s “Riddles” (“Đố ai,” 1954?) is a charming song that mixes tradition and modernity. It is the last track on Saigon Rock & Soul, and this post will probably be my last one in my series-within-a-series translating the lyrics of songs from that CD. “Riddles” exemplifies a Vietnamese musical genre known as “new folk […]

MEMORABLE MUSIC: PHẠM’ DUY’S “RIDDLES” (“ĐỐ AI”), TRACK 17 ON SAIGON ROCK & SOUL Read More »

MEMORABLE MUSIC: TUẤN LÊ’S “MAD AT HIM, ANGRY AT HER” (“HỜN ANH GIẬN EM”), TRACK 15 ON SAIGON ROCK & SOUL

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Tuấn Lê’s “Mad at Him, Angry at Her” (“Hờn anh giận em,” 1970?) is a clever duet about a soldier and his wife in the Republic of Vietnam (RVN, or South Vietnam). The song speaks to the burden that war imposed on soldiers and their romantic partners. “Mad at Him, Angry at Her” is the

MEMORABLE MUSIC: TUẤN LÊ’S “MAD AT HIM, ANGRY AT HER” (“HỜN ANH GIẬN EM”), TRACK 15 ON SAIGON ROCK & SOUL Read More »