“and we will all go down together”

We met as soul mates on Parris Island
We left as inmates from an asylum
And we were sharp, as sharp as knives
And we were so gung ho to lay down our lives

We had no cameras to shoot the landscape
We passed the hash pipe and played our Doors tapes
And it was dark, so dark at night
And we held on to each other
Like brother to brother
We promised our mothers we’d write

And we would all go down together
We said we’d all go down together
Yes we would all go down together

These are lyrics from Billy Joel’s “Goodnight Saigon” I was just watching bits of the Kennedy Center Honors, and one of tonight’s honorees was Billy Joel. During his tribute, Garth Brooks sang a mash up of Allentown and Goodnight Saigon. Allentown talks about how hard life is for people because the factories are shutting down, and there are no jobs, and education doesn’t help you get a job when there is no job to be had. I thought it was odd that song was chosen because Obama and his wife were sitting right there through the whole performance, and I’m sure the audience is filled with people who are culpable in the sad economic state of the US today. Although they deny all responsibility, I would think it would be uncomfortable for them to sit there and listen to that song. Then he segued into Godonight Saigon…..and during one of the choruses of “and we will all go down together” all of these service men and women started coming on stage – and not young ones, but old ones. And they all put their arms around each other and were swaying, singing that: “and we will all go down together” and then the cameras panned to the audience, and there are all these people in the audience, standing and crying and singing along with them, “and we will all go down together”….it was just so awful….I had to turn the tv off and walk away. Seeing their defiance and rebellion was so heartbreaking, especially knowing that they are proclaiming their own end and they don’t even realize it…..I can’t image the depth of heartbreak God feels right now in heaven watching them and hearing their words……