19

Paul Hardcastle

About 19

"19" is a song by British musician Paul Hardcastle released as the first single from his self-titled third studio album Paul Hardcastle (1985). The song has a strong anti-war message, focusing on America's involvement in the Vietnam War and the effect it had on the soldiers who served. The track was notable for early use of sampled and processed speech, in particular a synthesized stutter effect used on the words 'nineteen' and 'destruction'. It also includes various non-speech, re-dubbed sampling, such as crowd noise and a military bugle call. "19" features sampled narration (voiced by Peter Thomas), out-of-context interview dialogue ("I wasn't really sure what was going on") and news reports from Vietnam Requiem the ABC television documentary about the post-traumatic stress disorder suffered by Vietnam veterans. In 2009, the song placed at 73 on VH1's 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the 80s."19" had huge international success in the charts; it went to No. 1 in the UK for five weeks, as well as a number of other countries worldwide. "19" became the top-selling single in 13 countries for 1985. This was helped by the fact that versions of the song, spoken by well-known local news anchors, were recorded in French, Spanish, German and Japanese. The song received the Ivor Novello award for Best-selling single of 1985. The song's English-language release came in three different 12" versions - "Extended Version", "Destruction Mix" and "The Final Story", all with an alternative cover design. 


Year:
1995
139 

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In 1965 Vietnam seemed like just another foreign war, but it wasn't
It was different in many ways, as so were those that did the fighting
In World War II the average age of the combat soldier was twenty-six
In Vietnam he was nineteen
In inininininin Vietnam he was nineteen

In inininininin Vietnam, he was nineteen
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 really wasn't sure what was going on

N-n-n-n-nineteen, nineteen
N-nineteen, nineteen

In Vietnam the combat soldier typically served a twelve-month tour of duty
But was exposed to hostile fire almost every day

N-n-n-n-nineteen
(N-n-n-n-nineteen) nineteen

In Saigon a US military spokesman said today
More than seven hundred enemy troops were killed last week
In that sensitive border area
In all of South Vietnam
The enemy lost a total of two thousand six hundred eighty-nine soldiers

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-destruction
D-d-d-d-d-destruction

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

Nineteen
S-S-S-S-Saigon
Nineteen, n-n-n-n-n-ninteen
N-n-n-n-n-ninteen

Nineteen n-n-n-n-n-ninteen
N-n-n-n-n-ninteen, nineteen

(Vietnam, S-S-S-S-Saigon)

Purple heart, Saigon

(I wasn't really sure what was going on)

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Paul Hardcastle

Paul Hardcastle (born 10 December 1957, London, England) is an English composer and musician, specialising in the synthesizer. more »

1 fan

Written by: WILLIAM COUTURIE, PAUL HARDCASTLE, JONAS MCCORD

Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


11 facts about this song

Release Information
"19" by Paul Hardcastle was released as the lead single from his self-titled third studio album in April 1985.
Chart Performance
The song topped the charts in the UK, becoming Hardcastle's only number one single in the UK Singles Chart.
International Recognition
Besides its success in the UK, it also topped the charts in 13 other countries including Germany, Australia, and New Zealand.
Subject Matter
The song's title "19" refers to the average age of the American combat soldier in the Vietnam War, which Hardcastle learned from a television documentary that aired in 1984.
Music Style
The track is known for its use of audio cut-ups and sampling; Hardcastle combined spoken word samples from the documentary with a catchy synth-pop instrumental.
Sampling
The song is an early example of the Electronic Dance Music genre and broke new ground in its extensive use of samples.
Remix Versions
"19" was remixed several times throughout the years, including an update by Hardcastle himself in 2019 to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the Vietnam War's conclusion.
Awards
The song won an Ivor Novello award in 1985 for the Best-selling A-side.
Controversy
Despite its success, some radio stations in the US refused to play "19" due to its controversial Vietnam War subject matter, viewing it as a criticism of the US military. Hardcastle insists the song is not an anti-American statement but a statement against war.
Significance
The song was groundbreaking for its time, popularizing the use of sampling in music, and remains Hardcastle's most well-known song to this day.
Social Impact
Beyond its commercial success, "19" is considered an important piece of protest music and a potent reminder of the emotional toll wars can have on young soldiers.

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    19

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    Top Hot 100 Songs 1985

    Billboard #15


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