There are at least four recorded versions of this song: As the lead single from Richard Marx, the song saw success on both the Billboard Hot 100 singles and Album Rock Tracks charts. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. by University of Massachusetts Press, Don't Mean Nothing: Short Stories of Vietnam. Directed by Dominic Sena. Edit Master Release Data Correct . Ain't no one you can count on in this sleazy little town, oh no. A selection of stories about people, by people who served in Vietnam. It hit #1 on Billboard's Album Rock Tracks chart and #3 on the Hot 100. This race is for rats, it can turn you upside down. "Don't Mean Nothing" peaked at #1 on the U.S. Just a 'quirky' little film full of 'quirky' characters and a more than 'quirky' storyline! Billboard Top Rock Tracks Chart in the … The last two fell a bit short, but those were small blips; overall this collection stands with some of my favorite novels, as it feels like a novel, not just many brief tales. While men were sent to protect America’s interests at any cost, nurses were trained to save the lives of anyone—soldier or citizen, ally or enemy—who was brought through the hospital doors. You're bound to be a star. No, don't mean nothin', these games that people play No, it don't mean nothin', no victim, no crime No, don't mean nothin' till you sign it on that dotted line The director smiles as you walk in the door He says, "I love your work, babe But you're just not what we're looking for" It's never what but who it is you know There would be time later for it all to "mean something", IF you lived through it." Usually used to dismiss witnessing or experiencing something so horrific that it can't be comprehended by the psyche. There it is, and It don’t mean nothin' are two phrases the grunts used to describe their situation in Vietnam. "Don't Mean Nothing" is the debut single by singer/songwriter/producer Richard Marx from his triple platinum 1987 eponymous album. Coined by G.I. The last two fell a bit short, but those were small blips; overall this collection stands with some of my favorite novels, as it feels like a novel, not just many brief tales. Remember the opening of the television show M.A.S.H., and the stoic, angelic grace with which the nurses ran toward the medevac chopper? "Don't Mean Nothing" is the debut single by singer/songwriter/producer Richard Marx from his triple platinum 1987 eponymous album. it don't mean nothin`. And even if you don't go all the way, I know that you'll go far. As a fan of the Eagles, Marx felt that musically the song could have belonged on the album The Long Run. The tales were charming, others terrifying, nearly all sucking me in, not allowing me to be anywhere else but exactly where the story put me. Each or these tales offers new and profound insight into the ways the war in Vietnam forever changed the lives of everyone who served there. [3], The song was aided by a popular MTV music video and in 1988, Marx was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Rock Vocal Performance - Solo" for "Don't Mean Nothing". A reverse coping expression indicating that it means everything and I'm about to lose it. The fact that it is fiction takes n. Loved this book. LIke there was something left out. It was a strange place to send our youth - not to learn a new culture or to enjoy the beaches, but to kill and be killed, to be maimed and to patch up the maimed. The tales were charming, others terrifying, nearly all sucking me in, not allowing me to be anywhere else but exactly where the story put me. When "Don't Mean Nothing" was released, the Los Angeles Times called it "the best Eagles song in years." It's not only that characters wind from one hospital to another, but that these people are many facets of those who served and died there, also those who called Vietnam home. Events she described that would normally cause a lot of emotional resonance for me fell flat. Welcome back. She isn't a bad writer- many of her descriptions are quite clever, but I felt she couldn't decide if she wanted all the stories to be interrelated and just kept waffling back and forth, leaving me very confused. That's just how Sue O'Neill's stories of Vietnam made me feel. Don't Mean Nothing by Richard Marx For Rhythm Guitar. He competed against Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner, Bob Seger, and Joe Cocker.[4]. a nurse. Refresh and try again. Excellent collection of interrelated short stories--think Hemingway's In Our Time or O'Brien's The Things They Carried--focusing on a nurse's tour of duty in Vietnam. Directed by Dominic Sena. 354 likes. Two other Eagles members, Randy Meisner and Timothy B. Schmit, sang background vocals on the song. It is overcrowded, prey to floods and sweatshops, dotted by modern cities and tiny hamlets of thatched huts with TV antennae. The fact that it is fiction takes nothing away from the story being told. "Don't Mean Nothing" is the debut single by singer/songwriter/producer Richard Marx from his triple platinum 1987 eponymous album. Nearly all the characters felt authentic, and while I'm a squeamish sort, this wasn't an overly bloody book. The situations described likely happened to several different people at various times during the long conflict. "Don't Mean Nothin'". referencing Don't Mean Nothing, 7", Single, Promo, 7PRO-79073. At the request of his daughters, Charles Hensler set out to write a brief summary of his time in Vietnam. 1 talking about this. Anyone looking for a 'personal' view of the war and how it affected nurses in Vietnam. This country, these people, posed no real threat to us. In the UK, the song peaked at number 78. The phrase pops up in one of my favorite Johnny Cash songs: "Johnny Cash - Drive On, It Don't Mean Nothing… 'Divided' into three sections, each in a different part of Vietnam, the stories have several characters in common which tie them together as the story of a nurses tour of duty. The single entered the Hot 100 chart upon release at number 78 and, 12 weeks later, reached its peak of number 3. Loved this book. This book is an anthology of short stories about nurses and other medical personnel serving in Vietnam. 12 reviews. According to Richard Marx's personal commentary about the song's origin, his manager at the time asked Joe Walsh to play slide guitar on the song and he agreed. In this powerful story collection—the first such work of fiction by a woman who served in Vietnam—Susan O’Neill offers a remarkable view of the war from a female perspective. Interesting reading about three different 'war zones' during the American War in Vietnam from a female's perspective, i.e. Written and directed by Albert Fry Jr. Recommended with deep appreciation for O'Neill's writing, stitching together a complex war and its far flung participants. In this powerful story collection—the first such work of fiction by a woman who served in Vietnam—Susan O’Neill offers a remarkable view of the war from a female perspective. I should add that saying the above is acceptable, but writing that in an essay is a serious no-no! About Don't Mean Nothing. The basis is very similar to Tim O'Brien's books about Vietnam, there is a fine line between fiction and the truth and thye best stories have some sort of truth intertwined somewhere. The song also became a number-one hit on the Album Rock Tracks chart. 'Don't Mean Nothing' music video by Richard Marx. “The single has a familiar sound to it--sort of an Eagles’ sound,” Marx told the newspaper. Reply Notify me Helpful [m123737] Master Release. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published Listen to Don't Mean Nothing by Richard Marx, 78,825 Shazams, featuring on ’80s Soft Rock Essentials, and Pop Hits: 1988 Apple Music playlists. Posted on August 12, 2013 by clinewilliamson. Written and directed by Albert Fry Jr. It is an enjoyable read. I didn't realise until I read the intro that it is fictional but based on an American nurses time in Vietnam. With the chart success of "Don't Mean Nothing" and subsequent singles from his debut album, Marx became the first male artist to reach the top three of the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart with four singles from a debut album. Written in a straightforward and easygoing manner, the book is refreshingly candid. It was an important distinction in a place where killing was sometimes the only objective. Every story is a gem, and they are all polished to perfection. Marx took it all in stride. The style matches the material--straightforward but smart and lyrical. Richard Marx's personal commentary on writing & recording of "Don't Mean Nothing", "Hit-Maker Richard Marx Doesn't Split Hairs : Pop music: The singer with the famed mane shrugs off his critics and looks for respect", "Richard Marx Celebrates 25 Years on Billboard Charts", "Richard Marx to headline piano conference at Raue Center", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Don%27t_Mean_Nothing&oldid=1004002124, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz release group identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, "Extended Rock Mix" version from 12" single - 6:15, Live version recorded at the Palace Theatre in Los Angeles, CA, from the "Angelia" 12" single - 8:11, This page was last edited on 31 January 2021, at 17:57. While men were sent to protect America’s interests at any cost, nurses were trained to save the lives of anyone—soldier or. O'Neill's gift lies in depicting an abundance of lives, women and men, young and old. She states in the introduction that it is a collection of stories of pure fiction, and I think it felt very fictional to me. Some are humorous, a few are tragic. With the assistance of alcohol, drugs, and casual sex, "Don’t mean nothing" became their mantra, a means of coping with the other war—the war against total mental breakdown. I took the time for each side. Label are reversed. I didn't realise until I read the intro that it is fictional but based on an American nurses time in Vietnam. All the nurses who served there had a common bond: to attend to the wounded. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Directed by Albert Fry Jr.. With Albert Fry Jr., Wendy Tillery Boling, Merritt C. Glover, Holly Adams. Even if you don't go all the way, I know that you'll go far. The first covered the insanity, and the second, the result. The Eagles’ tie-in gave DJs something to talk about. I had a hard time getting through this book- not because of disturbing subject matter, or anything like that- I was simply bored. Bailey, Richard Marx, Cynthia Rhodes. All the nurses who served there had a common bond: to attend to the wounded. This is an excellent collection! about grammar! The term "It don't mean nothing" was a way of taking you away from the horrors of the day and focusing on staying alive. There is nothing in Vietnam, now, that America truly needs. Lots of promises in the dark. I had a hard time getting through this book- not because of disturbing subject matter, or anything like that- I was simply bored. MWSA Review A gripping firsthand account of the Vietnam War, Charles Hensler's memoir There it is…It don't mean nothin' captures the experiences of a young man and the soul of an era. It hit #1 on Billboard's Album Rock Tracks chart and #3 on the Hot 100. Richard Marx Lyrics. And it don't mean nothing Cause we're already dead You know I mean it You know I'm scared I've seen a hundred like you Running out of air You know I love you But you soon will see That it don't mean nothing Till you figure out what it means It's clear to me, you're like The oceans and the light Try and you'll remember what you used to be Diverse voices and sparkling debuts dominate today's contemporary short story collections. 'You don't know nothing' (You don't know anything) 'You didn't do nothing' (You did not do anything) Don't worry about it; it's just us Brits not knowing nothing (!) All the nurses who served there had a common bond: to attend to the wounded. [1][2] With the chart success of "Don't Mean Nothing" and subsequent singles from his debut album, Marx became the first male artist to reach the top three of the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart with four singles from a debut album. 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