Top 10 Most Meaningful and Beautiful Songs for Vietnam's War Invalids and Martyrs Day 27/7

"Traces in the Sand" is a song by musician Trần Tiến, composed around 1981. It is one of the most beloved and popular songs about war veterans.

The song narrates the story of a war veteran who has returned from the battlefield. Though his body is no longer whole, he continues to use his crutches to teach village children songs of his homeland every day...

In 1981, while walking along the coast of Tiền Hải in Tiền Hải district, Thái Bình province, Trần Tiến came across crutch marks left in the sand. He later learned from the locals that the marks belonged to a war veteran with a leg injury who was on his way to teach children in the village school. Moved by the sight of the marks in the sand, the composer wrote this song while walking back to his lodge, naming it "Traces in the Sand".

"The traces still walk along the familiar sandy road of my hometown
The war veteran still goes to the village school
Still carrying his guitar to teach the children songs of the homeland
The song has the distant mountain of his hometown
The song has endless rice fields and folk songs
The song has the soldier who quietly sacrificed himself
For today's footprints of joy
Surrounded by the traces in the sand..."

"Legend of the Mother" is a classic song composed by the late musician Trịnh Công Sơn. The song pays tribute to the heroic Vietnamese mothers, full of love and self-sacrifice. The song was composed by Trịnh Công Sơn after he visited a museum in Quảng Bình in early 1984. Upon seeing a photograph of Mother Suốt – a courageous mother who rowed a boat under a rain of bombs and bullets, ferrying soldiers across the river during the American War, Trịnh Công Sơn was deeply moved. This powerful image inspired him to write the song "Legend of the Mother", with great respect for the silent sacrifices of Vietnamese mothers during wartime.

The song "Legend of the Mother" is familiar yet profoundly poignant. In the future, as time passes and lives change, the younger generations will only know of war through history lessons, but when they hear this song, they will honor and cherish the noble qualities of Vietnamese mothers who endured hardships and made sacrifices. The song is a fragrant flower that the musician dedicated to the heroic, indomitable, and devoted Vietnamese mothers.

"A Love Story in the Highlands" is another composition by musician Trần Tiến, focusing on soldiers during peacetime. The song "A Love Story in the Highlands" quickly won the hearts of listeners upon its release. The melody brings a light, cheerful, and free-spirited atmosphere, almost as if it opens a new horizon of beautiful things in life for the listener. The love story between a girl from the highlands and a soldier returning to his old village with his T'rông guitar truly left a lasting impression on music lovers when they heard the song.

"A Love Story in the Highlands" was inspired by a touching love story between a first-class wounded soldier, Trịnh Quốc Đông, and his wife, Nguyễn Thị Lộc, who was a doctor at the 103 Military Medical Institute.

Created in 1958, 56 years ago, the song Grateful for Sister Võ Thị Sáu by musician Nguyễn Đức Toàn is still regarded as a remarkable song that leaves a deep impression on people, portraying the image of the heroic female figure from the People's Public Security forces - Sister Võ Thị Sáu. Rather than preaching about sacrifice or rigidly calling for action, or dwelling on death, Sister Võ Thị Sáu appears through the profound and approachable melodies.

With a series of slides, the composer created tender, soulful tunes that express grief and sorrow over the heroic departure of this daughter from the red soil: “When the Ki Ma pear blossoms bloom, in our red earth village, the villagers still speak the name of the hero…”. Grateful for Sister Võ Thị Sáu is considered a memorial song for the indomitable, courageous female hero. Many people visiting her tomb on Con Dao Island, beneath the blue sky and the rustling pine trees, listening to the melody of this song, feel a deep emotional stir in their hearts.

Love Song is a famous piece by musician Hoàng Việt, composed in 1957 in the Blues style. The song has been beloved by generations of Vietnamese, and poet Bảo Định Giang wrote: "After more than 40 years, Love Song still resonates across the country."

In 1954, Hoàng Việt moved to the North, while his wife remained in the South. In the context of a divided country and a separated family, he composed Love Song in 1957 while studying at the Vietnam Music School. Immediately after its release, the song was hailed as "the best love song of that time". However, Love Song had a rather turbulent fate. When singer Quốc Hương first performed the song in Hanoi, some musicians criticized the lyrics as sorrowful and weak. As a result, the song was not widely performed. It was only after Hoàng Việt went to the South to fight and tragically died on December 31, 1967, that the song began to be performed more widely. The song reflects the deep emotions and personal thoughts of the author, expressing his love and longing for his beloved wife during a time of national division and the hardships of war.

Among the many successful songs, National Melody by composer Trần Tiến explores a unique perspective. The author does not focus on realistically depicting scenes like bamboo groves, rice paddies, or mulberry fields, nor does it describe a "flock of storks carrying sunlight up the hillside." One could say that National Melody is a song that praises patriotism, a very distinct characteristic of the Vietnamese people—a nation that for thousands of years has faced challenges, always "standing at the forefront of the waves" and defending itself against foreign invaders. A country where "Four thousand years of hardship, the melody burns, in the boundless love for the homeland."

National Melody captures the essence of the Vietnamese spirit. Despite the pain, what rises above all is a "gentle" melody, expressed "in the lullaby," in "the verses of Kiều" sung by the mother. This reflects the cultural depth within the soul of the Vietnamese people. For millennia, our nation has faced foreign invasions, embarking on journeys and farewells. Yet, strangely, during these farewells, mothers and wives "part without shedding tears/ Tears are reserved for the day of reunion" (Dương Hương Ly).

National Melody stands out with the lines: "I hear in the words of love, I hear in the words of longing, during the march, a mother sends her child off, the melody of remembrance, the melody of love follows throughout the journey." Trần Tiến wrote this song during the days when the country had just emerged from a prolonged and devastating war lasting over 30 years. Few places on Earth have experienced such a long and brutal conflict. Yet, as one war ends, another begins: the Border War. Perhaps now, more than ever, the National Melody resonates powerfully and passionately, just like it did in those days. This is the "Homeland that I love, the one I sing about, words of love burning brightly on this day, oh my country."

The image of the soldier in the song The Soldier by composer Hoàng Vân was created in 1969, when the Vietnam People's Army had just completed a quarter of a century of construction, combat, and growth. From Nà Ngần, Phay Khắt to the earth-shattering Battle of Điện Biên and culminating in the historic Hồ Chí Minh Campaign, which liberated the South and reunified the country. The soldiers of the Vietnam People's Army are the children of the people, carrying the blood of patriotism and the heroic spirit of four thousand years of Vietnamese history. For generations, fathers and sons have taken up arms to fight against invading enemies and reclaim the nation's sovereignty.

The Soldier does not focus on any specific soldier, but through the song, we feel as though we have met and become familiar with him on every battlefield throughout the entire revolutionary struggle. The song reveals the revolutionary optimism and the immense pride of being a soldier in the Vietnam People's Army, fighting to defend the nation under the enlightened leadership of the Party, President Hồ Chí Minh, and the care and support of the people.

"Grass of the Ancient Citadel" is a song composed by Tân Huyền in the early spring of 1990, when the author went on a field trip to write about the theme of war, along with Huy Thục, Thuận Yến, and Vũ Thanh. This group of musicians visited Quảng Trị, a place that had witnessed the fiercest battles in the former Zone 4 provinces. Standing on the land where many of our soldiers bravely sacrificed their lives for the country, composer Tân Huyền looked up at the spring sky and felt as if he wanted to capture the vast, clear sky with his eyes.

When writer Nguyễn Quang Lập said, "Anh Huyền ơi, beneath this carpet of grass lies the blood and bones of our soldiers who fought for 81 days and nights at the Ancient Citadel. You should write a song about the glorious yet tragic past of the war," the first melodies for the song “Grass of the Ancient Citadel” suddenly emerged in Tân Huyền's mind. This song became an epic that portrays the heroic and tragic period of our ancestors in their struggle to regain independence and freedom for the country. Tân Huyền completed the song in a week, and when he sang it, everyone present was moved to tears.

Every July, people often recall a song titled “The Red Flower”. The song, penned by poet Nguyễn Đức Mậu and set to music by composer Thuận Yến, is filled with emotional lyrics and melodies. It tells the story of a soldier leaving behind a humble thatched roof, answering the call of the homeland and transforming into “mountain stone,” “clouds in the sky,” “a bamboo tree shadow.” This red flower represents a poignant image of the borderlands in the evening mist, where a mother with silver hair waits endlessly for her child to return…

Years have passed, the war is a thing of the past, and the sounds of battle have quieted. Yet, people still sing “The Red Flower” every July. This song resonates as a powerful echo of days gone by. Over time, “The Red Flower” has become a symbol not only for those who left but also for those who remained.

“The Red Flower” is a song composed by the late musician Thuận Yến, based on the poem of the same name by poet Nguyễn Đức Mậu. It symbolizes the resilience of the Vietnamese people, coming together to fight against foreign invaders. The song combines both lyrical beauty and a sense of tragedy, evoking strong emotions in the listener. Every time the song “The Red Flower” is sung, the Vietnamese heart swells with national pride, in every breath.

Although the song was written during the most brutal period of the American imperialist war, it instilled a sense of unshakable victory for the entire nation. “The Red Flower” became a metaphor for the glorious triumph, a vision that came true on April 30, 1975, when the South was liberated and the three regions of the country became united.

"The Song That Cannot Be Forgotten" is a piece composed by musician Phạm Minh Tuấn, a soldier who spent 15 years in the brutal battlefield. He witnessed immense hardship alongside his fellow soldiers, burying comrades who had courageously fallen for the country. Tragically, he was forced to bury his own 4-month-old child due to the ravages of war. During a military march, his family and soldiers were ambushed by the enemy, and in that life-or-death moment, to prevent the cries of his infant from exposing their hiding place, his wife held the child tightly in her arms. “When the raid passed and the group was safe, my child had stopped breathing,” recalls musician Minh Tuấn, choking back the pain of that moment. As a result, “The Song That Cannot Be Forgotten” not only carries a powerful melody, but it also evokes sorrow—representing the anguish of those who have lost loved ones to the merciless consequences of war.

Though many artists have performed “The Song That Cannot Be Forgotten”, it is likely that singer Cẩm Vân's rendition is the most successful. The renowned singer shared that when she sang, many listeners wept, and she, too, struggled to hold back her tears. The song truly touches the heart, reflecting deep emotions of family love, motherhood, comradeship, romantic relationships, and above all, the love for one's homeland and country.