GiaI Phong Mien Nam

Song Name: Giải phóng miền Nam (Liberate the South)

Year of Release: 1969

Written By: Mai Văn Bộ, Huỳnh Văn Tiểng, Lưu Hữu Phước (under the pseudonym Huỳnh Minh Siêng)

Released by: Huỳnh Minh Siêng

Key Lyrics: "Giải phóng miền Nam, chúng ta cùng quyết tiến bước/Diệt Đế quốc Mỹ, phá tan bè lũ bán nước (To liberate the South, we determined to advance/To exterminate the American imperialists, and destroy the country sellers)."

"Vai sát vai chung một bóng cờ (Shoulder to shoulder, under a common flag)."

"Vùng lên! Nhân dân miền Nam anh hùng!/Vùng lên! Xông pha vượt qua bão bùng/Thề cứu lấy nước nhà! Thề hy sinh đến cùng! (Arise! Oh, you brave people of the South!/ Arise! Through the storm!/Swear to save the homeland! Swear to sacrifice to the end!")

Description: When the Viet Cong was formed in 1960, they decided to create their own national anthem. Phạm Hùng, the secretary of the Central Office of South Vietnam, had four requirements: that it be directed at the entire population of South Vietnam, that it call for the overthrow of the US-backed regime in Saigon and national unification, that the authors use a novel pseudonym to maintain the Viet Cong's independence, and that it be easy to memorize, sing, popularize, and perform. The members of Huỳnh Minh Siêng composed it within a week; it was well received within the organization and by Phạm Hùng himself, and it was adopted as the Viet Cong's official national anthem in 1969. The trio who wrote the song originally intended their group name to be "Huỳnh Minh Liêng," with the first letter of each word meant to represent each person's family name, but because the publishers misread the L as an S, their pseudonym became Huỳnh Minh Siêng instead. The band members chose not to change the name because they liked the name Siêng (which means "diligent" in Vietnamese). 

Why It Was Important: The song quickly gained popularity through the Viet Cong's radio channels and performance troupes. Its popularity wasn't just limited to Vietnam, either; it was translated into other languages such as Italian, Swedish, and Chinese. Lưu Hữu Phước noted that people would often visit North Vietnam and sing it either as "Liberate the North" or translate it into their own languages. In addition, the song's lyrics address the goal of national unity and remind Viet Cong troops that they were fighting for the ultimate goal of Vietnamese reunification. On top of being the official national anthem of the Viet Cong, it also later became the anthem of the Republic of South Vietnam (which was controlled by the North Vietnamese government) 

Recordings:

Giải Phóng Miền Nam - Tốp Ca Quân Khu 7 [Official MV] (YouTube rendition)

Giải Phóng Miền Nam - Nhóm Lạc Việt (live performance)