Which song plays over the opening credits of Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket?

“Hello Vietnam” plays over the opening credits of Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket.

The song is performed by Johnny Wright, and its bright country-pop sound contrasts sharply with the images of Marine recruits having their heads shaved at the beginning of the film. That contrast establishes the film’s uneasy relationship between popular culture, military training, and the violence of the Vietnam War.

Full Metal Jacket was released in 1987 and is divided into two major sections: the recruits’ training at Parris Island and the later combat experience in Vietnam. Matthew Modine plays Private Joker, while Vincent D’Onofrio plays Leonard “Gomer Pyle” Lawrence.

The song is often confused with “Paint It, Black,” which is strongly associated with the film because it plays over the end credits. The Rolling Stones’ song therefore belongs to the closing sequence, not the opening credits. Kubrick’s soundtrack also includes period recordings and military-related music.