Phnom Penh" came out just a few months after the Khmer Rouge regime (Democratic Kampuchea) collapsed and the populations that were starving in the countryside could come back to the city from which they had been chased three years before.
[4] According to Khmer scholar Linda Saphan, "blasted throughout the countryside, the song spread a message of hope and return to normalcy and a desperate reminder that music lived on despite the terror of the genocide.
"[5] This sad song marked the beginning of a new life in the field of art, culture and other fields in Cambodia, and is one among a series of songs that have helped to serve the memory of the Cambodian people until now, to heal the wounds left from the Khmer Rouge.
In 2011, a controversy arose as Cambodian pop singers attempted to make a cover of the song while changing its lyrics.
The melody of the song is monodic and follows the lines of the Cambodian lament of smot creating an effect of nostalgia and sadness on the heart of Khmer people.
Phnom Penh 3 years I've missed you without a moment of ease I've parted from you with unbearable pain The enemy has intended to cut off our bond As I was forced to leave you My heart was inflamed with anger Seeking revenge In evidence to prove my loyalty to you Phnom Penh, the heart and soul of Cambodia 3 years you had endured Yet you were still able to stand strong Preserving a rich history of bravery Bestowed upon the Cambodian soul With a history once well known around the world The soul of the Cambodian nation lives on Descendants living under the shadows of Angkor You continue to live on Oh!