I
WAS ONLY NINETEEN
Redgum
[A][C][G][D][A][G][A]
[A] Mum and Dad and [C]
Denny
Saw the [G] passing-out pa-[D]-rade
at Pucka-[A]-punyal
It was a [G] long march from [A]
cadets
[A] The Sixth Battalion was the [C] next to tour
And it was [G] me who drew the [D] card
We did [A] Canungra and Shoal-[G]-water
before we [A] left
And [E] Townsville lined the footpath as we [D] marched down to the [A] quay
This [E] clipping from the paper shows us [D] young and strong and [A] clean
And [F#m] there's me in my [E]
slouch hat, with my [D] SLR and [A] greens
God [E] help me, I was only nine-[D]-teen
[A] From Vung Tau riding [C] Chinooks, to the [G] dust at Nui [D] Dat
I'd been [A] in and out of [G]
choppers now for [A] months
And we [A] made our tents a [C]
home, VB and [G] pinups on the [D] lockers
And an [A] Asian orange [G]
sunset through the [A] scrub
And [E] can you tell me doctor why I [D] still can't get to [A] sleep?
And [E] night time's just a jungle dark and a [D] barking M Six-[A]-teen?
And [F#m] what's this rash that [E] comes and goes,
Can you [D] tell me what it [A]
means?
God [E] help me, I was only nine-[D]-teen
[A] A four week oper-[C]-ation,
when each [G] step could be your [D] last one
On two [A] legs; it was a [G]
war within your-[A]-self
But you [A] wouldn't let your [C]
mates down till they [G] had you dusted [D] off
So you [A] closed your eyes and [G] thought about something [A] else
Then [E] someone yelled out "Contact!" and the [D] bloke behind me [A] swore
We [E] hooked in there for hours, then a [D] God-almighty [A] roar
[F#m] Frankie kicked a [E]
mine the day that [D] mankind kicked the [A] moon
God [E] help me, he was going home in [D] June
[A] I can still see [C]
Frankie, Drinking [G] tinnies in the [D] Grand Hotel
On a [A] thirty six hour [G]
rec leave in Vung [A] Tau
And [A] I can still hear [C]
Frankie, lying [G] screaming in the [D] jungle
Till the [A] morphine came and [G]
killed the bloody [A] row
And the [E] Anzac legends didn't mention [D] mud and blood and [A] tears
And the [E] stories that my father told me [D] never seemed quite [A] real
[F#m] I caught some pieces [E] in my back that I [D] didn't even [A] feel
God [E] help me, I was only nine-[D]-teen
[E] And can you tell me doctor why I [D] still can't get to [A] sleep?
And [E] why the Channel Seven chopper [D] chills me to my [A] feet?
And [F#m] what's this rash that [E] comes and goes,
Can you [D] tell me what it [A]
means?
God [E] help me, I was only nine-[D]-teen
[A][C][G][D][A][G][A]