Tone: [A]
Intro:
[A] [C] [G] [D] [A] [G] [A]
Verse 1:
[A]Mum and Dad and[C] Denny saw the[G] passing out p[D]arade at Puck[A]apunyal
-1t was [G]long march from ca[A]cadets-.
[A]The sixth battalion was the[C] next to tour and It was[G] me who drew the[D] card.
We did C[A]anungra and Shoa[G]lwater before we[A] left.
Chorus 1:
[E]And Townsville lined the footpath as we [D]marched down to the quay[A]quay.
This cl[E]clipping from the paper shows us [D]young and strong and [A]clean.
And [Gbm]there's me in my [E]slouch hat with my [D]SLR and [A]greens.
God [E]help me, I was only[Gbm] nine[E]teen[D].
Verse 2:
[A]From Vung Tau riding[C] Chinooks to the[G] dust at Nui[D] Dat,
I'd been [A]in and out of[G]of choppers now for[A]for months.
But we [A]made our tents a[C] home. V.B. and[G] pinups on the[D] lockers,
And an [A]Asian orange[G]orange sunset through the[A]the scrub.
Chorus 2:
[E]And can you tell me, doctor , why I s[D]still can't get to sle[A]sleep?
[E]And night time's just a jungle dark and a [D]barking M.[A]M.16?
[Gbm]And what's this rash that [E]comes and goes, can you [D]tell me what it [A]means?
[E]God help me, I was onl[Gbm]y nin[E]etee[D]n.
Verse 3:
[A]A four week ope[C]ration, when each[G] step can mean your[D] last one
On two [A]legs: it was a[G]a war within you[A]yourself.
But you [A]wouldn't let your[C] mates down 'til they[G] had you dusted[D] off,
So you c[A]losed your eyes and[G] thought about something[A] else.
Chorus 3:
[E]Then someone yelled out "Contact"', and the [D]bloke behind me [A]swore.
[E]We Hooked in there for hours, then a [D]God almighty [A]roar.
[Gbm]Frankie kicked a [E]mine the day that [D]mankind kicked the [A]moon.
[E]God help me, he was going home in [D]June.
Verse 4:
[A]1 can still see[C] Frankie, drinking[G] tinnies in the[D] Grand Hotel
On a [A]thirty-six hour[G]hour rec. leave in Vung[A]Vung Tau.
And [A]I can still hear[C] Frankie, lying[G] screaming in the[D] jungle.
'Till the [A]morphine came and[G]and killed the bloody[A]bloody row
Chorus 4:
[E]And the Anzac legends didn't mention [D]mud and blood and [A]tears.
[E]And stories that my father told me [D]never seemed quite [A]real
[Gbm]I caught some pieces [E]In my back that I [D]didn't even [A]feel.
God [E]help me, I was only[Gbm] nine[E]teen[D].
Chorus 5:
[E]And can you tell me, doctor , why I [D]still can't get to [A]sleep?
[E]And why the channel 7 chopper [D]chills me to my [A]feet.
[Gbm]And 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]nineteen. [A]