Mum and Dad and Danny saw the passing out parade at Puckapunyal
It was a long march from cadets
The sixth battalion was next to tour, it was me who drew the card
We did Canungra, Shoalwater, before we left
And Townsville lined the footpaths as we marched down to the quay
This clipping from the paper shows a youngon', strong and clean
And there's me with me slouch hat, my SLR and greens
God help me, I was only nineteen
From Vung Tau riding Chinooks to the dust at Nui Dat
I'd been in and out of choppers now for months
We made our tents a home, V.B. and pinups on the lockers
And an Asian orange sunset through the scrub
And can you tell me, doctor, why I can't get to sleep?
And night time's just a jungle dark and a barking M16?
And what's this rash that comes and goes, can you tell me what it means?
God help me - I was only nineteen
A four week operation, any step could be your last one on two legs
It was a war within yourself
But you wouldn't let your mates down 'til they had you dusted off
So you closed your eyes and you thought about something else
Then someone yelled out "Contact", and the bloke behind me swore
We hooked in there for hours, then a God almighty roar
Frankie kicked the mine the day that mankind kicked the moon
God help me - he was going home in June
I can still see Frankie, drinking tinnies in the Grand Hotel
On a thirty-six hour rec. leave in Vung Tau
And I can still hear Frankie, lying screaming in the jungle
'Til the morphine came and killed the b***** row
And the Anzac legends didn't mention mud and blood and tears
And the stories that my father told me never seemed quite real
And I caught some pieces in my back
that I didnt even feel
God help me, I was only nineteen
And can you tell me doctor why I still can't get to sleep
And why the channel seven chopper chills me to my feet
And what's this rash that comes and goes can you tell me what it means
God help me, I was only nineteen..
It was a long march from cadets
The sixth battalion was next to tour, it was me who drew the card
We did Canungra, Shoalwater, before we left
And Townsville lined the footpaths as we marched down to the quay
This clipping from the paper shows a youngon', strong and clean
And there's me with me slouch hat, my SLR and greens
God help me, I was only nineteen
From Vung Tau riding Chinooks to the dust at Nui Dat
I'd been in and out of choppers now for months
We made our tents a home, V.B. and pinups on the lockers
And an Asian orange sunset through the scrub
And can you tell me, doctor, why I can't get to sleep?
And night time's just a jungle dark and a barking M16?
And what's this rash that comes and goes, can you tell me what it means?
God help me - I was only nineteen
A four week operation, any step could be your last one on two legs
It was a war within yourself
But you wouldn't let your mates down 'til they had you dusted off
So you closed your eyes and you thought about something else
Then someone yelled out "Contact", and the bloke behind me swore
We hooked in there for hours, then a God almighty roar
Frankie kicked the mine the day that mankind kicked the moon
God help me - he was going home in June
I can still see Frankie, drinking tinnies in the Grand Hotel
On a thirty-six hour rec. leave in Vung Tau
And I can still hear Frankie, lying screaming in the jungle
'Til the morphine came and killed the b***** row
And the Anzac legends didn't mention mud and blood and tears
And the stories that my father told me never seemed quite real
And I caught some pieces in my back
that I didnt even feel
God help me, I was only nineteen
And can you tell me doctor why I still can't get to sleep
And why the channel seven chopper chills me to my feet
And what's this rash that comes and goes can you tell me what it means
God help me, I was only nineteen..