I Was Only Nineteen

[A]  [C]  [G]  [D]  [A]  [G]  [A]
[A]Mum and Dad and Denny [C]saw the passin[G]g out parade at Pu[D]ckapunyal          [A]
(1t was [G]long march from cadets)[A].
[A]The sixth battalion was the [C]next to tour and It was[G] me who drew the car[D]d.
We did C[A]anungra and Shoalwater [G]before we left.          [A]

[E]And Townsville lined the footpath as we m[D]arched down to the quay. [A]
This cl[E]ipping from the paper shows us young and s[D]trong and clean.                [A]
[F#m]And there's me in my slou[E]ch hat with my SLR and g[D]reens.       [A]
[E]God help me, I was only nineteen[D].

[A]From Vung Tau riding Chino[C]oks to the dus[G]t at Nui Dat,  [D]
[A]I'd been in and out of ch[G]oppers now for months. [A]
[A]But we made our tents a h[C]ome. V.B. and pin[G]ups on the loc[D]kers,
And an A[A]sian orange sunse[G]t through the scrub.   [A]

[E]And can you tell me, doctor, why I sti[D]ll can't get to sleep[A]?
[E]And night time's just a jungle dark and [D]a barking M.16[A]?
[F#m]And what's this rash that [E]comes and goes, can you tel[D]l me what it means?[A]
[E]God help me, I was only nineteen[D].

[A]A four week opera[C]tion, when each step[G] can mean your last[D] one
On two l[A]egs: it was a wa[G]r within yourself.    [A]
[A]But you wouldn't let your [C]mates down 'til they ha[G]d you dusted off,      [D]
So you c[A]losed your eyes and thoug[G]ht about something else.         [A]

[E]Then someone yelled out "Contact"', and the blok[D]e behind me swore.      [A]
[E]We hooked in there for hours, then a God [D]almighty roar.     [A]
[F#m]Frankie kicked a mi[E]ne the day that ma[D]nkind kicked the mo[A]on.
[E]God help me, he was going home in June.[D]

[A]1 can still see F[C]rankie, drinking tinnies [G]in the Grand Hotel[D]
On a thi[A]rty-six hour rec. leav[G]e in Vung Tau.            [A]
[A]And I can still hear [C]Frankie, lying scream[G]ing in the jungle.     [D]
[A]'Till the morphine came and killed the b[G]loody row               [A]

[E]And the Anzac legends didn't mention mud [D]and blood and[A] tears.
[E]And stories that my father told me n[D]ever seemed quite real      [A]
[F#m]I caught some pieces In [E]my back that I didn't even[D] feel.         [A]
[E]God help me, I was only nineteen[D].

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Enjoy in the true Aussie way....with alcohol :D