I Was Only Nineteen by John Schumann (Redgum)

I Was Only Nineteen

1983

John Schumann (Redgum)

ACDEF#mG

6 chords used in this song

A	C	G	D	A	G	A
A	C	G	D	A	G	A

A	C	G	D	A
AMum and Dad and	CDenny saw the	Gpassing-out pa	Drade at Pucka	Apunyal

	G	A
It was a	Glong march from ca	Adets

A	C	G	D
AThe sixth battalion was the	Cnext to tour, and it was	Gme who drew the	Dcard

	A	G	A
We did Ca	Anungra, Shoal	Gwater before we	Aleft

	E	D	A
And	ETownsville lined the footpaths as we	Dmarched down to the	Aquay

	E	D	A
This	Eclipping from the paper shows us	Dyoung and strong and	Aclean

	F#m	E	D	A
And	F#mthere's me in me	Eslouch hat with me	DSLR and	Agreens

	E	D
God	Ehelp me, I was only nine	Dteen

	A	C	G	D
From	AVung Tau, riding	CChinooks, to the	Gdust at Nui	DDat

	A	G	A
I'd been	Ain and out of	Gchoppers now for	Amonths

	A	C	G	D
But we	Amade our tents a	Chome, VB and	Gpinups on the	Dlockers

	A	G	A
And an	Aasian orange	Gsunset through the	Ascrub

	E	D	A
And	Ecan you tell me, doctor, why I	Dstill can't get to	Asleep?

	E	D	A
And	Enight-time's just a jungle dark and a	Dbarking M six	Ateen?

	F#m	E	D	A
And	F#mwhat's this rash that	Ecomes and goes, can you	Dtell me what it	Ameans?

	E	D
God	Ehelp me, I was only nine	Dteen

A four week operation when each step could mean 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 thought about something else

Then someone yelled out "Contact!" and the bloke behind me swore

We hooked in there for hours, then a god all mighty roar

Frankie kicked a mine the day that mankind kicked the moon

God help me, he was going home in June

A	C	G	D
AI can still see	CFrankie, drinking	Gtinnies in the	DGrand Hotel

	A	G	A
On a	Athirty-six hour	Grec leave in Vung	ATau

	A	C	G	D
And	AI can still hear	CFrankie, lying	Gscreaming in the	Djungle

	A	G	A
Til the	Amorphine came and	Gkilled the bloody	Arow

	E	D	A
And the	EAnzac legends didn't mention	Dmud and blood and	Atears

	E	D	A
And the	Estories that my father told me	Dnever seemed quite	Areal

	F#m	E	D	A
I	F#mcaught some pieces	Ein my back that I	Ddidn't even	Afeel

	E	D
God	Ehelp me, I was only	Dnineteen

	E	D	A
And	Ecan you tell me, doctor, why I	Dstill can't get to i	Asleep?

	E	D	A
And	Ewhy the Channel Seven chopper	Dchills me to my	Afeet?

	F#m	E	D	A
And	F#mwhat's this rash that	Ecomes and goes, can you	Dtell me what it	Ameans?

	E	D
God	Ehelp me, I was only nine	Dteen

A	C	G	D	A	G	A
A	C	G	D	A	G	A

Lyrics are the property and copyright of their owners, and are provided here for educational purposes only.

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