I Was Only 19 (triple j Like A Version)

Mum, Dad, and Denny were some amongst many

Who turned up to see the passing out parade at Puckapunyal

Seemed every man and his mongrel watch cadets stumble

On the long march to the Viet jungle

"Oh, Christ", I mumbled as I drew that card

And my mates came to slap me on the back with due regard

We were the sixth battalion and the next to tour

We did Canungra and Shoalwater before we left, rest assured

Seemed half of Townsville turned out to see us leave

And they lined the footpaths as we marched to the quay

The papers wrote it up like you would not believe

But we were looking to the future for a fast reprieve

The newspaper clippings show us young, strong and clean

Rocking slouch hats, slung SLRs and greens

God help me, I was only nineteen

From Vung Tau in black helicopters

The Chinook pilots seemed relieved at Nui Dat when he dropped us

Feels like months running on and off landing pads

Letters to Dad 'cause it's like, man, he's sad

But he can't see the tents that we call home

Cans of VB and pin-ups on the lockers of chicks off TV

The noise, mosquitoes and the heat surprising

Like the first time you see an agent orange horizon

So please, can you tell me, doctor, why I still can't get to sleep?

The scars left in me

Night time's just a jungle, dark and a barking M16

We keep saying, "Rest in peace"

What the hell's this rash that comes and goes?

Don't suppose you can tell me what that means?

God help me, I was only nineteen

Sent off on a four-week-long operation

Where every single step could be your last one

On two legs, it was sorta living hell

Falling with the shells, war within yourself

But you wouldn't let your mates down till they had you dusted off

So you closed your eyes and thought of something else

And someone yelled, "Contact!", another bloke swore

We hooked in for hours then a god almighty roar

Then Frankie kicked a mine, the day that mankind kicked the moon

God help me, he was going home in June

And I can still see Frank with a can in his hand

Thirty-six hour leave in the bar at the Grand

I can still hear Frank, a screaming mess

Of bleeding flesh, couldn't retrieve his legs

The ANZAC legend neglected to mention

The mud, the fear, the blood, the tears, the tension

Dad's recollection beyond comprehension

Didn't seem quite real until we were sent in

The chaos and confusion, the fire and steel

Hot shrapnel in my back I didn't even feel

God help me, I was only nineteen

So please can you tell me, doctor, why I can't get to sleep

I can't hardly eat?

And the sound of the Channel Seven chopper still chills me to my feet

Still fuels my grief?

And what's this rash that comes and goes?

Like the dreams, can you tell me what that means?

God help me, I was only nineteen

Mum and Dad and Denny saw the passing out parade at Puckapunyal

It was a long march from Cadets

The sixth battalion was the next to tour

And it was me who drew the card

We did Canungra and Shoalwater before we left

So please can you tell me, doctor, why I can't get to sleep

I can't hardly eat?

And the sound of the Channel Seven chopper still chills me to my feet

Still fuels my grief?

And what's this rash that comes and goes?

Like the dreams, can you tell me what that means?

God help me, I was only nineteen