Khe Sanh
Cold Chisel Lyrics
I left my heart to the sappers 'round Khe Sanh
And the soul was sold with my cigarettes to the blackmarket man
I had the Vietnam cold turkey from the ocean to the Silver City
And it's only other vets could understand
About the long forgotten dockside guarantees
How there were no V-Day heroes in 1973
How we sailed into Sydney Harbor, I saw an old friend but I couldn't kiss her
Well, she was lined, and I was home to the lucky land
Their lives were all so empty 'until they found their chosen one
And their legs were often open, but their minds were always closed
And their hearts were held in fast suburban chains
And the legal pads were yellow, hours long, pay-packets lean
And the telex writers clattered where the gunships once had been
Car parks make me jumpy, and I never stopped the dreams
Or the growing need for speed and Novocain
So I worked across the country from end to end
Tried to find a place to settle down, where my mixed up life could mend
I held a job on an oil rig, flyin' choppers when I could
Oh, but the nightlife nearly drove me 'round the bend
And I've traveled 'round the world from year to year
And each one found me aimless, one more year the worse for wear
And I've been back to Southeast Asia, and the answer sure ain't there
But I'm drifting north, to check things out again, yes, I am
Well, the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone
And only seven flying hours, and I'll be landing in Hong Kong
And there ain't nothing like the kisses from a jaded Chinese princess
I'm gonna hit some Hong Kong mattress all night long
Well, the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone
You know the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone
And it's really got me worried, I'm goin' nowhere and I'm in a hurry
You know the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone
Well, the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone
You know the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone
No, it's really got me worried, I'm goin' nowhere and I'm in a hurry
You know the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Donald Hugh Walker
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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"Khe Sanh" is an Australian pub rock song, released as a 45 rpm single in May 1978, and named after the Battle of Khe Sanh (1968) during the Vietnam War. The song, performed by Cold Chisel, having been written by pianist Don Walker and featuring the vocals of Jimmy Barnes, is about a bitter and disillusioned Australian Vietnam veteran. According to Toby Creswell's liner notes for the band's 1991 compilation album Chisel, the song is also a story of restless youth.
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SCG8
I left my heart to the sappers round Khe Sanh
And the soul was sold with my cigarettes to the black market man
I've had the Vietnam cold turkey
From the ocean to the Silver City
And it's only other vets could understand
About the long forgotten dockside guarantees
How there were no V-day heroes in nineteen seventhy-three
How we sailed into Sydney Harbor
Saw an old friend but I couldn't kiss her
She was lined, and I was home to the lucky land
And she was like so many more from that time on
Their lives were all so empty, till they found their chosen one
And their legs were often open
But their minds were always closed
And their hearts were held in fast suburban chains
And the legal pads were yellow, hours long, pay packets lean
And the telex writers clattered where the gunships once had been
Car parks make me jumpy
And I never stopped the dreams
Or the growing need for speed and Novocaine
So I worked across the country from end to end
Tried to find a place to settle down, where my mixed up life could mend
Held a job on an oil-rig
Flying choppers when I could
Oh but the nightlife nearly drove me round the bend
And I've traveled round the world from year to year
And each one found me aimless, one more year the worse for wear
And I've been back to South East Asia
But the answer sure ain't there
But I'm drifting north, to check things out again, yes I am
Well the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone
And only seven flying hours, and I'll be landing in Hong Kong
There ain't nothing like the kisses
From a jaded Chinese princess
I'm gonna hit some Hong Kong mattress all night long
Well the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone
You know the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone
And it's really got me worried
I'm goin' nowhere and I'm in a hurry
And the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone
Well the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone
You know the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone
And it's really got me worried
I'm goin' nowhere and I'm in a hurry
You know the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone
Curtis T
It's so weird being a US Air Force vet and this Australian Vietnam era song hits closer to home than any of popular the US war songs.
ceeejay
Us Aussies just get shit(like almost everything....like, kinda in a pragmatic way!? ...i think, lol
I dunno....I'm just a typical Aussie sheila
Greg Fern
We'll all end up somewhere 😜👍
Garage 31
@Hugh McInally got 8/7th Battalion Royal Victorian Regiment. Close.
Matthew Latter
My dad told me once that when he was over in Scotland he was in a pub. He was drunk, so he got up and chose this song for karaoke. He then announced that '"any Australians who know this song, stand up and sing it with me". Apparently half the pub stood up and started singing this song. Shit I love Australia!
Richard Monahan
Still still Our unofficial Anthem KENOATH
ShowaGojira
thanks mate thats much respect to us australians
Caitlyn East
Who doesn't love this land man I'm from wa
JimiJop Woodstock
Never tear those Power fans apart
Dylan Richardson
L