Barnes was born… Read Full Bio ↴Jimmy Barnes (b. 1956) is an Australian rock singer.
Barnes was born James Dixon Swan on the 28th April 1956 in Glasgow, Scotland, and moved to Australia with his family when he was six years old.
He first came to public attention as the lead singer with popular Australian pub-rock band Cold Chisel, which he joined in 1973 and with whom he recorded seven albums between 1978 and 1983. When the band split up in 1983 he launched a solo career almost immediately; his first album, Bodyswerve, entered the Australian charts at number one. It was the first of a remarkable run of top charting albums for Barnes, as each of his first six solo albums entered the charts at number one, a feat that no other Australian artist is likely to match.
In 1986 Barnes recorded two singles with INXS, duetting with that band's singer Michael Hutchence on a cover of The Easybeats' "Good Times", and "Laying Down the Law", which was co-written by Barnes with INXS members Andrew Farriss and Hutchence. "Good Times" was used as the theme song for the Australia Made series of concerts that toured the country in the summer of 1986-1987. Both songs later appeared on the soundtrack of the 1980s teen vampire film The Lost Boys.
Following Hutchence's death in 1997, Barnes appeared live on stage with INXS at shows throughout Australia between 1999 and 2001.
His album Double Happiness, released in July 2005, reaffirmed his popularity, entering the ARIAnet albums chart at number one, his seventh album to do so. Barnes was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame on the 23rd October 2005 for his solo career efforts. Coupled with Cold Chisel's previous induction, Barnes is the only artist to be entered into the Hall of Fame twice.
Barnes is also the father of singer David Campbell, who recently starred in the Australian production of the musical Sunset Boulevard, and was a contestant on the Australian television programme Dancing with the Stars. The two perform the duet "Wichita Lineman" on Double Happiness.
Khe Sanh
Jimmy Barnes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And my soul was sold with my cigarettes to the blackmarket 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-dayheroes in 1973
Saw an old friend but 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, paypacket lean
And the telex writers clattered where the gunships once had been
But the car parks made me jumpy
And I never stopped the dreams
Or the growing need for speed and novacaine
So I worked across the country 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
But the nightlife nearly drove me round the bend
And I've travelled round the world from year to year
And each one found me aimless, one more year the more 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
You know the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone
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
Yeah 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
The lyrics of Jimmy Barnes's song Khe Sanh describe the aftermath of the Vietnam War on a soldier who has returned home. The first verse describes how the soldier's heart was left at the siege of Khe Sanh, a pivotal battle in the war, where he had to sell his cigarettes on the black market to survive. He then reflects on how only other veterans can understand the cold turkey he has experienced since returning from the war. The second verse describes the soldier's difficulty adjusting to civilian life after returning home. He reflects on the emptiness of the lives of the people he encounters, who have settled down with families and suburban homes, while his own life is aimless and broken.
The third verse describes the soldier's attempts to find a place to settle down and the various jobs he has held, including working on an oil rig and flying helicopters. However, he is unable to find peace or happiness in any of these jobs due to the memories of his experiences in Vietnam. The final verse describes the soldier's desire to travel to Hong Kong, where he hopes to find solace in the arms of a Chinese princess. The last line of the song, "the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone," suggests that time is running out for the soldier to find the peace he is seeking.
Line by Line Meaning
I left my heart to the sappers round Khe Sanh
I gave my heart to the soldiers who fought in the battle of Khe Sanh
And my soul was sold with my cigarettes to the blackmarket man
I lost my soul trading cigarettes on the black market
I've had the Vietnam cold turkey
I experienced severe withdrawal symptoms after quitting drugs in Vietnam
From the ocean to the Silver City
I traveled across Australia from the coast to the mining town of Broken Hill
And it's only other vets could understand
Only other veterans can truly understand what I went through
About the long forgotten dockside guarantees
I remember the promises made to soldiers when they returned home, which were soon forgotten
How there were no V-dayheroes in 1973
There were no celebrations or parades for Vietnam veterans when the war ended
How we sailed into Sydney Harbour
I returned to Australia on a ship that travelled through Sydney Harbour
Saw an old friend but couldn't kiss her
I saw someone I knew but couldn't greet her warmly because she was using drugs
She was lined, and I was home to the lucky land
She was addicted to drugs, while I was fortunate to be back home in Australia
And she was like so many more from that time on
She was just one of many who struggled with addiction and emptiness after the war
Their lives were all so empty, till they found their chosen one
Their lives lacked meaning until they found someone they loved
And their legs were often open
They were sexually promiscuous
But their minds were always closed
They were closed-minded and unable to move on from their experiences
And their hearts were held in fast suburban chains
They felt trapped by the mundane routine of suburban life
And the legal pads were yellow, hours long, paypacket lean
They worked boring office jobs with long hours and low pay
And the telex writers clattered where the gunships once had been
They worked in a dull office environment where the noise of telex machines replaced the sounds of war
But the car parks made me jumpy
The mundane surroundings made me anxious and restless
And I never stopped the dreams
I couldn't stop dreaming about my experiences in Vietnam
Or the growing need for speed and novacaine
I became addicted to drugs and the thrill of a fast-paced lifestyle
So I worked across the country end to end
I traveled across Australia looking for work
Tried to find a place to settle down, where my mixed up life could mend
I hoped to find a place where I could start fresh and heal from my past
Held a job on an oil-rig
I worked on an offshore oil rig
Flying choppers when I could
I worked as a helicopter pilot when I had the opportunity
But the nightlife nearly drove me round the bend
The party scene and fast-paced lifestyle became overwhelming and almost drove me insane
And I've travelled round the world from year to year
I traveled the world looking for meaning and purpose
And each one found me aimless, one more year the more for wear
Each year left me feeling more lost and hopeless than the last
And I've been back to South East Asia
I returned to Vietnam and other parts of Southeast Asia
But the answer sure ain't there
I didn't find any answers or solutions to my problems
But I'm drifting north, to check things out again
I'm going back to Southeast Asia to see if I can find any answers or direction in my life
You know the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone
I'm leaving Australia and the last flight out of Sydney is about to depart
Only seven flying hours, and I'll be landing in Hong Kong
I'm flying to Hong Kong, which is only seven hours away from Sydney
There ain't nothing like the kisses
There's nothing like the sweet and seductive kisses
From a jaded Chinese princess
From a disillusioned and world-weary Chinese woman
I'm gonna hit some Hong Kong mattress all night long
I plan to enjoy the company of a woman in Hong Kong all night long
And it's really got me worried
I'm anxious and concerned about my future
I'm goin' nowhere and I'm in a hurry
I feel like I'm running out of time and going nowhere in life
And the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone
The last flight out of Sydney is almost leaving and I need to make a decision about my future
Contributed by Layla I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@gordoncbright
To All the past & present Vietnam veterans who were forgotten but finally recognised years later, and a moving song by Cold Chisel. π€π΅π¦πΊπ
@mindfulness1118
Absolutely ππΌπππΌπ
@usmc-veteran7316
Thank you Gordon. Semper Fidelis from an old U.S. Marine Sergeant
@gordoncbright
@@usmc-veteran7316 youβre welcome and thanks for your Service
@usmc-veteran7316
β@Gordon C Bright you are welcome. As you know there was No parades for America Vietnam Veterans back in 1973. Semper Fi
@SuperMaraki21
Seriously...what?π‘π€‘
@MatthewLatter
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!
@kellyrussell190
MiniMattMan123 I wanna do that now!
@brucedonnellan5564
Kelly Russell .Any time , anywhere it is played, the crowd get into it.
@maudemaxwell1923
Hell yeah