I Was Only Nineteen chords by Redgum

Tuning: Standard

Difficulty: Novice

Redgum-I Was Only Nineteen
Intro: A, C, G, D, A, G, A.
A		   C		  G		   D		     A
Mum and Dad and Denny saw the passing out parade at Puckapunyal
	G		    A
(1t was long march from cadets).
A			  C			  G		    D
The sixth battalion was the next to tour and It was me who drew the card.
	A		    G			A
We did Canungra and Shoalwater before we left.

Chorus I:
E					 D		     A
And Townsville lined the footpath as we marched down to the quay.
    E				     D                A
This clipping from the paper shows us young and strong and clean.
F#m		     E			 D      A
And there's me in my slouch hat with my SLR and greens.
E			    D
God help me, I was only nineteen.

A		     C		G       D
From Vung Tau riding Chinooks to the dust at Nui Dat,
A		     G			A
I'd been in and out of choppers now for months.
A			 C		 G		D
But we made our tents a home. V.B. and pinups on the lockers,
	A	     G			A
And an Asian orange sunset through the scrub.


Chorus 2:
E				   D          A
And can you tell me, doctor, why I still can't get to sleep?
E					D	   A
And night time's just a jungle dark and a barking M.16?
F#m			 E			   D         A
And what's this rash that comes and goes, can you tell me what it means?
E			    D
God help me, I was only nineteen.

A		 C		   G 	 		D
A four week operation, when each step can mean your last one
	A	    G           A
On two legs: it was a war within yourself.
A			 C		     G           D
But you wouldn't let your mates down 'til they had you dusted off,
	A		     G			     A
So you closed your eyes and thought about something else.


Chorus 3:
E					    D            A
Then someone yelled out "Contact"', and the bloke behind me swore.
E				     D         A
We hooked in there for hours, then a God almighty roar.
F#m		  E 		   D 			A
Frankie kicked a mine the day that mankind kicked the moon.
E				    D
God help me, he was going home in June.

A	     C            G         D
1 can still see Frankie, drinking tinnies in the Grand Hotel
    A		   G             A
On a thirty-six hour rec. leave in Vung Tau.
A		   C 		 G           D
And I can still hear Frankie, lying screaming in the jungle.
A                    G            A
'Till the morphine came and killed the bloody row


Chorus 4:
E				     D      A
And the Anzac 🏷Legends didn't mention mud and blood and tears.
E				  D              A
And stories that my father told me never seemed quite real
F#m		    E             D       A
I caught some pieces In my back that I didn't even feel.
E			    D
God help me, I was only nineteen.