I Was Only 19

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This song was originally written by John Schumann for Redgum. It is a first-hand account reflecting the experiences of Australian soldiers and veterans of the Vietnam War… Read More

Oct. 3, 20051 viewer15.3K views

I Was Only 19 Lyrics

[Verse 1:]
Mum, Dad, and Denny were some amongst many
Who came to watch the passing out parade at Puckapunyal
Seemed every man and his mongrel came to 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, yep, 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
And the papers wrote it up like you wouldn't believe
But we were only looking to the future for fast reprieve
And there's all of us looking young, strong and clean
Rocking slouch hats, slung SLRs and greens
God help me, I was only nineteen

[Verse 2:]
From Vung Tau in black helicopters
Chinook pilots seemed relieved at Nui Dat when he dropped us
Seems 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 of chicks off TV
The heat, the mosquitoes and the noise surprising
Like the first time you see an agent orange horizon

[Hook 1: Urthboy]
So please, can you tell me doctor why I 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's this rash that comes and goes?
Don't suppose you can tell me what that means?
God help me, I was only nineteen

[Verse 3:]
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 couldn't let your mates down 'til they had you dusted off
So you closed your eyes and thought of something else
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

[Verse 4:]
And I can still see Frank with a can in his hand
Thirty-six hour leave in the bar at the Grand
And I can still hear Frank, a screaming mess
Of bleeding flesh, couldn't retrieve his legs
You see the ANZAC legend neglected to mention
Mud the fear, the blood, the tears, the tension
Dad's recollection beyond comprehension
Didn't seem quite real until we were sent in
Chaos and confusion, the fire and steel
Hot shrapnel in my back I didn't even feel
God help me, I was only nineteen

[Hook 2:]
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

[Verse 5: John Schumann]
Mum and Dad and Denny saw the passing out parade at Puckapunyal
It was a long march from Cadets
And the sixth battalion was the next to tour
It was me who drew the card
We did Canungra and Shoalwater before we left
And Townsville lined the footpaths as we marched down to the quay
This clipping from the paper shows us young and strong and clean
And there's me in my slouch hat with my SLR and greens
God help me, I was only nineteen

[Hook 2: John Schumann]
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

About

This song was originally written by John Schumann for Redgum. It is a first-hand account reflecting the experiences of Australian soldiers and veterans of the Vietnam War, particularly of Mick Storen (brother of Denny, Schuman’s wife, mentioned in the first line) and Frankie Hunt who lost his leg during the war.

In 2005, The Herd performed an acoustic version of the song live on Triple J’s “Like a Version”. It was very well received and they ended up recording this studio version, featuring John Schumann in the last verse (singing the original first verse and hook).