Cold Chisel - Khe Sahn (1978)
Cold Chisel’s promo-video for the classic ‘Khe Sahn’ taken from the 1978 self-titled album.
After five years of playing pubs, Cold Chisel released their debut single ‘Khe Sahn’ in June of 1978. It was banned by Australian radio due to the sexual implication line ‘… and their legs were often open, but their minds were always closed’. The all-mighty Countdown also made issue of the line; thus ‘Khe Sahn’ never being played on the program. Ironically, the song has grown to become one of Australia’s most played songs - on juke boxes, by cover bands and on radio. It’s none the less a classic.
Fact: Dismissing Cold Chisel as a band for piss-heads is a serious sign that you need to see an Otolaryngologist.
Here are the lyrics:
I left my heart to the sappers ’round Khe Sahn
And I sold my soul with my cigarettes, to a black market man
I’ve had to Vietnam cold turkey, from the ocean to the silver city
And it’s only other vets could understa-and
‘Bout the long forgotten dockside guarantees
How there were no V-day heroes in nineteen seventy-three
How we sailed into Sydney Harbour, I saw an old friend but I couldn’t kiss her
And she was lined, and I was home to the lucky land
She was like so many more from that time on
Their lives were all so empty, until they’d found there 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 paypackets lean
And the telex writers clattered where the gunships once had been
The carparks made me jumpy and I never stopped the dreams
Or the growing need for speed and novacaine
So I worked across the country from end to end
I tried to find a place to settle down, where my mixed up life could mend
I held a job on an oil-rig, a-flyin’ choppers when I could
But the nightlife nearly drove me round the bend
And I’ve travelled round the world from year to year-ear-ear
And each one found me aimless, one more year the worse for wear
And I’ve been back to South East Asia, you know the answer sure ain’t there
But I’m driftin’ north to check things out agai-ai-ain
Well the last plane out of Sydney’s almost go-one
And only seven flyin’ hours, till I’ll be landin’ in Hong Kong
And there ain’t nothin’ like the kisses from a jaded Chinese princess
I’m gonna hit some Hong Kong mattress all night lo-ong
Well the last plane out of Sydney’s almost gone-aca
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_Chisel
*I do apologize about the sound quality of this video, but it does come from a VHS tape of mine that is nearly 20 years old*
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NZOZ NZOZ1978 1978 Australia Late Seventies 1970’s 1970s 70’s 70s
Extended Tags: Don Walker, Jimmy Barnes, Ian Moss
no sleep
November 29th, 2007 at 5:26 pm
And DON Walker would NEVER..EVER be able to pull those notes like Jimmy can, but excelent none the less!!
November 30th, 2007 at 6:16 pm
Just found out bout these guys strangely listenin 2 Rose Tattoo + Rhino Bucket n even tho I live in England and am English this truely (along with Rose Tattoo) is 1 of the most underrated bands ever, i randomly bought an album n can honestly say I love every song. Awesome song, awesome band…
December 1st, 2007 at 10:13 pm
fuckin love it. I lived in oz for 2 years and this tune fills me with joy but with a slight tear in my eye. great country, and this is the unofficial anthem
December 3rd, 2007 at 2:24 am
possibly the best aussie song ever written/sung. Jimmy is an absolute legend.
December 3rd, 2007 at 2:48 pm
don walker wrote this song but jimmy sang it
December 3rd, 2007 at 3:23 pm
fucken LEGENDARY.
December 5th, 2007 at 10:32 am
DiD you know my sisster is named after this song her name is spellet khe-sanh and her last name is stevens she beautiful i love her althoug i havnt seen her in like 2 years love yooh thoe love tahlia
December 6th, 2007 at 4:33 pm
at least we don’t have self centred americans comeing on and annoying us tho.
December 9th, 2007 at 4:26 pm
Great Song, and it don’t matter about the interpretation of the one line, there was obviusly meaning to Jimmy and the boys in Cold Chisel. COLD CHISEL IS DA BOMB\THE SHIT!!!!
December 12th, 2007 at 6:29 am
This is an Absolute Classic.
December 12th, 2007 at 8:31 pm
I agree whole-heartedly. If The Sherbs, or to be retroactively accurate, Sherbet, hadn’t bent down and blown to America, they might still be around. But instead? They got depressed over it and caused them to disband.
Thanks America.
December 12th, 2007 at 10:36 pm
it means that none of the men saw them selves heros in 1973 when the americans took khe sanh in veitnam
December 15th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
An idol among all Australians, LONG LIVE CHISEL!!
December 16th, 2007 at 9:33 am
These guys are THE SHIT!!! Too bad they never made it big in America, but they never sold out or kissed ass when it came to Yank record producers….and I admire them for that. “…..I’m gonna hit some Hong Kong mattress all night long……” ABSOLUTELY CLASSIC!!!!
December 18th, 2007 at 6:18 am
The line is ‘there were no V-day heroes in 1973′… perhaps it’s a reference to post-Khe Sahn duty?
I don’t know, you obviously know more about the subject than I do. However, I think you have misinterpreted that line.
December 20th, 2007 at 8:20 pm
great song, chisel are a great band to blow harp to,and of course the angles boys
December 24th, 2007 at 7:08 pm
Aussies weren’t deployed in Khe Sahn. Nobody fighting in Khe Sahn was still fighting in “1973″. Most of our boys were dead, injured or retired by then. Khe Sahn was in February/March 1968. The United States Marines were the heroes of Khe Sahn. Massive kickass. Aussies were/are monsterous warriors to this very day BUT … not there and then. To my understanding, but I’m open for dispute.
December 26th, 2007 at 6:51 pm
Ah jimmeh!!!!!! you da man!!!
December 28th, 2007 at 4:49 pm
Gotta love the hair
December 30th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
this is Australia
January 2nd, 2008 at 12:21 pm
this song is fukin awsom
January 5th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Strueth mate! That’s not the best Aussie song ever made. FLAME TREES is the best song ever then this song.
January 5th, 2008 at 7:38 pm
WOW!! now that was kool!
but what the hel is an Otolaryngologist.???
matt