Khe Sanh (song)
Encyclopedia
"Khe Sanh" is an Australian 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 an Australian Vietnam veteran
dealing with his return to civilian life. According to Toby Creswell's liner notes for the band's 1991 compilation album Chisel
, the song is also a story of restless youth.
The remaining verses describe the singer's aimless drifting after his return to Australia: womanising, post traumatic stress disorder, addiction to speed and Novocaine, getting work on oil rig
s and flying helicopters. He has travelled the world: "I've been back to South East Asia but the answer sure ain't there". The final refrain is "Well the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone", as the singer heads to Hong Kong
for casual sex
.
Don Walker has said the song was inspired by a number of people, including, "the guy from the next farm," who came back from Vietnam, "severely changed for the worst," and Adelaide guitarist Rick Morris. The first draft was written in Sweethearts Cafe in Kings Cross, New South Wales
.
but peaked on the national sales charts at number 41. In August 1978, censor
s gave it an A Classification, meaning that it was "not suitable for airplay", because of sex and drug references, such as the lines: "their legs were often open, but their minds were always closed". Barnes later commented "Every DJ in the country begged us to release "Khe Sanh" as a single. Then they banned it two weeks later. They had to ban something once a week to keep the Catholic Church happy." A single station in Adelaide defied this censorship, and was the instigator of the song's popularity.
In 2001, members of APRA, the Australasia
n music industry's peak body, put "Khe Sanh" at number eight in a poll of the all-time best Australian song
s. It still receives strong airplay on Australian radio stations with a "classic rock" format.
In August 2011, "Khe Sanh" re-entered the ARIA Singles Chart at #40, beating their previous peak position by one spot.
. The newer version overlaid a new keyboard track over Ian Moss
's slide guitar break and featured a slightly different vocal reading from Barnes. This second version was also the version of "Khe Sanh" featured on the original release of the Chisel album and has since become perhaps the better known rendition.
A notable cover of the song was released in 2007 by Australian singer/songwriter Paul Kelly
. This rendering was in a stripped down bluegrass
/country style, featuring largely spoken lyrics. It was released on the tribute album Standing on the Outside
Adam Brand
includes the chorus of "Khe Sanh" at the very end of his single "Comin' From/Khe Sanh" from his fifth album Blame It On Eve.
John Schumann
covered "Khe Sanh" on his 2008 album Behind the Lines
. As a member of folk-rock band Redgum
, Schumann wrote and sang another hit song about Australians in Vietnam: "I was only 19
", released in 1983.
was fought between US Marines
with elements of the South Vietnam
ese ARVN, and the North Vietnamese Army. The only Australian personnel to be directly involved in the siege were the crews of Canberra
bombers operated by 2 Squadron
, Royal Australian Air Force
, who flew close air support
missions in the area.
"Sanh" is often misspelled (even, at times, on official album covers and sleeve notes) as "Sahn".
During the Australian cricket team
's tour of the Caribbean
in 1995, the players accorded "Khe Sanh" the status of an unofficial team song and sang it frequently.
Khe Sanh has also been mentioned in another frequently-misinterpreted song. Bruce Springsteen
's 1984 hit "Born in the USA
" includes the sentence: "Had a brother at Khe Sanh". Springsteen pronounces it to rhyme with "barn" rather than with "man", as the Cold Chisel version does.
The line in the song that mentions the Silver City is a reference to the corrugated metal army barracks in Kapooka
.
A video was made to promote the single, featuring the band miming to the song, directed by Paul Drane
. It was filmed in a movie studio in Melbourne.
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in May 1978, and named after the Battle of Khe Sanh
Battle of Khe Sanh
The Battle of Khe Sanh was conducted in northwestern Quang Tri Province, Republic of Vietnam , between 21 January and 9 July 1968 during the Vietnam War...
(1968) during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. The song, performed by Cold Chisel
Cold Chisel
Cold Chisel is a rock band that originated in Adelaide, Australia. It is one of the most acclaimed Australian rock bands of all time, with a string of hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s and huge sales that continue to this day, although its success and acclaim was almost completely restricted to...
, having been written by pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
Don Walker
Don Walker (musician)
Don Walker is an Australian musician and songwriter known for writing many of the hits for Australian pub rock band Cold Chisel. He played piano and keyboard with the band from 1973 to 1983, when they disbanded. He has since continued to record and tour, both solo and with Tex, Don and Charlie,...
and featuring the vocals of Jimmy Barnes
Jimmy Barnes
James Dixon Swan , better known as Jimmy Barnes, is a Scottish-born Australian rock singer-songwriter. His father Jim Swan was a prizefighter and his older brother John Swan is also a rock singer. It was actually John who had encouraged and taught Jim how to sing as he wasn't really interested at...
, is about an Australian Vietnam veteran
Vietnam veteran
Vietnam veteran is a phrase used to describe someone who served in the armed forces of participating countries during the Vietnam War.The term has been used to describe veterans who were in the armed forces of South Vietnam, the United States armed forces, and countries allied to them, whether or...
dealing with his return to civilian life. According to Toby Creswell's liner notes for the band's 1991 compilation album Chisel
Chisel (album)
Chisel is the 1991 compilation album by Australian pub rockers Cold Chisel.It features a selection of their best songs from previous albums, including live versions of the tracks "Merry-Go-Round", "Star Hotel" and "Goodbye ". The track "Misfits" was a previously unreleased song and was removed from...
, the song is also a story of restless youth.
Lyrics
The mood of the song is typified by its first verse:- I left my heart to the sapperSapperA sapper, pioneer or combat engineer is a combatant soldier who performs a wide variety of combat engineering duties, typically including, but not limited to, bridge-building, laying or clearing minefields, demolitions, field defences, general construction and building, as well as road and airfield...
s round Khe SanhKhe SanhKhe Sanh is the district capital of Hướng Hoá District, Quảng Trị Province, Vietnam, located 63 km west of Đông Hà.Khe Sanh Combat Base was a United States Marine Corps outpost in South Vietnam used during the Vietnam War. The airstrip was built in September 1962... - And I sold my soul with my cigarettes to the black market man
- I've had the Vietnam cold turkeyCold turkey"Cold turkey" describes the actions of a person who abruptly gives up a habit or addiction rather than gradually easing the process through gradual reduction or by using replacement medication....
- From the ocean to the Silver City
- And it's only other vetVeteranA veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
s could understand
The remaining verses describe the singer's aimless drifting after his return to Australia: womanising, post traumatic stress disorder, addiction to speed and Novocaine, getting work on oil rig
Oil platform
An oil platform, also referred to as an offshore platform or, somewhat incorrectly, oil rig, is a lаrge structure with facilities to drill wells, to extract and process oil and natural gas, and to temporarily store product until it can be brought to shore for refining and marketing...
s and flying helicopters. He has travelled the world: "I've been back to South East Asia but the answer sure ain't there". The final refrain is "Well the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone", as the singer heads to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
for casual sex
Casual sex
Casual sex or hooking up refers to certain types of human sexual activity outside the context of a romantic relationship. The term is not always used consistently: some use it to refer to any extramarital sex, some use it to refer to sex in a casual relationship, whereas others reserve its use for...
.
Don Walker has said the song was inspired by a number of people, including, "the guy from the next farm," who came back from Vietnam, "severely changed for the worst," and Adelaide guitarist Rick Morris. The first draft was written in Sweethearts Cafe in Kings Cross, New South Wales
Kings Cross, New South Wales
Kings Cross is an inner-city locality of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is located approximately 2 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Sydney...
.
Popularity
"Khe Sanh" is one of the most popular songs ever recorded by an Australian act and one generally seen as a resonant symbol of the Australian culture. The record reached number four in the band's home town of AdelaideAdelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
but peaked on the national sales charts at number 41. In August 1978, censor
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
s gave it an A Classification, meaning that it was "not suitable for airplay", because of sex and drug references, such as the lines: "their legs were often open, but their minds were always closed". Barnes later commented "Every DJ in the country begged us to release "Khe Sanh" as a single. Then they banned it two weeks later. They had to ban something once a week to keep the Catholic Church happy." A single station in Adelaide defied this censorship, and was the instigator of the song's popularity.
In 2001, members of APRA, the Australasia
Australasia
Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
n music industry's peak body, put "Khe Sanh" at number eight in a poll of the all-time best Australian song
APRA Top 30 Australian songs
APRA's Top 30 Australian songs between 1926 and 2001 was a list created by the Australasian Performing Right Association to celebrate its 75th anniversary...
s. It still receives strong airplay on Australian radio stations with a "classic rock" format.
In August 2011, "Khe Sanh" re-entered the ARIA Singles Chart at #40, beating their previous peak position by one spot.
Versions
Two versions of "Khe Sanh" were released by Cold Chisel. The first featured on the band's 1978 debut self-titled album. A second version was included on the international version of the 1980 album EastEast (album)
East was the third studio album by Australian pub rock band Cold Chisel, released in June 1980. The album peaked at No. 2 and spent 63 weeks on the national chart. It was the biggest-selling Australian album release of the year...
. The newer version overlaid a new keyboard track over Ian Moss
Ian Moss
Ian Moss is an Australian rock musician, best known as the guitarist and occasional singer of Cold Chisel. In that group's initial ten year career, Moss recorded eight albums, three of which were No. 1 national hits. His solo career began with a No. 1 album and single and five ARIA Awards...
's slide guitar break and featured a slightly different vocal reading from Barnes. This second version was also the version of "Khe Sanh" featured on the original release of the Chisel album and has since become perhaps the better known rendition.
A notable cover of the song was released in 2007 by Australian singer/songwriter Paul Kelly
Paul Kelly (musician)
Paul Maurice Kelly is an Australian rock music singer-songwriter, guitarist, and harmonica player. He has performed solo, and has led numerous groups, including the Dots, the Coloured Girls, and the Messengers. He has worked with other artists and groups, including associated projects Professor...
. This rendering was in a stripped down bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
/country style, featuring largely spoken lyrics. It was released on the tribute album Standing on the Outside
Standing on the Outside (album)
Standing on the Outside: The Songs of Cold Chisel is a tribute album dedicated to the songs of Australian band Cold Chisel. The album features 18 songs recorded by Australian and New Zealand artists The Living End, Dallas Crane, Pete Murray, Ben Lee, Thirsty Merc, Evermore, Paul Kelly, Troy...
Adam Brand
Adam Brand
Adam Brand is an Australian musician who sings country music. Active since 1997, he has released seven studio albums and thirteen singles. His first three albums are all certified platinum in Australia...
includes the chorus of "Khe Sanh" at the very end of his single "Comin' From/Khe Sanh" from his fifth album Blame It On Eve.
John Schumann
John Schumann
John Lewis Schumann is an Australian singer, songwriter and guitarist from Adelaide. He is best known as the lead singer for the folk group Redgum, with their chart-topping hit "I Was Only 19 ", a song exploring the psychological and medical side-effects of serving in the Australian forces during...
covered "Khe Sanh" on his 2008 album Behind the Lines
Behind the Lines (John Schumann album)
Behind the Lines is the second album by John Schumann and the Vagabond Crew.It consists almost entirely of cover songs and musical renditions of poems...
. As a member of folk-rock band Redgum
Redgum
Redgum were an Australian folk and political music group formed in Adelaide in 1975 by singer-songwriter John Schumann, Michael Atkinson on guitars/vocals and Verity Truman on flute/vocals; they were soon joined by Chris Timms on violin. All four had been students at Flinders University and...
, Schumann wrote and sang another hit song about Australians in Vietnam: "I was only 19
I Was Only Nineteen
"Only Nineteen", "I Was Only Nineteen" or "A Walk in the Light Green" is the most widely recognised song by Australian folk group Redgum. The song was released in March 1983 as a single, which hit number one on the Kent Music Report Singles Chart for two weeks...
", released in 1983.
Other details
The Battle of Khe SanhBattle of Khe Sanh
The Battle of Khe Sanh was conducted in northwestern Quang Tri Province, Republic of Vietnam , between 21 January and 9 July 1968 during the Vietnam War...
was fought between US Marines
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
with elements of the South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
ese ARVN, and the North Vietnamese Army. The only Australian personnel to be directly involved in the siege were the crews of Canberra
English Electric Canberra
The English Electric Canberra is a first-generation jet-powered light bomber manufactured in large numbers through the 1950s. The Canberra could fly at a higher altitude than any other bomber through the 1950s and set a world altitude record of 70,310 ft in 1957...
bombers operated by 2 Squadron
No. 2 Squadron RAAF
No. 2 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force squadron. From its formation in 1916, it has operated a variety of aircraft types including fighters, bombers, and Airborne Early Warning & Control.-World War I:No...
, Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
, who flew close air support
Close air support
In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...
missions in the area.
"Sanh" is often misspelled (even, at times, on official album covers and sleeve notes) as "Sahn".
During the Australian cricket team
Australian cricket team
The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
's tour of the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
in 1995, the players accorded "Khe Sanh" the status of an unofficial team song and sang it frequently.
Khe Sanh has also been mentioned in another frequently-misinterpreted song. Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
's 1984 hit "Born in the USA
Born in the U.S.A. (song)
"Born in the U.S.A." is a 1984 song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen. Taken from the album of the same name, it is one of his best-known singles. Rolling Stone ranked the song 275th on their list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". In 2001, the RIAA's Songs of the Century placed...
" includes the sentence: "Had a brother at Khe Sanh". Springsteen pronounces it to rhyme with "barn" rather than with "man", as the Cold Chisel version does.
The line in the song that mentions the Silver City is a reference to the corrugated metal army barracks in Kapooka
Kapooka, New South Wales
Kapooka is a suburb in the south west of Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia.The suburb of Kapooka is home to the Department of Defence's Blamey Barracks from where the Army Recruit Training Centre conducts its operations....
.
A video was made to promote the single, featuring the band miming to the song, directed by Paul Drane
Paul Drane
Paul "Ace" Drane is an Australian television director. He is best known as the original studio director of the Australian TV pop show Countdown from 1974 to 1976...
. It was filmed in a movie studio in Melbourne.
Recording credits
- Jimmy BarnesJimmy BarnesJames Dixon Swan , better known as Jimmy Barnes, is a Scottish-born Australian rock singer-songwriter. His father Jim Swan was a prizefighter and his older brother John Swan is also a rock singer. It was actually John who had encouraged and taught Jim how to sing as he wasn't really interested at...
- vocals - Ian MossIan MossIan Moss is an Australian rock musician, best known as the guitarist and occasional singer of Cold Chisel. In that group's initial ten year career, Moss recorded eight albums, three of which were No. 1 national hits. His solo career began with a No. 1 album and single and five ARIA Awards...
- guitar - Don WalkerDon Walker (musician)Don Walker is an Australian musician and songwriter known for writing many of the hits for Australian pub rock band Cold Chisel. He played piano and keyboard with the band from 1973 to 1983, when they disbanded. He has since continued to record and tour, both solo and with Tex, Don and Charlie,...
- piano, organ - Steve PrestwichSteve Prestwich-External links:* *...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Phil SmallPhil SmallPhillip "Phil" James Small is an Australian bassist from pub rock band Cold Chisel. He has written songs for Cold Chisel including, "My Baby" for the 1980 album East, "Notion For You" off the Teenage Love album and "The Game"....
- bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Peter Walker - acoustic guitar
- Dave Blight - harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...