Redgum - Caught In The Act

By 1983 Redgum had become one of the biggest crowd pulling acts in
Australia, so this release was capitalizing on what was one of their
biggest strengths, performing live. I did see them once and I did
see John Schumann perform solo after Redgum and they were good,
But don't take my word for it listen to this LP.
This album also has a live version of the song that turned John into
a songwriting legend, "I was only nineteen."
I actually met John at a songwriting seminar he was giving, He
talked a lot about the process that led to this song I can only say
it is a spellbinding story.
The song was released as a studio recored single which never
made to an official album until the greatest hits ones, so this
live version was it for a LP, for quite a while.
The single released in march 83 was number 1 for 2 weeks
here and stayed in the top 40 for 4 months.

I Was Only Nineteen - John Schumann

Mum and Dad and Denny saw the passing-out parade
at Puckapunyal
It was a long march from cadets.
The sixth battalion was the next to tour,
and it was me who drew the card.
We did Canungra, 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.

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

And can you tell me, doctor, why I still can't get to sleep?
And night-time's just a jungle dark and a barking M16?
And what's this rash that comes and goes,
can you tell me what it means?
God help me, I was only nineteen.

A four week operation when each step could mean your
last one on two legs
It was a war within yourself.
But you wouldn't let your mates down till they had you dusted off
So you closed your eyes and thought about something else.

Then someone yelled out "Contact!" and the bloke
behind me swore
We hooked in there for hours, then a God almighty roar
Frankie kicked a mine the day that mankind kicked the moon,
God help me, he was going home in June.

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

And the Anzac legends didn't mention mud and blood and tears
And the stories that my father told me never seemed quite real.
I caught some pieces in my back that I didn't even feel
God help me, I was only nineteen.

And can you tell me, doctor, why I still can't get to sleep?
And why the Channel Seven chopper chills me to my feet?
And what's this rash that comes and goes,
can you tell me what it means?
God help me, I was only nineteen.

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