Intro: Am C G D | Am G Am  
   
 Am              C             G           D              Am         
 Mum and Dad and Denny saw the passing-out parade at Puckapunyal 
               G             Am
 It was a long march from cadets. 
 Am                          C             
 The sixth battalion was the next to tour, 
           G               D
 and it was me who drew the card. 
        Am             G               Am
 We did Canungra, Shoalwater before we left.  
 
     E                                    D                   A     
 And Townsville lined the footpaths 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.  
 
      Am               C                G           D
 From Vung Tau, riding Chinooks, to the dust at Nui Dat 
          Am            G                Am
 I'd been in and out of choppers now for months. 
        Am               C            G             D
 But we made our tents a home, VB and pinups on the lockers 
        Am           G                  Am
 And an agent orange sunset through the scrub.  
 
Hook: 
     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 M16? 
     F#m                   E               
 And what's this rash that comes and goes, 
        D               A
 can you tell me what it means? 
     E                       D
 God help me, I was only nineteen.  
 
   Am            C               G               
 А four week operation when each step could mean 
     D               Am
 your last one on two legs 
          G              Am
 It was a war within yourself. 
         Am                C                   G              D
 But you wouldn't let your mates down til they had you dusted off 
        Am                   G                       Am
 So you closed your eyes and thought about something else.  
 
      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 Godalmighty 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.  
 
 Solo: Am C G D | Am G Am  
 
 Am              C                 G              D
 I can still see Frankie, drinking tinnies in the Grand Hotel 
      Am              G                 Am
 On a thirty-six hour rec leave in Vung Tau 
     Am               C              G                D
 And I can still hear Frankie, lying screaming in the jungle 
         Am                G                 Am
 Til the morphine came and killed the bloody row.  
 
         E                            D                 A
 And the Anzac legends didn't mention mud and blood and tears 
         E                              D                  A
 And the stories that my father told me never seemed quite real.
↓

Verse 1:
   C               G                Am  
The faces in the photograph have faded 
       C                                  Am  
And I can't believe he looks so much like me 
           Dm               E  
For it's been ten years today 
          Dm                   Am  
Since I left for Old Cork Station 
        Dm            C           G         Am  
Sayin' I won't be back till the drovin's done 
 
Chorus:
          C             G             Am  
For the rain never falls on the dusty Diamantina 
          C                                Am  
And a drover finds it hard to change his mind 
          Dm                 E  
For the years have surely gone 
           Dm                   Am  
Like the drays from Old Cork Station 
      Dm            C           G         Am  
And I won't be back till the droving’s done 
 
Verse 2:
         C                 G                  Am  
Well it seems like the sun comes up each mornin' 
       C                        Am  
Sets me up and takes it all away 
         Dm                 E  
For the dreaming by the light 
         Dm            Am  
Of the camp fire at night 
   Dm            C          G   Am  
Ends with the burning by the day  
 
Chorus:
          C             G             Am  
For the rain never falls on the dusty Diamantina 
          C                               Am  
And a drover finds it hard to change his mind 
          Dm                 E  
For the years have surely gone 
           Dm                   Am  
Like the drays from Old Cork Sta-ation 
      Dm              C              G    Am  
And I won't be back till the drovin's done 
 
Instrumental: C  G  Am  C  G  Am  
 
Verse 3:
      C                    G             Am  
Sometimes I think I'll settle back in Sydney 
       C                                     Am  
But it's been so long it's hard to change my mind 
           Dm                E  
For the cattle trail goes on and on 
             Dm        Am  
And the fences roll forever 
        Dm        C              G       Am  
And I won't be back till the drovin's done 
 
Chorus:
          C             G             Am  
For the rain never falls on the dusty Diamantina 
          C                                Am  
And a drover finds it hard to change his mind 
          Dm                 E  
For the years have surely gone 
           Dm                   Am  
Like the drays from Old Cork Sta-ation 
      Dm              C              G   Am  
And I won't be back till the drovin's done