Khe Sanh lyrics: Last train or last plane out of Sydney?
The lyrics to Khe Sanh by Cold Chisel cause confusion. But is it the last train out of Sydney that’s almost gone? Or the last plane out of Sydney?
Khe Sanh by Cold Chisel is a song that is almost universally known in Australia, but unheard of elsewhere. Cold Chisel are the dictionary definition of an Australian pub rock band. There’s a lane named after them in Adelaide. And Khe Sanh is Cold Chisel’s biggest hit. You’ll hear it on Australian radio stations and jukeboxes. It is also a staple of cover band repertoire.
Last train or last plane out of Sydney?
But there is often confusion about the lyrics of Khe Sanh. The chorus kicks off with the line “well the last train out of Sydney’s almost gone”. Or is it “well the last plane out of Sydney’s almost gone”?
More than a few fights have broken out over this. But the answer lies in the rest of the lyrics.
Khe Sanh is a song about a soldier’s life after returning from the Vietnam War, and his return to Asia later.
Khe Sanh lyrics: Landing in Hong Kong
The second line of the chorus is “and only seven flying hours, I’ll be landing in Hong Kong”. So that’s pretty conclusive. You can’t get from Australia to Hong Kong by train – the protagonist of the song is flying.
So, it’s not the last train out of Sydney. It’s the last plane out of Sydney. And, guess what? It’s almost gone.
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