Other arrangements of Khe Sanh
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I (Em)left my heart to the (C)sap pers round Khe (G)Sanh
and my (Em)soul was sold with my (C)ci ga rettes to the black (G)mar ket man.
I’ve had the (Em)Vi et nam cold (C)tur key, from the (G)o cean to the Sil ver Ci (C)ty, and it’s (Am7)on ly oth er vets could un der (D)stand
a bout the (Em)long for got ten (C)dock side gua ran (G)tees,
how there were (Em)no V day (C)her oes in (D)nine teen (G)sev en ty three, and how (B)we sailed in to Syd ney Har bour, I saw an (G)old friend but I could n’t kiss her.
She was (Am7)lined, and I was home to the luck y land.
She was (Em)like so ma ny more from that time (G)on.
Their (Em)lives were all so (C)emp ty, ’til they (D)found their (G)cho sen one, and their (Em)legs were of ten o pen, but their (G)minds were al ways closed and their (Am7)hearts were held in (F)fast su bur ban (D)chains.
And the (Em)le gal pads were (C)yel low, hou rs long, pay (C)pack et lean
and the (Em)te lex writ ers (C)clat tered where the gun ships (G)once had been
and (Em)car parks made me jum py and I (G)nev er stopped the dreams
or the (Am7)grow ing need for speed and no va caine.
So I (Em)worked a cross the coun try from end to (G)end.
(D)Tried to find a place to (C)set tle down, where my (D)mixed up (G)life could mend.
I (B)held a job on an oil rig, fly ing (G)chop pers when I could,
but the (Am7)night life near ly drove me round the bend
and I’ve (Em)tra velled round the world from year to year.
And (Em)each one found me aim (C)less, one more year the more for wear.
And (B)I’ve been (Em)back to South East A sia, yeah, but the (G)an swer sure ain’t there, but I’m (Am7)drif ting north, to (D)check things out a (G)gain.
Yeah, the (Em)last plane out of Syd ney’s al most gone,
on ly (Em)sev en fly ing ho (C)urs and I’ll be (D)land ing in Hong (D)Kong.
And there ain’t (Em)noth ing like the kis ses from a (G)ja ded Chi nese princ (C)ess, I’m gon na (Am7)hit some Hong Kong (F)mat tress all night (D)long.
Well, the (Em)last plane out of Syd ney’s al most gone.
You know, the (Em)last plane out of Syd ney’s al most (D)gone.
And it’s (Em)real ly got me wor (C)ried, I’m go in’ (G)no where and I’m in a hur (C)ry.
You know, the (Am7)last plane out of Syd ney’s al most (G)gone.
Well, the (Em)last plane out of Syd ney’s al most gone.
You know, the (Em)last plane out of Syd ney’s al most gone.
(D)No, it’s (Em)real ly got me wor (C)ried, I’m go in’ (G)no where and I’m in a hur ry.
You know, the (Am7)last plane out of Syd (D)ney’s al most (G)gone.
Khe Sanh — Karaoke: Lyrics & Chords to Sing & Play Along
9 people have learned this song
Free karaoke for "Khe Sanh" by Cold Chisel: lyrics on screen with the chords above each line and a bouncing ball that lands on every word in time. Sing along, or play along on guitar or piano from the chord chart. Change the key to fit your voice, slow the tempo down. Key of G, 164 BPM.
Tip: Start at 50% speed to get comfortable with the fingering, then work your way up to full tempo.
Try other practice modes:
About “Khe Sanh”
- What key is "Khe Sanh" by Cold Chisel played in?
- Khe Sanh is arranged in the key of G on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
- What's the tempo (BPM) of "Khe Sanh"?
- The arrangement plays at 164 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "Khe Sanh" easy to play on piano?
- Yes — this is one of our beginner-friendly arrangements with simplified chords and color-coded notes.
- Can I download sheet music for "Khe Sanh"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "Khe Sanh"?
- "Khe Sanh" was originally performed by Cold Chisel. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What other songs by Cold Chisel can I play here?
- Try "Choir Girl", "Choirgirl", "Choirgirl". All are in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
- Is there a karaoke version of "Khe Sanh" with lyrics?
- Yes — this is a free karaoke slide for "Khe Sanh" by Cold Chisel. The lyrics appear on screen a line at a time and each word lights up exactly when it's sung, with a bouncing ball leading you word to word. A backing plays underneath so you can just sing.
- Does it show chords so I can play along on guitar or piano?
- It does — a chord symbol sits on a thin row just above the lyric it changes on, so the same screen doubles as a lyrics-and-chords chart. Guitarists can strum the changes and pianists can comp while singing; the chords are colour-coded and move with the live transpose if you change key.
- Can I change the key of "Khe Sanh" to match my voice or capo?
- Yes. The original is in G, but the live transpose control shifts the whole song up or down semitones until the melody sits in your range (or maps to an easier guitar shape / capo position) — the on-screen chords and the backing move with it.
- Can I slow "Khe Sanh" down to learn the words and chords?
- Yes — the tempo control lets you take it as slow as you need while the lyrics still light up in time and the ball keeps you on the beat. Speed it back up once you can sing and play it through.


