Learning to Love Khe Sanh

Welcome to the first in the series of Learning to love.

This post is about a song and what it stands for. It is also how I came to not hate it anymore.

The song is Khe Sanh, as you may have guessed from the title , which is by an Australian band called Cold Chisel, here it is

As you can see from the video, it was a late 70s song. Apparently perms were big in Australia at the time.  The song is about a Vietnam veteran who tries to return to 'normal' life after his time in the war. It is quite poignant at times.

I hated this song for most of my life.

Why? Well, this song and the band Cold Chisel are synonymous with the Australian redneck culture. It is played at pubs at 2 am , as well as 7,8,9,10 etc, all around the country and every time it is, the drunk and seemingly patriotic Aussies belt it out. Except they can't sing, and they are generally not patriotic but racist. They also do not like anyone who does not like the song. Happy to fight etc.

For me it also ran deeper than that though. It was also about the fact that when I was growing up everyone in Australia was basically expected to like the song and the band. As you know if you have read other posts. That sort of rubbish leads me to dislike something straight away.The song is so mainstream that it has come to define an era of aussie pub rock. In some way it also represents a country , as opposed to a city, culture as well.

Interestingly it is often played at the same time as this song, by Steve Earle

Which is also about a returned Vet.

Anyway, whilst I have always been drawn to the American redneck culture. I hated it in Australia. I guess because it was quite alien to me. That sounds a little smug, but to be honest you have to know yourself. My mother isn't Australian and we were brought up with an understanding of all kinds of art, we learnt languages etc. I am more of a redneck now than I was growing up. That is mainly because I have embraced the part of myself that likes drinking and partying and am perhaps a bit more relaxed than I used to be.

So hated the song, the band, and everything it stood for. Would happily tell people this as well. In fact I tried my best not to listen to it. I left Australia 17 years ago and it was worse overseas. Because, if you heard it overseas, it would have the same people singing it, but now they were homesick as well. Even more prepared to fight because as I was an Australian how could I possibly not like the song? It was like there was something wrong with me and I was in some way denying my heritage. I actually am still serving a life time ban from a pub in London because I got into a pretty large fight over it. The irony of fighting in a pub whilst trying to prove how much of a redneck I was not is not lost on me . . .

I listened to the song, under duress about a year or so ago. I was at a party and someone put it on when they found out I was into music and Australian. I was asked to explain it. Why is there a Vietnam reference in the song which is Australian was the question I was asked. So I explained it. Australians were also in Vietnam, although they haven't made 100+ films about it.

I had to have the song played a few times so I could explain the different bits. As I was explaining it, I realised that it does do what it is supposed to quite well. It is an angry song about a man lost in the world because of the horrors of the war. He is looking for a sense of belonging again.

I went home for Christmas this year. A few days after New years, and with my wife and two brothers , we had a 5am finish with much alcohol and many many laughs in a very local Karaoke bar. It was hysterical. What is always gets me in the places where people can actually sing is just how seriously they take it. Khe Sahn came on. The guy sang it very well. I found myself singing along. I know . . .I enjoyed it. I enjoyed being part of the Australian redneck culture. (obviously we were the best looking people in the bar by so far that we felt a little self conscious . . .)

Why? I am not sure. I do know that for the first time I seriously thought about living back in Australia. In 17 years I have been back at least 17 times, maybe more. Haven't really considered living there again before. So what does it mean? Not much, I guess I have just grown up a bit.

I think that also I have been able to distance the song and the culture that identifies with it. Maybe take the song on its merits and appreciate it for what it is. Realising that because I liked the song I did not have to identify with the culture that goes along with it.

I guess that is what growing up is about.