Safe Behind The Wire
View chords used in this chart
Intro D A D
D
When the bodies were bagged and the telegrams sent
G D
And the very last chopper had gone
D G D Bm A
And you looked out the window of the 707 on the airfield in Saigon,
D Bm
Some of us thought that the war was over
G D
Some of us couldn’t care less;
G D G A
But you came home and threw a stay-behind party to try to clear up the mess.
G D A D
I don’t know where you are tonight..I’m down here in a firefight…
F#m G A D
But where-ever you are, I hope you’re safe behind the wire.
D Bm G D
We were fighting for freedom in South-East Asia…. That’s how the story ran;
G D Bm A
Windy speeches about a domino falling from China into Vietnam…
D Bm G D
But look back in sickness and anger, Australia didn’t honour her debt;
G D G A
And non-commission Officer Thompson learned that the war wasn’t over yet.
G D A D
Living on your nerves, living on the phone and sleeping in airports far from home….
F#m G A D
Dusted off now and safe behind the wire.
Instrumental: A G D A G
D Bm G D
Well he have and he gave and he kept on giving, till he just couldn’t give anymore;
G D Bm A
And he gave it away one morning in Sydney in a rust-red Commodore…
D Bm G D
And I remember Phill best talking on the phone, with a cheeky grin on his face….
G D
Because Royal Commissioners and Knights of the Realm
G A
Thought that Phill didn’t know his place.
G D A D
I don’t know where you are tonight..I’m down here in a firefight…
F#m G A D
But where-ever you are, I hope you’re safe behind the wire.
A G D
And the’re still bagging bodies, Phill, though fourteen years have gone;
A G A
And the mums and the dads and the wives and the kids still have to soldier on.
G D A D
I don’t know where you are tonight..I’m down here in a firefight…
F#m G A D
But where-ever you are, I hope you’re safe behind the wire.
G D A D
I don’t know where you are tonight..I’m down here in a firefight…
F#m G A D G A D
But where-ever you are, I hope you’re safe behind the wire.
How to play Safe Behind The Wire
Use the controls above to change the key and text size. Follow the highlighted chords while listening, then practice each section slowly before playing at the original tempo.
What is the starting chord?
The first identified chord is D. You can transpose without leaving the page.
Can I play it on guitar or keyboard?
Yes. The chord progression works on acoustic guitar, electric guitar and keyboard. Adapt the voicings to your instrument and level.