Guy Pratt, who co-wrote the song and played bass guitar on it, explained that the song title by saying that “I always had a big obsession with that whole last chopper out of Saigon thing”. This refers to the fall of Saigon in 1975 during the US Vietnam War and specifically to a famous photo of a CIA...
[Intro]
(Whoa!)
[Verse 1]
Greetings from Sodom
How we wish you were here
The weather's getting warmer
Now that the trees are all cleared
No time for a conscience
And we recognize no crime
Yeah, we got dogs and Valvoline
And it's a pretty damn good time
[Chorus]
Man of reason, not of rhyme
Keep the spoils and share the crime
Good man, bad man, lost without
A hope for passage on the last plane out
[Instrumental Break]
Whoa, whoa
Whoa, ah
[Verse 2]
There was one repressed do-gooder
And a few who still believed
Yes, I think there were five good men here yesterday
But they were asked to leave
So we've kept the good old vices
And labored to invent a few
With cake in vulgar surplus
We can have it and eat it, too
[Chorus]
Man of reason, not of rhyme
Keep the spoils and share the crime
Good man, bad man, lost without
A hope for passage on the last plane out
Man of reason, hide your face
Walking backwards, plays his ace
Good man, bad man, lost without
A hope for passage on the last plane out
[Bridge 1]
So here's a concept you can't dance to
An idea you cannot hum
There may not be an empty seat
When all is said and done
[Bridge 2]
I'm not the guy who sings the hymns
No bleeding hearts to mend
But I like the part where Icarus
Hijacks the little red hen
[Verse 3]
Someone said the big man
May be joining us soon
But I never was the type to hang
With the harbingers of doom
And this party is addictive
Self-destructive, no doubt
So I hope that someone saves a seat for me
On the last plane out
[Chorus]
Man of reason, not of rhyme
Keep the spoils and share the crime
Good man, bad man, lost without
A hope for passage on the last plane out
Man of reason, hide your face
Walking backwards, losing race
Good man, bad man, lost without
A hope for passage on the last plane out
[Chorus]
Man of reason, not of rhyme
Keep the spoils and share the crime
Good man, bad man, lost without
A hope for passage on the last plane out
[Outro]
Oh-oh, oh-oh
Last Plane Out was written by Patrick Leonard & Kevin Gilbert & Guy Pratt.
Last Plane Out was produced by Bill Bottrell.
Toy Matinee released Last Plane Out on Mon Sep 17 1990.