Cold Chisel produced the canonical example of Australian pub rock, with a s… Read Full Bio ↴Cold Chisel produced the canonical example of Australian pub rock, with a string of hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and they are acknowledged as one of the most popular and successful Australian groups of the period, although this success and acclaim was almost completely restricted to Australia.

The band formed in Adelaide in 1973 as a heavy metal band called Orange around keyboard player Don Walker and original bassist Les Kascmarek and while hard rock remained at the core of their sound Cold Chisel displayed a remarkable versatility. When Kascmarek left in 1975, Walker became the major creative force of the band. Built around Walker's superb songwriting, the group also featured the dazzling guitar and vocal talents of Ian Moss and the enormously powerful lead vocals of Scottish immigrant Jimmy Barnes.

While typically classified as a hard-driving rock and roll band, the Chisel repertoire included such Australian anthems as the landmark Vietnam War song "Khe Sanh", "Bow River", "Flame Trees" and "Saturday Night", but also included thoughtful ballads like "Choir Girl" (written about the subject of abortion), pop-flavoured love songs like "My Baby" and caustic political statements like "Star Hotel", an attack on the late-70s government of Malcolm Fraser and inspired by a riot at a Newcastle pub. The music was not political in context, however Walker's songs were observations of everyday life within the Australian society and culture. One song from this period, "Misfits", which featured on the b-side to "My Baby", was written in the same vein as Chuck Berry, and was about homeless kids in the suburbs surrounding Sydney.

Cold Chisel weren't just a band, they were a lifestyle for many of their followers, who were known as some of the roughest in the land. This gave Chisel their hard living approach to their music and made them a tough live band as well. More than 30 years after they originally played together, they attract generation after generation of new listeners. This is also evidence of Chisel's dominance of the pub rock era. They are the only Australian band to have sold more records after breakup than before and are among other bands that have become transgenerational. "Khe Sanh" consistently ranks highly in lists of Australia's most popular songs and their music remains a staple of rock station playlists. The Ian Moss song "Never Before" (from the East LP) was chosen by FM rock station 2JJJ (Triple Jay) as the first record played on-air when the station made its transition from AM to FM in 1980.

By 1983 the band had reached the zenith of their career in Australia and with overseas markets reluctant to accept them, Cold Chisel began to disintegrate. Their abortive US sojourn was commemorated in Barnes' excoriating rocker "You Got Nothing I Want" from the Circus Animals album, an emotional volume created from the frustration of the band’s experiences overseas.

Increasing internal tensions and the pressures of touring took their toll and Steve Prestwich -- who was often in conflict with Barnes -- left the band, to be replaced by veteran Australian drummer Ray Arnott (ex Spectrum). Shortly afterward, in 1984, Cold Chisel announced their split and a series of farewell concerts, for which Prestwich re-joined. That tour became a legend in itself and was not without incident when Barnes lost his voice before the Sydney shows, which then had to be rescheduled. The band's final performance was filmed for the documentary concert film The Last Stand, which remains to this day the best-selling concert film of any single Australian act.

In mid 2011 the group announced a series of upcoming concerts.

Baby's on Fire
Cold Chisel Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Baby's on fire, it's a beautiful thing
Baby's on fire, it's beginning to sing
Baby's on fire, so imaginative
Nobody else gets to see it and live

Baby's on fire, the moonlit skin
Black and white cinema, outa Berlin
Black and white cinema, flooding inside

Baby's on fire in the submarine tide

Baby's on fire
And I
I'm in flames
I been workin' all day
Baby and I are gonna get away
I been workin' all day and all I know
Baby's on fire, the higher and higher we go

And I
I'm in flames

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Cold Chisel's song "Baby's on Fire" seem to be heavily metaphorical, playing with the imagery of fire and heat to describe the subject of the song. The lyrics suggest that the person being sung about is vibrant and alive, perhaps even wild in their passions. The line "Baby's on fire, it's a beautiful thing" carries with it both the danger and excitement of being close to someone who is constantly living on the edge.

The verse about "black and white cinema, outa Berlin" seems to be a nostalgic allusion to a time that's passed, perhaps when the subject was younger and more carefree. The line "Baby's on fire in the submarine tide" is particularly evocative, bringing to mind the dizzying feeling of being swept up in an overwhelming tide of emotion.

The repeated refrain of "I'm in flames" adds to the sense of intensity and passion conveyed by the lyrics. It's possible that the song is about a lover or a muse who brings out these feelings in the singer. Overall, the lyrics to "Baby's on Fire" paint a vivid picture of a passionate and volatile relationship.

Line by Line Meaning

Baby's on fire, it's a beautiful thing
The singer finds it amazing that the baby is on fire.

Baby's on fire, it's beginning to sing
The baby is starting to show the effects of the fire.

Baby's on fire, so imaginative
The image of the burning baby is so powerful that it seems unreal.

Nobody else gets to see it and live
The artist believes that if anyone else saw the burning baby, they would not survive.

Baby's on fire, the moonlit skin
The baby's skin is glowing in the moonlight because of the fire.

Black and white cinema, outa Berlin
The image of the burning baby is like something out of a black and white movie from Berlin.

Black and white cinema, flooding inside
The singer is overwhelmed by the vividness of the image of the burning baby.

Baby's on fire in the submarine tide
The image of the burning baby is like being in a submarine, surrounded by water.

Baby's on fire And I I'm in flames
The artist himself is also consumed by passion and desire.

I been workin' all day Baby and I are gonna get away
The artist and the baby are going to escape from the mundane world.

I been workin' all day and all I know Baby's on fire, the higher and higher we go
The more they pursue their escapism, the more passionate they become.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DONALD WALKER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS