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.
Best Kept Lies
Cold Chisel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No-one's tellin' me just where you are
Got me like a fever
And movin' like you've got too far
Used to shine so brightly
All is fadin' now as time goes on
Just when I think I hear you
You got this thing for leavin'
Just as I'm about to really know someone
I'd like to help you with your searchin'
Don't you know you're not the only one
Hangin' all alone
With your best kept lies
Say you're comin' home
Give it one more try
You let me know discretely
I ain't nothin' when you're not with me
Once I'd have to call ya
Now all that's left's a mystery
Sayin' goodbyes only
Gonna leave me wonderin' endlessly
Were you really here
Or someone I am
Yet to see
The Cold Chisel's song "Best Kept Lies" is written by the band's lead vocalist, Jimmy Barnes. The song talks about the desire to be with someone who is always on the move with an elusive persona. Barnes is trying to search for his lover, who keeps leaving and come back like a fleeting thought. With lines that read, "Losin' myself nightly, no-one's tellin' me just where you are, got me like a fever, and movin' like you've got too far," he expresses his frustration at not being able to locate his lover when he needs her the most.
Even though Barnes is not sure if his lover is real or just his imagination playing tricks on him, he wants to help her to find her way. He says, "I'd like to help you with your searchin', don't you know you're not the only one" as he empathizes and understands the urge to find oneself. As the song comes to an end, Barnes is left wondering if he ever had his lover with him, or was she someone he never met.
Overall, "Best Kept Lies" has a nostalgic and melancholic tone, as Barnes questions his relationship with his lover. The song's vivid lyrics paint a picture of a complex relationship that is hard to understand, and Barnes poignantly questions who his lover is.
Line by Line Meaning
Losin' myself nightly
I'm losing my identity every night without you
No-one's tellin' me just where you are
I have no idea where you are
Got me like a fever
My feelings for you are intense and unstoppable, like a fever
And movin' like you've got too far
You're moving too far away from me, making it impossible for us to be together
Used to shine so brightly
You were once amazing, but now you've lost your shine and sparkle
All is fadin' now as time goes on
Everything about you is slowly disappearing as time passes by
Just when I think I hear you
I start to believe that I can hear your voice, but it's possibly just my imagination
I look around and you'll be gone
Whenever I turn around, you're no longer there
You got this thing for leavin'
You seem to have a habit of leaving just when I'm starting to get to know you
Just as I'm about to really know someone
As soon as I feel like I'm getting to know someone, they leave
I'd like to help you with your searchin'
I want to help you find what you're looking for in life
Don't you know you're not the only one
You're not the only one who feels lost and alone
Hangin' all alone
I'm all alone, hanging by myself
With your best kept lies
You're hiding the truth with your best kept secrets and lies
Say you're comin' home
Tell me that you're coming home, so I can believe that you'll actually come back
Give it one more try
Let's try again to make our relationship work
You let me know discretely
You've hinted to me silently and secretly that I'm nothing to you when you're not with me
I ain't nothin' when you're not with me
I feel worthless and unimportant to you when we're apart
Once I'd have to call ya
I used to have to call you to make sure you were okay and still interested in me
Now all that's left's a mystery
Now, I have no idea what's going on with us or what you're thinking
Sayin' goodbyes only
Saying goodbye to you keeps me wondering and guessing
Gonna leave me wonderin' endlessly
Leaving me wondering continuously without answers or closure
Were you really here
I'm not even sure if you were really with me or ever loved me
Or someone I am
Maybe you were just pretending to love me, and I fell for it
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: STEVEN PRESTWICH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ADRIAN G
This has to be a measure of a band. It's the quality of the lesser known songs. And this is awesome.
forestsoceansmusic
Best song on my favourite Cold Chisel album. Fully up there with the then-latest UK & US recordings.
Geoffrey Breasley
Every time I hear it, what a song cold chisel, best band in the world
Touka 25
Great song , great band ,great memories greetings from manly Australia.
Touka 25
Gg
uncle wayne
Mossy is a legend his solo in this is so tasty and on on the edge!
MrGoat61
Superb.
Geoffrey Breasley
Tops AAA
Nigmatism
love Jimmy, but lets face it, all the best Barking Spiders is sung by the Moss
nickdryad
Otis Dixon Both Barnes and Moss were outstanding in their own way. Together they were fantastic. Bow River nicely shared vocals.