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.
Juliet
Cold Chisel Lyrics
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Cheek-bones pinched and tired
It's a cold tarmac breeze
That wraps the terminal around
Flight-times drag the night along
Cab skids down the freeway
Time to find a bed
For the weeks ahead
Ice-lines rim the city streets
And tire-whines rip the blacktop
And the lamps wheel above
The misty overpass
And Bergman's face in black and white
Repeated down the alleys
A prayer above
For broken love
And goodbyes
Juliet in travel coat
Leans wasted on the window
Takes a long, long drag
To try and settle down
It kills her how he turned away
How he ripped their love apart
Starts to cry
Lets the curtain fall
It's goodbye
The lyrics of Cold Chisel's song "Juliet" are those of a traveler who has just landed and is going through the post-flight emotions in a somber mood. The song talks about the dreary aura of arriving in a strange place and the coldness of the people you're surrounded by. It is a song about loss and the pain of saying goodbye. The lyrics give the impression that the break-up with his lover, Juliet, is what's bringing about this sorrow. He remembers how she was while traveling with him, leaning onto the window, being upset that he turned away from their love, and letting the curtain fall.
The song's introspection and melancholy build on the understanding that people use travel as a means of escapism, but the feeling of loneliness and a longing for a familiar touch is unreachable. The singer's sadness is palpable and relatable, as is the idea that if taken for granted, love can go away. The beauty in the specificity of the scenery draws the perfect picture of your surroundings when you're feeling low and beyond sympathy, which isn't supposed to be dark, but it is.
Line by Line Meaning
Jet-lag cramps the lonely face
Feeling tired and lonely due to jet-lag
Cheek-bones pinched and tired
The exhaustion from the long flight is reflected in the facial features
It's a cold tarmac breeze
The wind outside is chilly and unwelcoming
That wraps the terminal around
The cold breeze is constantly present within the terminal building
Flight-times drag the night along
The long flight has made the night feel much longer
Cab skids down the freeway
The taxi is moving quickly along the freeway
Time to find a bed
The traveler has arrived late and is in need of rest
For the weeks ahead
They will be away for several weeks
It's goodbye
Saying farewell to loved ones
Ice-lines rim the city streets
Frost has formed along the streets due to cold weather
And tire-whines rip the blacktop
The sound of tires screeching on the road can be heard
And the lamps wheel above
Street lamps are illuminated and can be seen in the distance
The misty overpass
An overpass covered in mist
And Bergman's face in black and white
The face of filmmaker Ingmar Bergman is seen in a photograph or movie poster
Repeated down the alleys
The image of the face is duplicated in various locations along the street
A prayer above
A feeling of hope or desperation above
For broken love
A wish to recover a lost love
And goodbyes
Farewells to loved ones
Juliet in travel coat
A woman, named Juliet, wearing a coat for traveling
Leans wasted on the window
She appears exhausted as she leans against the window
Takes a long, long drag
She smokes deeply and for a long time
To try and settle down
She is trying to calm her nerves
It kills her how he turned away
She is deeply hurt by the fact that he rejected her
How he ripped their love apart
Their relationship came to an end due to his actions
Starts to cry
She breaks down in tears
Lets the curtain fall
She pulls down the curtain and hides from the world
It's goodbye
Saying farewell to loved ones
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DONALD WALKER, JIMMY BARNES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind