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.
Metho Blues
Cold Chisel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yesterdays are gone
Road is hard and long
People carry on the best they can
Bring down one more day
Spending next week's pay
But never satisfaction
Kings Cross is my home
And all night long I roam
Begging cents from foreigners and friends
Time's a twisted road
And speed's the only code
Life's a winding highway, byway, do it my way blues
That never leads to answers
And metho is my friend
Yes, our love has one end
We'll be wed 'till death or blindness part
Oh yeah
General health is poor
My eyes are soaking sore
Seeking for some night spot dancer, find no answer blues
Lord, please repeat the question
The lyrics of Cold Chisel's song Metho Blues reflect the life of a struggling individual who lives in a place called Kings Cross. The first verse starts with the line "Yesterdays are gone, road is hard and long," which establishes a sense of nostalgia and difficulty with the present time. The people in the neighborhood carry on as best they can, spending their next week's pay on chasing and catching the blues, but they are never satisfied. This line speaks to the cycle of poverty and addiction that plagues many people in urban areas.
The second verse describes Kings Cross as the home of the singer, who roams the streets begging for money from foreigners and friends. The time is a twisted road, and speed is the only code, indicating the fast-paced nature of life in the city. The singer's life is a winding highway, and they do it their own way, but it never leads to answers. The last line of this verse mentions metho, which is short for methanol, a type of alcohol often found in cleaning products. The singer refers to metho as their friend and speaks of their love for it as if it were a romantic partner. This line speaks to the sense of isolation and desperation that comes from addiction.
The chorus of the song speaks to the singer's poor health, soaked eyes that are sore, and their search for a night spot dancer. The repeating line "Lord, please repeat the question" suggests that the singer is lost and confused, unable to find meaning or purpose in life. Overall, Metho Blues is a poignant and powerful song that highlights the struggles of addiction and poverty in urban environments.
Line by Line Meaning
Walker
The singer is introducing themselves as Walker
Yesterdays are gone
The past cannot be changed
Road is hard and long
Life is difficult and takes a lot of time
People carry on the best they can
Everyone does their best given their circumstances
Bring down one more day
Endure another day
Spending next week's pay
Living paycheck to paycheck
One more day of chasing, catching, gross mismatching blues
Going through the motions of the daily grind
But never satisfaction
Never feeling fulfilled
Kings Cross is my home
The artist lives in Kings Cross
And all night long I roam
The artist wanders around all night
Begging cents from foreigners and friends
Asking for money from strangers and acquaintances
Time's a twisted road
Time is unpredictable
And speed's the only code
Living fast is the only way to get by
Life's a winding highway, byway, do it my way blues
Life is unpredictable and doing things your way can be challenging
That never leads to answers
Life doesn't provide clear answers
And metho is my friend
The artist is dependent on metho
Yes, our love has one end
The artist's relationship with metho will end in death or blindness
We'll be wed 'till death or blindness part
The singer is married to metho until they die or lose their sight
Oh yeah
The singer is affirming their previous statement
General health is poor
The artist is not in good health
My eyes are soaking sore
The artist's eyes are irritated
Seeking for some night spot dancer, find no answer blues
The artist is looking for a certain type of person, but can't find them
Lord, please repeat the question
The singer is asking for clarity
Contributed by Hannah I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
redward13
Thanks . That's awesome . Ian moss at his finest.. guitar and vocal WOW
Tim Kyle
Probably their best.
Moss solos rule this song.
roosters bays
i agree ,.....................................?
Daniel Goodwin
Benjamin Barnes, thank you brother! :)