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.

Mona and the Preacher
Cold Chisel Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Walker

The street boys are waiting for the late late show
Their eyes are shifty and their pants are low
A telephone rings in a room upstairs
The veteran sings to the road below
Mona leans against a lamppost at the corner of the street
The afternoon papers blow around her feet

She hooks her thumb beneath the strap of her bag
Her cigarette gleams as she takes another drag
The city mission stands in the late night rain
The big drops streak the dirty windowpane
The old lay preacher steps out from a one way lane
The lady says "Coffee!" and the man says "yes"
Mona leans against the counter as she wipes her dress
Her legs hold promise and her eyes are wide
The preacher slides in from the night outside
The Laminex tables line along the wall
Mona wanders through the cafe to the window stall
The preacher asks softly for the time of day
Then heads towards the mission with his take-away
His eyes rake Mona as he jerks the door
The outside rain becomes an inside roar
Mona rests her toes on the late night cafe floor
Mona and the preacher
Mona and the preacher
Mona and the preacher
Mona and the preacher
The city mission stands in the late night rain
The big drops streak the dirty windowpane
The old lay preacher leaps a swollen drain

Now some like to dance in the twilight zone
Seekin' after Mona when they're all alone

Some seek the preacher, their hearts to console
'Cause she heals the body, but he heals the soul

Overall Meaning

The song "Mona And The Preacher" by Cold Chisel is a vivid description of late-night scenes in the city. The lyrics tell the story of a woman named Mona and a preacher who meet at a café, which stands next to the city mission in the pouring rain. Mona is smoking a cigarette and leaning against a lamppost, while the preacher steps out from a one-way lane. Mona goes into the café and, soon after, the preacher follows her. They exchange glances, and the song suggests they may have a history together.

As the song progresses, it describes other scenes in the city at night. The street boys are waiting for the late-night show, and their eyes are shifty as they wait. The old lay preacher leaps over a swollen drain, and some people seek the preacher for comfort while others seek after Mona in the twilight zone. The lyrics suggest that Mona and the preacher have a unique relationship and that people in the city lead complex lives, seeking different forms of comfort depending on their needs.

Overall, "Mona And The Preacher" is a melancholic and evocative song that beautifully captures the mood and complexities of city life at night.

Line by Line Meaning

The street boys are waiting for the late late show
Young boys are standing outside, waiting for the night to continue.

Their eyes are shifty and their pants are low
The boys look suspicious and wear their pants low, trying to establish a certain image.

A telephone rings in a room upstairs
A telephone is ringing somewhere upstairs, implying that someone is calling.

The veteran sings to the road below
A veteran is singing out loud, with no one particularly listening.

Mona leans against a lamppost at the corner of the street
Mona leans against a lamppost, portraying an image of carelessness and nonchalance.

The afternoon papers blow around her feet
Newspapers are flying around Mona's feet, indicating an untidy surrounding.

She hooks her thumb beneath the strap of her bag
Mona grabs her bag while hooking her thumb underneath it.

Her cigarette gleams as she takes another drag
The cigarette glows as Mona takes another puff, showing a careless attitude towards health.

The city mission stands in the late night rain
A city mission is standing in the middle of the rain, showing a poor area.

The big drops streak the dirty windowpane
Raindrops are creating streaks on the dirty windowpane.

The old lay preacher steps out from a one way lane
An old preacher steps out from a one-way lane.

The lady says "Coffee!" and the man says "yes"
A lady asks for coffee, and the man agrees to serve it.

Mona leans against the counter as she wipes her dress
Mona leans against the counter while incidentally wiping her dress.

Her legs hold promise and her eyes are wide
Mona has good-looking legs and curious eyes.

The preacher slides in from the night outside
The old preacher enters from the outside, slowly and quietly.

The Laminex tables line along the wall
Tables made from Laminex are placed next to the wall.

Mona wanders through the cafe to the window stall
Mona walks through the cafe to the window, without any clear aim or purpose.

The preacher asks softly for the time of day
The preacher asks for the time of the day, using a gentle tone of voice.

Then heads towards the mission with his take-away
The old preacher obtains his take-away and leaves for the city mission.

His eyes rake Mona as he jerks the door
The old preacher quickly leaves the cafe while taking a final glance at Mona.

The outside rain becomes an inside roar
The sound of the rain outside is getting louder and more noticeable inside.

Mona rests her toes on the late night cafe floor
Mona is standing with her toes resting on the floor of the cafe during the late hours of the night.

Mona and the preacher
Mona and the preacher.

The city mission stands in the late night rain
The city mission still stands in the rain during the late hours of the night.

The big drops streak the dirty windowpane
Raindrops keep creating streaks on the windowpane, indicating a long-lasting rain.

The old lay preacher leaps a swollen drain
The old preacher jumps over a swollen drain during his way back to the city mission.

Now some like to dance in the twilight zone
Some people like to do unusual things at the time of twilight.

Seekin' after Mona when they're all alone
When alone, some people try to find Mona.

Some seek the preacher, their hearts to console
Some people try to find the preacher for emotional consolation.

'Cause she heals the body, but he heals the soul
Mona can help physical pain, whereas the old preacher consoles people with their emotional well-being.

Contributed by Ava Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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