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.
Painted Doll
Cold Chisel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Painted doll, on a painted stage
She's just a one-man Punch and Judy show
For caliphs twice her age
Painted doll, on a painted stage
The more they look at her
The less I see
The more they look at her
It's a tricky situation when some
Parasite has got my painted doll
And she's got me
Lookin' down Sydney Harbour in the rain
My pretty baby's slappin' up another vein
If this is gonna be her final wage
My heart may never see this world again
She's my little sick salome
And it's breakin' me in two
Painted doll
I've got a deal for you
The lyrics to Painted Doll by Cold Chisel are full of metaphorical language and vivid imagery, painting a picture of a young girl performing on a stage dressed up in makeup, jewelry and fancy clothes. Despite her charm and beauty, she is nothing more than a puppet, controlled by older and more powerful men who pay to watch her perform. Jimmy Barnes's rough and raspy voice adds depth and emotion to the song's lyrics, painting a dark and melancholic picture.
The song is a commentary on exploitation and abuse of power, particularly of women in the entertainment industry. The titular "painted doll" is a symbol of the young girl who is expected to perform for the pleasure of her male audience. She is trapped in a life of superficiality, and her beauty is her only currency. The singer of the song is aware of her pain and suffering but is powerless to help her escape. He watches her from afar, feeling helpless and hopeless.
The lyrics evoke a sense of despair, loneliness and vulnerability that make the song a poignant commentary on human nature. The use of metaphors and imagery adds layers of meaning to the lyrics, inviting the listener to reflect on the themes of the song. The haunting melody of the song and the melancholic guitar riff add to the sense of sadness and desperation that characterizes the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Painted doll, on a painted stage
The subject is a woman who is pretending to be something she is not, just like a doll that has been painted to look a certain way, and she is performing on a fake stage.
Painted doll, on a painted stage
Repeating the opening line to underscore the image of the fake character on a fake stage.
She's just a one-man Punch and Judy show
She is entertaining an audience of just one man, like the traditional puppets Punch and Judy that are only performed for one child at a time.
For caliphs twice her age
The man is much older than her and she is performing for him to earn money.
Painted doll, on a painted stage
Repeating the opening line again to emphasize the falseness of the whole situation.
The more they look at her
As people watch her perform and scrutinize her, trying to figure her out,
The less I see
The subject is becoming increasingly opaque and difficult to comprehend.
The more they look at her
Repeating the previous thought to stress the confusion of the situation.
The less I see
The subject is becoming even more difficult to understand and the artist is losing sight of who she really is.
It's a tricky situation when some
The difficulty lies in the fact that
Parasite has got my painted doll
Someone is taking advantage of her and using her for his own purposes, like a parasite.
And she's got me
The subject is in a difficult position because she has control over the artist's emotions and feelings.
Lookin' down Sydney Harbour in the rain
The singer is looking down at the water of Sydney Harbour in the rain, feeling depressed and hopeless.
My pretty baby's slappin' up another vein
The subject is using drugs to cope with her difficult situation.
If this is gonna be her final wage
If this is the only way she can earn money,
My heart may never see this world again
The artist's heart will be broken if he loses her to this lifestyle forever.
She's my little sick salome
The subject is like the biblical character Salome, who danced for King Herod and asked for the head of John the Baptist, and she is also sick and in a bad place in her life.
And it's breakin' me in two
The situation is painfully hard for the singer.
Painted doll
The subject is like a painted doll, fake and manipulated.
I've got a deal for you
The artist is trying to make a deal with the subject to help her get out of this situation.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DONALD WALKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind