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.
Star Hotel
Cold Chisel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Drank our cheques by the bar
Somewhere bridges were burning
As the walls came down at the Star
Squad cars fanned the insanity
News teams fought through the crowd
Spent last night under custody
And the sun found me on the road
At the Star Hotel
At the Star Hotel
They better listen 'cause we're ringin' a bell
Ain't no deals, we got nothing to sell
Just a taste of things to come at the Star Hotel
(Here lies a local culture
Most nights were good, some were bad
Between school and a shifting future
It was most of all we had)
Those in charge are getting crazier
Job queues grow through the land
An uncontrolled Youth in Asia
Gonna make those fools understand
The lyrics of Cold Chisel's song Star Hotel speak of a violent riot that took place at the Star Hotel, a pub in Newcastle, Australia, in September 1979. The song recounts the events of the previous night when the patrons, who were mostly unemployed youths, consumed their government welfare payments and gathered at the Star Hotel, which was a popular hangout for them. The walls came down as the patrons started to brawl, and the police arrived in force with squad cars to control the situation, while the news teams tried to document the scene amid the chaos. Jim Barnes, the lead singer, spent the night in custody, and as he left in the morning, he saw the sun rising on the road.
The lyrics are a commentary on the social and economic conditions that led to the riot. The Star Hotel was a symbol of the unemployment and poverty that plagued the town of Newcastle in the late 1970s, and the riot was an expression of the frustration and discontent of the young people. The song portrays the youth as an uncontrolled force that would make the powers that be understand their plight. The lyrics also suggest that the riot was a precursor to more significant social upheavals to come.
Line by Line Meaning
All last night we were learning
We spent the entire night gaining knowledge and experience
Drank our cheques by the bar
We spent all of our money on alcohol
Somewhere bridges were burning
There was chaos and destruction happening elsewhere
As the walls came down at the Star
There was a breakdown of order and control at the Star Hotel
Squad cars fanned the insanity
Police were trying to control the chaotic situation
News teams fought through the crowd
Journalists were trying to get a story from the frenzied crowd
Spent last night under custody
We were arrested and held by the authorities
And the sun found me on the road
The next day, I was on the road, trying to come to terms with what had happened
At the Star Hotel
Referring to the location where the chaos occurred
They better listen 'cause we're ringin' a bell
We have an important message to convey, so people need to pay attention
Ain't no deals, we got nothing to sell
We are not here to negotiate or sell anything
Just a taste of things to come at the Star Hotel
This is just a small indication of the larger problems that will arise if nothing changes
Here lies a local culture
This local community and way of life is dying
Most nights were good, some were bad
There were good times and bad times, but overall the community was tight-knit
Between school and a shifting future
The young people in the community were torn between school and an uncertain future
It was most of all we had
The community and the Star Hotel were the main things that kept us together
Those in charge are getting crazier
The people who are supposed to be in control are becoming more and more unstable
Job queues grow through the land
Unemployment is becoming a major issue for the community and the country at large
An uncontrolled Youth in Asia
The youth in the community are becoming more and more rebellious
Gonna make those fools understand
We are going to force those who are ignorant or indifferent to the issues to pay attention and understand
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DONALD WALKER, DONALD HUGH WALKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@deetestlogins5269
Top Night !
.
All last night we were learning
Drank our cheques by the bar
Somewhere bridges were burning
As the walls came down at the Star
Squad cars fanned the insanity
News teams fought through the crowd
Spent last night under custody
And the sun found me on the road
At the Star Hotel
At the Star Hotel
They better listen 'cause we're ringin' a bell
Ain't no deals, we got nothing to sell
Just a taste of things to come at the Star Hotel
(Here lies a local culture
Most nights were good, some were bad
Between school and a shifting future
It was most of all we had)
Those in charge are getting crazier
Job queues grow through the land
An uncontrolled Youth in Asia
Gonna make those fools understand
@TheGoldenhawk786
+stangTcode T All last night we were learning
Drank our cheques by the bar
Somewhere bridges were burning
As the walls came down at the Star
Squadcars fanned the insanity
Newsteams fought through the crowd
Spent last night under custody
And the sun found me on the road
At the Star Hotel
At the Star Hotel
They better listen cause we're ringin' a bell
Ain't no deals, we got nothing to sell
Just a taste of things to come at the Star Hotel
(Here lies a local culture
Most nights were good, some were bad
Between school and a shifting future
It was most of all we had)
Those in charge are getting crazier
Job queues grow through the land
An uncontrolled Youth in Asia
Gonna make those fools understand
@TheGoldenhawk786
+stangTcode T All last night we were learning
Drank our cheques by the bar
Somewhere bridges were burning
As the walls came down at the Star
Squadcars fanned the insanity
Newsteams fought through the crowd
Spent last night under custody
And the sun found me on the road
At the Star Hotel
At the Star Hotel
They better listen cause we're ringin' a bell
Ain't no deals, we got nothing to sell
Just a taste of things to come at the Star Hotel
(Here lies a local culture
Most nights were good, some were bad
Between school and a shifting future
It was most of all we had)
Those in charge are getting crazier
Job queues grow through the land
An uncontrolled Youth in Asia
Gonna make those fools understand
@zacguinea8369
One of the most underrated chisel songs
@warrenwatson5566
How many years on and still possibly the best.. not just the music but the video captures the energy of the day ..Well Done!
@freeman-ih2zb
A monumental rock song from a brilliant band. Nuff said!
@cinnamontoastcrunch4641
this song never gets old.
@WJJ1961
What an energised performance from the band. Incredible.
@Toriv-dq3dt
Jimmy in his prime is something really unforgettable
@ruthsmith9678
Perfect storm
Jimmy ,Mossy ,Walker fuck me all of em , could sing
Could play
Could write
@spello8191
Had a beer at lunch time, from the Chullora railway, or the PTC. It was a stunning time! Jim Barnes and Chisel were on hand. About the events that took place…
@loulancaster8234
Love this. Long live the real Aus.
@BlMBO
best chisel song..still give me goosebumps