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.
Taipan
Cold Chisel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Taipan
He'll get you when he can
Ooh
He'll get you when he can
Makes his home in a mangrove tree
White man planter, Bundaberg rum
Childhood rattle, trumpet and drum
Stay with me
Stay with me, oh yeah
Until the morning comes
Taipan
He'll get you when he can
Ooh
He'll get you when he can
These days, I can't explain
But I can smell the monsoon rain
Seasons come, and seasons turn
More and more, canefields burning
Early in the morning, the afternoon
Pathways blazed in a mangrove moon
Burning down my eyes
(Railroad goes, Kalamia mill
If the heat don't get you, Taipan will
Six o'clock, the whistle sings
C.S.R. is the sugar-cane king)
Stay with me
Stay with me
Taipan
He'll get you when he can
Ooh
He'll get you when he can
The song "Taipan" by Cold Chisel is a haunting tribute to the dangers of living in the sugar cane plantations of Queensland. Taipan is the most venomous snake in Australia and also a metaphor for the perils of life in the cane fields, where the heat is oppressive and the labor is punishing. The lyrics describe the harsh and unforgiving landscape, where the mangrove trees provide shelter for both the dangerous snake and the impoverished workers who live among them. The "white man planter" and "Bundaberg rum" are references to the brutal legacy of colonialism and the exploitation of Aboriginal and Pacific Islander labor. The child's "rattle, trumpet, and drum" evoke a sense of innocence amid the violence and poverty of plantation life.
The chorus of the song is a warning to stay vigilant, as Taipan "will get you when he can." The extended metaphor of the snake represents the threat of death that hangs over the workers who toil in the fields. The burning canefields and the "mangrove moon" symbolize the cyclical nature of life and death, as well as the mysterious and dangerous forces of the natural world.
Overall, "Taipan" is a powerful meditation on the human cost of industrial agriculture, and a testament to the resilience of those who live and work in its shadow.
Line by Line Meaning
Walker
The singer may be addressing someone named Walker, but it's unclear who or why.
Taipan
The subject of the song is Taipan, a venomous snake known for its deadly bite.
He'll get you when he can
Taipan is a dangerous creature that will attack humans if given the opportunity.
Makes his home in a mangrove tree
Taipan lives in a specific type of tree in the mangrove swamp.
Sleep plantation family
It's unclear what this line means in the context of the song, but it may refer to Taipan's habitat or lifestyle.
White man planter, Bundaberg rum
This line appears to describe a colonial-era plantation owner who drinks a popular brand of rum.
Childhood rattle, trumpet and drum
Taipan may have encountered children's toys while hunting or living in human settlements.
Stay with me
The artist is asking someone to stay with them for comfort or safety.
Stay with me, oh yeah
The addition of 'oh yeah' suggests a sense of urgency or importance to the request.
Until the morning comes
The artist wants their companion to stay with them until daylight.
These days, I can't explain
The singer is experiencing something they cannot put into words.
But I can smell the monsoon rain
Despite not being able to explain their feelings, the artist is attuned to their environment and senses the rain.
Seasons come, and seasons turn
The cycle of the seasons is a constant in the singer's life.
More and more, canefields burning
As time goes on, there are more and more fires in the nearby sugar cane fields.
Early in the morning, the afternoon
The time of day is important to the singer.
Pathways blazed in a mangrove moon
The artist imagines pathways illuminated by the moon's light in the mangrove forest.
Burning down my eyes
The fires from the sugar cane fields are causing irritation or damage to the artist's eyes.
(Railroad goes, Kalamia mill
Referencing the nearby railroad and sugar cane mill.
If the heat don't get you, Taipan will
Both the hot climate and the dangerous snake pose threats to humans in this region.
Six o'clock, the whistle sings
The mill or railroad may signal a specific time with a whistle.
C.S.R. is the sugar-cane king)
C.S.R. is the dominant company or producer of sugar cane in the area.
Stay with me
The artist repeats their earlier request for someone to stay with them.
Taipan
Another reminder of the dangerous snake lurking in the area.
He'll get you when he can
A final warning about the ever-present threat of Taipan's bite.
Ooh
A repeated sound that may indicate a sense of unease or apprehension.
Contributed by Adam P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@muzak.smoothie
This live version of Taipan is scintillating. They give space to each other and then lock in hard n strong. The smooth breakdown then the hurricane guitar solo! Best band ever ❤️
@budrock01
One of the best chisel songs for sure... This and Wild colonial boy
@jeremymarnane5739
Hell yeah
@caseycooper9931
Fucking unreal album, circus animals. Absolute legends.
@tonyholmes797
My favorite Cold Chisel song.
@blueshorecreative3146
There is nothing so great as this band live. I've seen them 3 or 4 times. They work hard and they're sincere in their delivery of well-written and heartfelt songs about real people. One of the best ever Aussie bands. The ALBUM is "Circus Animals" and it is excellent. A great Australian novel. Oh yeah, and passion, heaps of fucking passion.
@roostersbays95
they have a Henry Lawson aspect of life
@roadgoose3851
I was 12 growing up in Wellington New Zealand when Circus Animals was released in 1982.
I knew about 'Forever Now' and 'When the War is Over' as being staple Cold Chisel hits - but only last year did I actually buy Circus Animals - I can't believe that I missed out on greats like Taipan for over 30 years.
Just a great piece of music and my Cold Chisel favorite without question.
@shaunmcewan5494
what about letter to Allen?
@roadgoose3851
The whole album is brilliant.But 'Taipan' just knocks my sox off - for me anyway - it's the 'mood' of the song if that makes any sense