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.

The Things I Love in You
Cold Chisel Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Sittin' on the corner drinkin' my beer
Told all the others Happy New Year
Told everybody some things
I knew
I knew
Doesn't really matter anymore
Never really mattered anyway
Only I do wonder how you'd feel

If it were you
In my shoes

Could you change, I wonder
If you knew
All the things I love in you

If I had a dollar for every time
I hung out on the corner doin' time
While you showed another through all
All the things i love

Could you change I wonder

If you new
All the things I love in you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Cold Chisel's song "The Things I Love in You" revolve around a man who is sitting on a corner, drinking beer, and contemplating about his relationship. He has told his friends about some things he knew, but ultimately he feels that it doesn't matter anymore. He wonders how his partner would feel if they were in his shoes. He then goes on to lament the fact that he has spent too much time waiting for his partner to change. He questions if his partner would change if they knew about all the things he loved about them.

The song explores the struggles of a relationship and the emotions that come with it. The lyrics suggest that the singer is tired of waiting for change and is questioning if his partner truly understands the reasons why he loves them. The tone of the song is melancholic and reflects the singer's frustration and confusion.

Overall, the message of the song seems to be that love should not require someone to change who they are, but rather to be accepted for who they are. It is a poignant reminder that love is complex and that relationships require work and understanding from both partners.

Line by Line Meaning

Sittin' on the corner drinkin' my beer
I am sitting on the corner and drinking my beer.

Told all the others Happy New Year
I greeted all other people present there a Happy New Year.

Told everybody some things I knew
I shared the knowledge I had with everyone present there.

I knew
I had knowledge about something.

Doesn't really matter anymore
Nothing really matters anymore.

Never really mattered anyway
It never really mattered in any case.

Only I do wonder how you'd feel
I am wondering how you would feel.

If it were you
If you were in my place.

In my shoes
In my place.

Could you change, I wonder
I wonder if you could change.

If you knew
If you have the knowledge of something.