Cold Chisel - Farewell to Steve Prestwich

Tribute to Steve Prestwich. RIP

With the passing of Steve Prestwich in January 2011, I wanted to pay a brief revisit to his band, my most favourite Australian Band, Cold Chisel and to the songs they played which stirred the hearts of workers and ordinary citizens of Australia, New Zealand and even Papua New Guinea. Among other songs, Steve Prestwich wrote the song "When the war is over" which is presented in this tribute.

Part of the tribute seeks to evoke the spirit that gave rise to the song writing of Steve Prestwich and also to Don Walker. We will do that by providing links to the subject and issues that they wrote and sang about.

Cold Chisel

Band members

• Jimmy Barnes (lead vocals / guitar)
• Ian Moss (lead guitar / vocals)
• Don Walker (keyboards / backing vocals)
• Steve Prestwich (drums / backing vocals)- deceased
• Phil Small (electric bass)

Wondering about Cold Chisel's talent and the reason this Australian band broke as they did onto the international scene at the time they did, one has to consider their feat in respect to the moment. Cold Chisel appeared during an era which was actually the beginning of the end of hard working, live, stage performing rock bands. Pre-programmed music was already on the rise and disco music was about to pay its short visit onto the international music scene. It is interesting therefore to see Cold Chisel, whom I consider, the last of the great classical rock bands of the era, make its appearance and stamp its mark on the history of Rock and Roll.

It had great material in its composition of versatile band members, two of whom were great hit writing song writers, an incredibly talented lead guitarist, two great and complementary vocalists and a solid bass guitarist who could support any action. Certainly a keyboard virtuoso like Don Walker, who is also a songwriter, gave himself through his own talent, what every writer needs, a very quick play back about musical ideas and concepts. Then, Cold Chisel also had Steve Prestwich, a drummer who could hear music, conceptualised through various musical backgrounds, beats and temporal situations.

Many people talk of the great all around talent of Ian Moss. But at that exact point in the Rock and Roll and Heavy Metal Scene, it was that phenomenal voice of Jimmy Barnes that could cut across all the multiple frequencies of a live Rock and Roll performance and deliver crystal sobriety and passion. And there is no one alive today who will ever be able to touch the vocal notes that Jimmy Barnes owned with his vocal performances.  

When the War is Over

Steve Prestwich is said to have written "When the war is over" in 1981. There is a good description of the song's structure over at Wikipedia which describes how it broke away from traditional song writing culture.

Here is a song, that truly captures a soldier's need to maintain his soul and dignity, in spite of all the destruction that he is made to commit on the face of the earth. This is the most beautiful anthem to a soldiers cry for his own freedom.

A soldiers dream perhaps best summed up in a single line of the whole song: "I got plans for more than a wanted man".

Ian Moss, certainly displayed his own genius when he led this song's performance to the crescendo building moments when the band's usual lead singer Jimmy Barnes starts to break in, and then joins Moss in a wonderful duet ending. One of the greatest songs of all time.

When The War Is Over lyrics: (Presented here in the original structure)

Ain't nobody gonna steal this heart away
Ain't nobody gonna steal this heart away

When the war is over
Got to get away
Pack my bag to no place
In no time no day
You and I we used each other's shoulder
Still so young but somehow so much older
How can I go home and not get
Blown away

You and I had our sights set
On something
Hope this doesn't mean our days are numbered
I got plans for more than a wanted man
All around this chaos and madness
Can't help feeling nothing more than sadness
Only choice to face it the best I can

When the war is over
Got to start again
Try to hold a trace of what it was
Back then
You and I we sent each other stories
Just a page I'm lost in all its glory
How can I go home and not get blown away

Ain't nobody gonna steal this heart away
Ain't nobody gonna steal this heart away
Ain't nobody gonna steal this heart away

Ain't nobody gonna steal this heart away
Ain't nobody gonna steal this heart away
Ain't nobody gonna steal this heart away
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Four Walls

There's a long history of corruption and injustice around the Bathurst Prison and many events that mar its history. We won't go into the history incuding the social protests and police brutality that went on in Australia during the 70s and 80s. But through the lyrics of this song, we can explore some elements that would have fired the writing soul of this, what many consider to be the most successful Australian Rock Band ever. 

Cold Chisel's "Four Walls" may have played a big part in the public demand for the improvement of jail conditions and facilities in Australia.

Four Walls Lyrics: (Song Written by Don Walker)

They're calling time for exercise

Round her Majesty's hotel

The maid'll hose the room out

When I'm gone

I never knew such luxury

Before my verdict fell

Four walls, washbasin, prison bed

Well the Bathurst riots ended

When they clubbed the rebels down

And in every congregation

There was silence

You can hear the Angels singin'

When Christmas comes around

Four walls, washbasin, prison bed

I love to march while some Nazi calls the time

Who'd wanna go home

I can't see

I can't hear

They've burnt out all the feeling

I've never been so crazy

And it's just my second year

Four walls, washbasin, prison bed

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Khe Sanh

Many countries including Papua New Guinea, do not take notice of the post traumatic stress disorder suffered by soldiers returning from war. "Khe Sanh through the portrait of a lost and suffering soldier helped to bring this condition to public attention.

Khe Sanh Lyrics: (Song Written by Don Walker)

I left my heart to the sappers round Khe Sanh

And my soul was sold with my cigarettes to the blackmarket man

I've had the Vietnam cold turkey

From the ocean to the Silver City

And it's only other vets could understand

About the long forgotten dockside guarantees

How there were no V-dayheroes in 1973

How we sailed into Sydney Harbour

Saw an old friend but couldn't kiss her

She was lined, and I was home to the lucky land

And she was like so many more from that time on

Their lives were all so empty, till they found their chosen one

And their legs were often open

But their minds were always closed

And their hearts were held in fast suburban chains

And the legal pads were yellow, hours long, paypacket lean

And the telex writers clattered where the gunships once had been

But the car parks made me jumpy

And I never stopped the dreams

Or the growing need for speed and novacaine

So I worked across the country end to end

Tried to find a place to settle down, where my mixed up life could mend

Held a job on an oil-rig

Flying choppers when I could

But the nightlife nearly drove me round the bend

And I've travelled round the world from year to year

And each one found me aimless, one more year the more for wear

And I've been back to South East Asia

But the answer sure ain't there

But I'm drifting north, to check things out again

You know the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone

Only seven flying hours, and I'll be landing in Hong Kong

There ain't nothing like the kisses

From a jaded Chinese princess

I'm gonna hit some Hong Kong mattress all night long

Well the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone

Yeah the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone

And it's really got me worried

I'm goin' nowhere and I'm in a hurry

And the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone

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I was not sure which song to close this blog post with. So many great songs that remind me of growing up as a teen-age fan of Cold Chisel in PNG.

My Baby, Choir Girl, Rising Sun, Saturday Night, Ita, Working Class Man, Cheap wine, The last wave of summer, Forever Now..?

I'll settle today for "Flame Trees". Happy Listening..!


Flame Trees Lyrics
Song Written by Steve Prestwich and Don Walker

Kids out driving Saturday afternoon just pass me by
I'm just savouring familiar sights
We shared some history, this town and I
And I can't stop that long forgotton feeling of her
Time to book a room and stay tonight.


Number one is to find some friends to say "You're doing wel..."
After all this time you boys look just the same."
Number two is the happy hour at one of two hotels,
And settle in to play "Do you remember so and so?".
Number three is never say her name.


Oh the flame trees will blind the weary driver
And there's nothing else could set fire to this town
There's no change, there's no pace,
Everything within its place
Just makes it harder to believe that she won't be around.


But Oh! Who needs that sentimental bullshit, anyway?
You know it takes more than just a memory to make me cry
And I'm happy just to sit here, at a table with old friends
And see which one of us can tell the biggest lies.


And there's a girl, she's falling in love, near where the pianola stands..
With a young local factory auto-worker, just holding hands
And I'm wondering if he'll go or if he'll stay.


Do you remember, nothing stopped us on the field in our day


Oh the flame trees will blind the weary driver
and there's nothing else could set fire to this town.
There's no change, there's no pace,
Everything within its place
Just makes it harder to believe that she won't be around.


Oh the flame trees will blind the weary driver
and there's nothing else could set fire to this town.
There's no change, there's no pace,
Everything within its place
Just makes it harder to believe that she won't be around.