Editing Cold Chisel (section)

==Musical style and lyrical themes==
McFarlane described Cold Chisel's early career in his ''[[Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop]]'' (1999): "after ten years on the road, [they] called it a day. Not that the band split up for want of success; by that stage [they] had built up a reputation previously uncharted in Australian rock history. By virtue of the profound effect the band's music had on the many thousands of fans who witnessed its awesome power, Cold Chisel remains one of Australia's best-loved groups. As one of the best live bands of its day, [they] fused a combination of rockabilly, hard rock and rough-house soul'n'blues that was defiantly Australian in outlook."<ref name="McFarlane"/> ''[[The Canberra Times]]''{{'}} Luis Feliu, in July 1978, observed, "This is not just another Australian rock band, no mediocrity here, and their honest, hard-working approach looks like paying off."<ref name="Feliu"/> He further wrote, "the range of styles tackled and done convincingly, from hard rock to blues, boogie, rhythm and blues, is where the appeal lies."<ref name="Feliu"/>

Influences from blues and early rock n' roll was broadly apparent, fostered by the love of those styles by Moss, Barnes and Walker. Small and Prestwich contributed strong pop sensibilities. This allowed volatile rock songs like "You Got Nothing I Want" and "Merry-Go-Round" to stand beside thoughtful ballads like "Choirgirl", pop-flavoured love songs like "My Baby" and caustic political statements like "Star Hotel", an attack on the late-1970s government of [[Malcolm Fraser]], inspired by the [[Star Hotel riot]] in [[Newcastle, Australia|Newcastle]].

The songs were not overtly political but rather observations of everyday life within Australian society and culture, in which the members with their various backgrounds (Moss was from [[Alice Springs, Australia|Alice Springs]], Walker grew up in rural New South Wales, Barnes and Prestwich were working-class immigrants from the UK) were quite well able to provide.{{Citation needed|date=October 2019}}

Cold Chisel's songs were about distinctly Australian experiences, a factor often cited as a major reason for the band's lack of international appeal. "Saturday Night" and "Breakfast at Sweethearts" were observations of the urban experience of Sydney's [[Kings Cross, New South Wales|Kings Cross]] district where Walker lived for many years. "Misfits", which featured on the B-side to "My Baby", was about homeless kids in the suburbs surrounding Sydney. Songs like "Shipping Steel" and "Standing on The Outside" were working-class anthems and many others featured characters trapped in mundane, everyday existences, yearning for the good times of the past ("Flame Trees") or for something better from life ("Bow River").