Book review: Working Class Boy by Cold Chisel’s Jimmy Barnes

What a life-story writer has to say about Barnesy’s childhood memoir by Harper Collins

Cold Chisel is part of Aussie-rock folklore.

The band is renowned for furious and high-intensity shows that have become anthems for the working class.

When frontman Jimmy Barnes released his award-winning memoir Working Class Boy I first heard it talked about in revered tones by other artists.

They said it was a book that steamrolled over and above their own formative memories and autobiography-writing efforts.

It was a juggernaut of a memoir that blew everyone else’s out of the water.

Barnes had recently toured through our region in Queensland when Working Class Boy by Harper Collins came out in 2016.

Just like that show, I knew his story would be full of power and ferocity.

Jimmy Barnes the boy

Working Class Boy is an 384-page memoir focusing on ‘Barnesy’s‘ childhood and the formation of his infamous band.

It tells the story of growing up in Scotland as one of six children to Dot and Jim Swan.

Things are tough for his parents, who like many around them and generations past, are trapped in a cycle of poverty, desperation, drinking, violence and the will to survive.

From the gritty and freezing suburbs of Glasgow, the Swan family make a break for life in Australia.

They dream desperately of a better life in warm Australia and arrive to stifling heat in the summer of 1962.

After enduring basic conditions in migrant camps, finally the Swans are given a ‘perfect’ home and life in the northern suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia.

But as many have discovered, sometimes you can’t outrun your problems and hardships.

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Life of Barnesy

Working Class Boy is a dark book about violence, alcohol abuse and the poverty cycle.

It is about how all these factors combine to pound young Jimmy, his family and many others – day after day, year after year.

Life becomes like a series of set waves pulling him down and smashing him again and again.

Barnsey knows he has to be the change.

He has to escape to literally survive.

And it is music that is his saviour.

But despite this raw main story there are many interesting and lighter points to the book.

There is the lovable, selfless and quirky character Reg Barnes, from whom Jimmy gets his name.

When Reg moves in with the family after Jimmy’s father’s absence, he becomes like a father to Jimmy and the other children.

Reg is dependable, reliable, loving and gives his all to ensure the children have an upbringing that is cherished and full of possibilities.

Another notable part in the book is Barnesy’s growing fascination with music.

About how he ‘borrows’ records from his brother and friends, breaks into pubs to watch gigs, and falls into singing in part to escape the mean streets and brawls.

Working Class Boy also touches on the surprise birth and relationship he has with his son David Campbell – who is a TV presenter, singer and stage performer.

Barnsey does not go into extensive detail and reserves the right to privacy on this facet of his life.

Working Class Boy

Barnsey is very upfront at the end of Working Class Boy about how many attempts it took for him to write this story.

He said he sat down to write a couple of times, pouring thousands of words onto the page, only for the result to be hollow and in once case stolen.

The rocker clearly says this is a book he had to write for the simple fact it made him process his life and actions – the good and the bad – for the past and the future.

It was only when he had worked through these issues on and off the page that he could write truthfully, with heart and meaning.

Writing became a way for Barnsey to process life.

“The time I have spent writing this book has caused me a lot of pain,” Barnsey said.

“Sometimes because of what I have remembered about my childhood and sometimes because of what I couldn’t remember. 

“It is funny how your mind blocks things out when those things can hurt you. 

“There are a lot of things I wish I didn’t remember…”

Related article – Memory recall: Memory retrieval and remembering childhood memories

Final say

Working Class Boy is a book for anyone interested in pub rock, growing up in Australia in the 1960-1970s or childhood memoirs.

Barnsey goes into great detail about what went on in his early years but more importantly why and how.

To do this he has been exceptionally brave and honest in his writings.

While Barnsey he isn’t proud of many of the things that happened in his childhood he should be exceptionally proud he has written such a raw and true account.

Therefore it is for this reason I found the book so compelling and inspiring.

The fact it was written at all gives us all hope that we can write our own stories too.

I can’t wait to read Barnesy’s next book, Working Class Man, which continues his story.

Happy reading and writing!

Want to make a start on your own life story like Barnesy? Try my FREE training video to map out your key memories and chapter structure. Sign up here.

 

What did you think of Working Class Boy? I’d love to hear about it. Send me an email. 

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This article first appeared on the website Forever Young Autobiographies.com.