The band split in 2002 to allow Garrett to focus on his political career. He became a member of the Australian House of Representatives and the was the Australian Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts from 2007-2010. From 2010, he was the Australian Minister for Education. Garrett did not stand for re-election in 2013. The band has reunited since then for two benefit concerts: the 2005 WaveAid concert for Indian Ocean Tsunami victims and in March 2009 the band reformed for two shows in Canberra as a warm up for "Sound Relief" in Melbourne, a benefit concert for the Victorian Bushfire victims.
The Oils, as they are known to their fans, began as a progressive rock band called Farm in the early 1970s, then under the Midnight Oil name developed a reputation as an impressive and hard-working live act associated with the surfing community of Sydney. They became one of Australia's most respected bands, known for their live performances, and also for their activism and support for community groups and causes.
Midnight Oil's first two albums Midnight Oil and Head Injuries were originally released on an independent label, followed by the EP Bird Noises in 1980. Their third album, Place without a Postcard, was recorded in Great Britain with the respected producer Glyn Johns (Led Zeppelin, The Who) on the back of a brief tour of the UK.
Their fourth album, 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (spoken as "10 to 1"), marked both the Oil's major Australian breakthrough and the beginning of their successful association with producer Nick Launay. This album also saw considerable success in the college radio scene of the US, prompting a tour of North America.
Following on from 10-1, the Oils with Nick Launay recorded the fifth album Red Sails in the Sunset during a three month stint in Tokyo in 1984, becoming the first known western band to record an entire album in Japan. Red Sails was reasonably successful in Australia, featuring songs like Best of Both Worlds and Kosciuszko, but the album's quirky, experimental sound failed to make major inroads overseas. Also during 1984, frontman Peter Garrett was narrowly defeated in an election for the New South Wales, representing the Nuclear Disarmament Party (NDP).
In 1985, following the release of the EP Species Deceases the Oils embarked on a career-changing tour of remote Aboriginal communities of outback Australia with legendary Aboriginal group, the Warumpi Band. The tour led to the recording of Midnight Oil's major international breakthrough success Diesel and Dust, released in 1987 which featured their biggest international hit Beds Are Burning. The following album Blue Sky Mining, released in 1990 had two songs that topped the US Modern Rock charts, Blue Sky Mine and Forgotten Years. Both Diesel and Dust and Blue Sky Mining were produced with Warne Livesey.
Between 1988 and 1992, the band's Diesel and Dust and Blue Sky Mining discs became known worldwide, as did their political activism for causes ranging from nuclear disarmament to aboriginal rights and environmental issues. Their subsequent albums sold less well outside Australia, but the Oils maintained a following throughout the 1990s and into the new century.
The Midnight Oil lineup remained quite stable over the band's long career: Garrett as lead singer and harmonica, Jim Moginie on guitar and keyboards, Martin Rotsey on guitar, and Rob Hirst on drums. Andrew (Bear) James, the first bass player, left in 1980 due to ill health. Peter Gifford replaced him and in turn quit the band in 1987 citing the pressures of touring. New Zealander Bones Hillman, (ex Swingers) replaced him, and remained with the group until its dissolution in 2002. Gary Morris was the band's manager and effective sixth member (often credited with the simple title "Business, no singing" on albums) throughout.
In 2004 Peter Garrett was elected to Federal Parliament as the Labor member for Kingsford-Smith in Sydney. In November 2007 he became Minister for Arts in the Australian government as a member of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's front bench. He retired from Parliament in 2013. Jim Moginie continues his involvement with music through his own band, The Family Dog and as a producer for artists such as Sarah Blasko. Rob Hirst is also involved with several musical projects such as Hirst and Greene, Ghostwriters, The Angry Tradesmen and The Backsliders. Moginie, Hirst and Martin Rotsey continue to play and record together in instrumental band The Break.
The band reformed in 2016, launched a world tour in 2017 and released the live album Armistice Day: Live at the Domain, Sydney with an accompanying film. 2020 saw the release of the mini-album called The Makarrata Project. Bass guitarist Bones Hillman died on 7 November 2020 of cancer. On 18 May 2021, the band announced their upcoming thirteenth album, Show of Hands, the last recordings to feature Hillman. The first single, released on 28 October, was Rising Seas.
Brave Faces
Midnight Oil Lyrics
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I've seen faces in the street
They walk and talk of nothing
I've known many restless summers
The sand dunes I imagine
A place without a postcard
Flower people were so beautiful
But straight and loud's the way
The talk of politicians
The sentences of cynics
Are the sentences of childhood
They're all talking shit to me
Out-talked by the mass media
to pay the bills it lies
And the lies we eat for breakfast
Brave faces face the boardroom
the oak stained walls fall silent
They leave lined with defeat
And they got those tears in their eyes
Well it makes no sense to me
Why don't they understand
We're so ordinary too
I saw the exits closing now
Pain and passion's my point of view
Well there's nothing like the truth
I've seen men that have been marked out
Ruled out by grim assassins
They fell hard on instant replay
And I'm never going there Well the place I see so much better
'cause it makes no sense to me
I saw the exits closing now
Burning mountains, burning paper
Burning all around and later
(Moginie/Garrett)
The lyrics of Midnight Oil's "Brave Faces" talk about the singer's observations of the people around him, their behaviour, and the prevailing culture. He mentions that he has seen faces in the window and the street, but they don’t seem to be talking about anything important. He also talks about the flower power movement, which was a cultural phenomenon in the 1960s that espoused values of peace, love, and freedom. However, he believes that straightness and loudness are the way to succeed, and politicians and cynics dominate the discourse. He sees the media as manipulative, and we consume lies as our breakfast.
The chorus of the song talks about brave faces facing the boardroom, where people go to earn a living. They face oak-stained walls and leave lined with defeat. The singer sees tears in their eyes, and it doesn't make sense to him why they don't understand that we are all ordinary people. He saw the exits closing, which could mean that people have limited options to escape their situations. The singer's point of view is guided by pain and passion, and he values truth above all else. He has seen men marked out and ruled out by grim assassins, which could mean that people have lost their lives or have been forced to leave their jobs due to unfair circumstances.
Line by Line Meaning
I've seen faces in the window
I have observed faces in the buildings' windows.
I've seen faces in the street
I have observed faces on the street.
They walk and talk of nothing
They have nothing of interest to say and do.
I've known many restless summers
I have experienced many seasons of unrest in society.
The sand dunes I imagine
I envision sand dunes that I have never experienced.
A place without a postcard
A location that nobody cares about or is interested in.
Flower people were so beautiful
The idealistic youth of the past were ideal in their beauty.
But straight and loud's the way
The present society is politically correct and vocal about it.
Good luck the beatnik spirit
Best of luck to the free-thinking intellectuals who reject social norms.
The talk of politicians
The thoughts of the policymakers.
The sentences of cynics
The harsh remarks of the naysayers and skeptics.
Are the sentences of childhood
The words we use as adults are devoid of meaning or significance.
They're all talking shit to me
Their opinions are irrelevant and are of no consequence to me.
Out-talked by the mass media
The media has a louder voice than the individual.
to pay the bills it lies
People tell lies to make a living.
And the lies we eat for breakfast
People consume falsehoods from the media as soon as they wake up in the morning.
Brave faces face the boardroom
Bold executives enter the boardroom.
the oak stained walls fall silent
The room falls silent due to the power and importance of the executives.
They leave lined with defeat
They walk out of the boardroom with a sense of loss or failure.
And they got those tears in their eyes
They are moved to tears due to the stress and frustration of the situation.
Well it makes no sense to me
I am confused by their response.
Why don't they understand
I do not comprehend their perspective.
We're so ordinary too
Everyone is mundane, including myself.
I saw the exits closing now
I witnessed the opportunities being closed for the masses.
Pain and passion's my point of view
My viewpoint is characterized by both hurt and ardor.
Well there's nothing like the truth
The only thing that matters is the truth.
I've seen men that have been marked out
I have witnessed men who are separate and unique.
Ruled out by grim assassins
Those men were excluded by ill-minded people.
They fell hard on instant replay
Their downfall was watched multiple times on replay.
And I'm never going there
I want to avoid that same destiny.
Well the place I see so much better
What I witness is significantly better than what I saw before.
'cause it makes no sense to me
It's incomprehensible to me.
Burning mountains, burning paper
Natural and man-made structures are being destroyed by fire.
Burning all around and later
There is widespread destruction and it's not slowing down soon.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMES MOGINIE, MARTIN ROTSEY, PETER GARRETT, PETER GIFFORD, ROBERT HIRST
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind