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.
Cemetery In My Mind
Midnight Oil Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Looking for salvation in a car headlight
But you can't have what you can't buy
Tomorrow is better than yesterday,
Tomorrow is better than today,
Tomorrow is better than yesterday they say
Cemetery in my mind
This must be my time
Wake work drink sleep retire
Tide comes up way too high
You can fall but can you rise
Cemetery in my mind,
You can fall but can you rise
There's no pulse no sign of life,
Cemetery in my mind.
The song Cemetery In My Mind by Midnight Oil opens with an image of being locked in a mall and searching for salvation in a car headlight. The lyrics suggest a feeling of being trapped, unable to escape the situation and seeking hope in something as small as a car headlight. However, the line "But you can't have what you can't buy" suggests that the singer's search for salvation may be fruitless, as it is impossible to purchase or obtain what they truly need.
The chorus of the song repeats the line "Cemetery in my mind" which can be interpreted as a metaphor for a feeling of being stuck or stagnant, with no signs of growth or progress. The idea of a cemetery represents a place of finality, of the end of life and lack of movement. This feeling is reinforced with the lines "There's no pulse no sign of life" later in the song. The repetition of this line throughout the song emphasizes the theme of being trapped and unable to escape.
The lines "Wake work drink sleep retire" suggest a feeling of monotony and routine, with each day blending into the next. The image of the tide coming up too high can be interpreted as a metaphor for the overwhelming feeling of being swept away by the daily grind. The question "You can fall but can you rise?" suggests a desire for change, or the possibility of breaking away from the cycle.
Overall, Cemetery In My Mind presents a sense of being trapped and stagnant, with a desire for change and escape.
Line by Line Meaning
Locked in the mall in a state of fright
Trapped in a negative state with fear and anxiety.
Looking for salvation in a car headlight
Searching for a way out of the current negative state but there isn't any.
But you can't have what you can't buy
You can't acquire things that are beyond your means or resources.
Tomorrow is better than yesterday,
Tomorrow is better than today,
Tomorrow is better than yesterday they say
Hopeful about the future being better than the present or the past.
Cemetery in my mind
Cemetery in my mind
This must be my time
A realization of being stuck in a negative state of mind that feels like being in a cemetery.
Wake work drink sleep retire
The monotonous routine of life that seems pointless.
Tide comes up way too high
Feeling helpless and being overwhelmed by negative emotions.
You can fall but can you rise
Questioning the ability to overcome the negative emotions and thoughts.
There's no pulse no sign of life,
Cemetery in my mind.
Feeling emotionally and mentally dead with no signs of hope or positivity in sight.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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