Midnight Oil are an influential alternative rock band formed in Sydney, Aus… Read Full Bio ↴Midnight Oil are an influential alternative rock band formed in Sydney, Australia in 1976. The band originally formed as "Farm" in 1972. The band is best known for their political activism and environmentalism and their 1987 worldwide hit single "Beds Are Burning". For most of their career, the band consisted of Peter Garrett (vocals), Jim Moginie (guitar, keyboards), Martin Rotsey (guitar), Bones Hillman (bass, vocals) and Rob Hirst (drums).

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.

Concrete
Midnight Oil Lyrics

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In the city the heart still whispers
Flaking metal a silent witness
There's chemical fields and cathode clouds
The milky way is emasculated as exhaust fans
And smart cards shrink wrap the colored air
And send it coughing to eternity
We can see the bright light but we can't reach it
We are not afraid enough to call

Go back wrong way you cannot stay you cannot live here

Concrete you don't free my soul

In the city the sound is biting
Cement fingers they are clutching
The emissary of trash decorates the way
No wild acres you can see, yearning to breathe
Concrete you don't free my soul
Blackened hands and heart of steel,
No wish to consume, embellish, discard and expire

Concrete you don't free my soul

Concrete you don't free my soul

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Midnight Oil's Concrete are a poignant reflection on the urban environment and its impact on the human spirit. The lyrics start by describing the natural environment of the city, with the "heart" still whispering in the midst of "flaking metal". However, this natural environment soon gives way to a more industrialized landscape, with the "chemical fields and cathode clouds" obscuring the stars and the "smart cards" polluting the air. In this environment, the human spirit is left to yearn for something more, to "see the bright light but not reach it". The lyrics depict a society that has been divided from nature and consumed by its own technological progress. Even as the city is depicted as a place of confinement, the lyrics also suggest that there is a metaphorical prison constructed by consumer culture and industry.

The chorus of the song, repeating the words "Concrete you don't free my soul", encapsulates the central message of the track. The singer is trapped within the confines of a world that he doesn't necessarily agree with, and he yearns for something more than the tangible realities of the urban environment. He sees the concrete and the steel as the metaphoric chains that hold him in place, and he's desperate to escape.

Line by Line Meaning

In the city the heart still whispers
Despite the noisy city life, the people's inner voice remains alive

Flaking metal a silent witness
Rusty metals are an evidence of the city's decay and neglect

There's chemical fields and cathode clouds
Pollution is rampant in the air with harmful chemicals and emissions covering the sky

The milky way is emasculated as exhaust fans
The beauty of the night sky is destroyed by the smoke from the factories and the pollution in the air

And smart cards shrink wrap the colored air
Technology plays a significant role in the pollution and the air is not free from its harmful effects

And send it coughing to eternity
The pollution will continue to exist for an infinite amount of time

We can see the bright light but we can't reach it
Despite seeing hope and positivity, the people cannot achieve it or make it a reality

We are not afraid enough to call
The people are not brave enough to ask for change or demand better living conditions

Go back wrong way you cannot stay you cannot live here
Staying in such an environment is not an option as it's unfit for human living

In the city the sound is biting
The noise in the city is unbearable and even painful for the ears

Cement fingers they are clutching
The city is surrounded and taken over by concrete buildings and structures

The emissary of trash decorates the way
The streets are filled with garbage and waste, making it difficult to pass through

No wild acres you can see, yearning to breathe
There are no green spaces or nature left in the city and people feel the need for fresh air

Concrete you don't free my soul
The concrete jungle is suffocating and trapping the spirit of people, making them feel trapped and unhappy

Blackened hands and heart of steel,
The people and the city have become hardened, both physically and emotionally

No wish to consume, embellish, discard and expire
People do not want to participate in a system that encourages overconsumption, waste, and disposability

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: LOUIS MALCOLM, RICKY MYRIE, SEAN PAUL HENRIQUES

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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