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.
Dead Heart
Midnight Oil Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't serve your king
Know your custom don't speak your tongue
White man came took everyone
We don't serve your country
Don't serve your king
White man listen to the songs we sing
We carry in our hearts the true country
And that cannot be stolen
We follow in the steps of our ancestry
And that cannot be broken
We don't need protection
Don't need your land
Keep your promise on where we stand
We will listen we'll understand
Mining companies, pastoral companies
Uranium companies
Collected companies
Got more right than people
Got more say than people
Forty thousand years can make a difference
To the state of things
The dead heart lives here
The lyrics of Midnight Oil's "Dead Heart" speak to the displacement of Indigenous Australians by the white colonialists who took over their land. The opening lines state "We don't serve your country, don't serve your king, know your custom don't speak your tongue." This emphasizes the deep cultural divide between the Indigenous Australians and the white colonizers who came and took over their land. The lyrics then go on to say that the white man took everyone, along with everything that was precious to the Indigenous Australians, including their land and their cultural heritage.
The chorus emphasizes the strength of the Indigenous Australians and the importance of the land to them. They carry the true country in their hearts, something that cannot be stolen. They follow the steps of their ancestry, an unbroken line that runs back over countless generations. They don't need protection or land, they just want their rights and their traditions to be understood and respected. They are tired of being pushed aside by mining companies and their say has been diminished by greedy entities who only care about profit.
The song is a powerful statement about the injustice suffered by the Indigenous Australians, who were displaced from their land and had their cultural heritage stripped away from them. The lyrics are a call for understanding and compassion, and for the recognition of the importance of the Indigenous Australians' history and cultural heritage. It is a song that continues to resonate today and is an important reminder of the legacy of colonialism.
Line by Line Meaning
We don't serve your country
We do not pledge our loyalty to your land or government
Don't serve your king
We do not take orders from your monarch or ruler
Know your custom don't speak your tongue
We are aware of your practices but do not follow your language
White man came took everyone
The arrival of white men resulted in the removal of our people
White man listen to the songs we sing
We urge the white man to become aware of our culture and heritage
White man came took everything
Our possessions were taken away when white men arrived
We carry in our hearts the true country
The true essence of our land remains in our hearts despite it being taken away
And that cannot be stolen
No one can take away what we feel for our land
We follow in the steps of our ancestry
We adhere to the customs and traditions passed down from our ancestors
And that cannot be broken
Our connection to our ancestry and heritage is unbreakable
We don't need protection
We do not require the protection offered by the white man
Don't need your land
We do not seek to own the land that belongs to us
Keep your promise on where we stand
We expect the white man to fulfill their promises regarding our land
We will listen we'll understand
We are ready to listen and learn from the white man
Mining companies, pastoral companies
Industries such as mining and pastoralism have taken over our land
Uranium companies
Uranium companies have also seized control of our territory
Collected companies
Other companies have joined in on the exploitation of our land
Got more right than people
These companies have been given more rights than the local people
Got more say than people
These companies have a louder voice than the local people
Forty thousand years can make a difference
Being indigenous to the land for forty thousand years can make a significant change
To the state of things
This lengthy history has had an impact on the current state of affairs
The dead heart lives here
Our land may appear lifeless, but it is teeming with life and spirit
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MarioKilian
I'm leaving this comment here so after a month , a year or 5... when someone likes it, I get reminded of this song ..❤
@andyberridge6455
Reminder, great song.
@scarletweaver171
1st Wave on Sirius played this today, Thanksgiving, and it is so perfect to play on this day.
@antmoore9664
Dude time to listen to it again 😂😂
@vanessapaskins3694
🖤❤️💛
@73kristilee
December 1st 2023 and I'm singing it for my ancestors, and my dad, RIP, who was stolen generation
🖤💛❤️
@Sarah-jy5or
It brings me to tears when I hear this song. The fact the band cares enough to make awareness of the plight of the indigenous people of Australia is beautiful!!!! . They obviously aren't singing these songs just for money or because it looks righteous. These issues obviously matter to them and they want all of us to care. I wish more bands were more caring for our brothers and sisters all around the world like this band does!!!!!
@AffectionateCorgi-fh8dc
Still listening to this video and band in 2024 sounds great as always does
@jaiwoolveridge
We the people of this ancient land still listen and understand. Thank you for raising a generation of people who reject the Eurocentric past and look to future based on an understanding of the 60,000 plus year old history of this place.
@rudismith1975
It will only get better, be patient