Dust
Midnight Oil Lyrics


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It's 2 a.m. in Town Hall Station
Black walls and sleeping drunks
Are bad companions
Ice is there
Fear is there
Everyone is nowhere there's too much of nothing
Take me away
It's 9 a.m. in Town Hall Station
Flashing faces and grey herds no comparison
So sorry
So straight
Everyone is nowhere there's too much of nothing
Take me away





It's 2 a.m.

Overall Meaning

Dust by Midnight Oil captures the unyielding nature of the city life in two contrasting scenes - 2 a.m. and 9 a.m. at the Town Hall Station. In the first stanza, the desolate atmosphere of the night is described with black walls and sleeping drunks. The contrast between the ice and fear further highlights the emptiness and desolation of the surroundings. The phrase 'too much of nothing' leads to a longing to escape from the emptiness. The chorus line 'take me away' echoes the sentiment of escapism from the dreary city life.


In the second stanza, the station is bustling with people at 9 a.m., but the atmosphere is still devoid of life, as if the commuters are just going through the motions. The flashing faces and grey herds are a comparison to the animals going to the slaughterhouse, signifying that people in the city are no different from cattle being herded. The phrase 'so sorry, so straight' can be interpreted as people apologizing for their existence, implying the feelings of confinement and limitation that come with city life.


The song highlights the soulless nature of city life and the human desire for freedom and escape. It portrays how people can become mere automatons in a ruthlessly mechanical environment, devoid of warmth and humanity.


Line by Line Meaning

It's 2 a.m. in Town Hall Station
The singer finds himself in the deserted Town Hall Station in the middle of the night


Black walls and sleeping drunks
The station is devoid of life except for some sleeping drunks and the walls seem dark and eerie


Are bad companions
Being alone in such an environment is unsettling and scary


Ice is there
The coldness of the night adds to his discomfort and the bleakness of the surroundings


Fear is there
The uneasy feeling of fear is ever present in the singer's mind


Everyone is nowhere there's too much of nothing
The station is empty and lifeless, a metaphor for the emptiness and meaninglessness of existence


Take me away
The singer longs to escape this desolate place and his own thoughts and fears


It's 9 a.m. in Town Hall Station
The singer returns to the station in the morning but it's filled with people now


Flashing faces and grey herds no comparison
The people rushing by seem like a blur of faces and are compared to a herd of grey animals, highlighting the alienation and dehumanization in modern society


So sorry
The singer feels a sense of sorrow and regret for the emptiness and despair he feels within himself and sees reflected in the world around him


So straight
The people seem robotic and conformist, living their lives according to societal norms and expectations


Everyone is nowhere there's too much of nothing
Despite the crowds, the singer still feels a sense of emptiness and lack of purpose in everything and everyone around him


Take me away
The singer still longs for an escape from this overwhelming feeling of despair and longing for something more meaningful




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Martin Rotsey, Robert Hirst, James Moginie, Peter Garrett, Andrew James

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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