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.
Dust
Midnight Oil Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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.
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