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.
E‐Beat
Midnight Oil Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It is not green it is not blue
I hope that you understand
The devil was a dancing on the old foreshore
Hitting up on bright lights and the liquor stores
Save me, please save me
Gonna make amends for the things we've said
I do hope that you understand
Dirty washing on the line, footsteps in the sand
Whose gonna lead us on to some promised land
Save me
The devil was a dancing on the old foreshore
Hitting up on bright lights and the liquor stores
Yeah tell me, please save me
The land lives longer if we listen to the earth beat
Lives go forward if we listen to the hearts speak
Seasons won't falter, stars won't fade away
I know
Gonna find myself a place in the country
Wake up and reach out and breathe real air
Do you know how it feels clean tissue no scars
Dirty washing on the line, footsteps in the sand
Whose gonna lead us onto some kind of promised land
Save me
Devil was a dancing on the old foreshore
Hitting up on bright lights and the cut price the liquor stores
I say
The land lives longer if we listen to our hearts speak
Lives go forward if we listen to the earth beat
Seasons won't falter, stars won't fade away
Fade away
They won't fade away
The lyrics to Midnight Oil's song E-Beat are poetic and socially conscious. The song begins with a description of a place that is neither green nor blue, which could symbolize the urban environment that the band has been critical of in other songs. The devil dancing on the old foreshore is a metaphor for the corruption and excess of society, specifically the exploitation of natural resources for profit. The lyrics plead for someone, anyone, to save the singer from this societal decay.
The second verse describes a need to "prick that bubble in the shopping arcade" and make amends for the things that have been said. This could allude to the capitalist consumer culture that is omnipresent in society, where people are encouraged to buy and consume more than they need. The image of dirty washing on the line and footsteps in the sand again highlights the theme of natural versus material, and the need for a leader who will take us to a promised land where we can truly connect with the earth.
The final verse offers hope that we can find a place where true connection with the earth is possible. The lyrics describe finding a place in the country, where one can breathe clean air and feel a sense of freedom. The message is clear: if we listen to our hearts and the earth beat, seasons won't falter and stars won't fade away. It's a powerful message that calls for societal change and for us to reevaluate our relationship with the planet.
Line by Line Meaning
There is a place we're coming to
We're headed somewhere
It is not green it is not blue
The place is not specified by color
I hope that you understand
I hope you comprehend this message
The devil was a dancing on the old foreshore
Evil was prevalent on the coastline
Hitting up on bright lights and the liquor stores
Entertainment and alcohol were easily accessible
Save me, please save me
I need help from this situation
We got to prick that bubble in the shopping arcade
We must expose the falsehood in the consumerist lifestyle
Gonna make amends for the things we've said
We're going to rectify the damage we've caused
Dirty washing on the line, footsteps in the sand
Evidence of life and activity in this place
Whose gonna lead us on to some promised land
Who will guide us to a better future
The land lives longer if we listen to the earth beat
Nature thrives if we respect its rhythms
Lives go forward if we listen to the hearts speak
Our lives improve if we follow our instincts
Seasons won't falter, stars won't fade away
The world will continue on its natural course
Gonna find myself a place in the country
I'm going to escape the city and its problems
Wake up and reach out and breathe real air
I want to experience real life and connect with nature
Do you know how it feels clean tissue no scars
It's refreshing to start anew and forget past pain
I say
My opinion is
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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