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.
River Runs Red
Midnight Oil Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You've taken what's good from the ground
But you've left precious little for me
You remember the flood and the fall, we remember the light on the hill
There should be enough for us all, but the dollar is driving us still
River runs red, black rain falls, dust in my hand
River runs red, black rain falls, on my bleeding land
So we came and we conquered and found
Riches of commons and kings
Who strangled and wrestled the ground
But they never put back anything
Now I'm trapped like a dog in a cage
Wherever the truth is pursued
It must be the curse of the age
What's taken is never renewed
(Hirst/Moginie)
The lyrics of "River Runs Red" by Midnight Oil express a sentiment of environmental devastation and exploitation. The opening lines paint a picture of destruction, with tall trees cut down, the sky and sea poisoned, and the ground drained of its goodness, leaving little for the singer. The following lines contrast the present with the memory of a time when there was enough for everyone, but the pursuit of the dollar has driven us to prioritise profits over the environment. The chorus's repetition of "river runs red, black rain falls" serves as a stark reminder of the disastrous consequences of human greed and exploitation. The third verse questions the way in which we have conquered the land, exploiting its resources without giving anything back, resulting in an inability to renew what has been taken. The final line "Wherever the truth is pursued" highlights the fact that seeking to make things right and uncover the truth about environmental damage can be challenging in a world dominated by profit-driven agendas.
Overall the song's lyrics highlight the serious environmental issues caused by human activities, particularly the exploitation of natural resources with little regard for the impact on the planet. The song is an appeal for a more sustainable and equitable approach to resource use and the preservation of nature.
Line by Line Meaning
So you cut all the tall trees down, you poisoned the sky and the sea
You destroyed the environment by cutting down trees and polluting the air and sea.
You've taken what's good from the ground
You've extracted all the valuable resources from the land.
But you've left precious little for me
You have left almost nothing for me to inherit or benefit from.
You remember the flood and the fall, we remember the light on the hill
You recall the environmental disasters, while we remember the beauty and abundance of the past.
There should be enough for us all, but the dollar is driving us still
There should be enough resources for everyone, but greed and money are still driving our actions.
River runs red, black rain falls, dust in my hand
The river is polluted and there is acid rain, but only dust remains in my hand due to the loss of crops and other resources.
River runs red, black rain falls, on my bleeding land
The river is contaminated, and the soil is bleeding due to the damage caused by human activities.
So we came and we conquered and found riches of commons and kings
We arrived and dominated, discovering the wealth of both the common people and royalty.
Who strangled and wrestled the ground, but they never put back anything
Those who exploited the land didn't do anything to replenish or conserve it.
Now I'm trapped like a dog in a cage, wherever the truth is pursued
I'm confined like an animal, wherever I try to seek the truth about what's happening and how to fix it.
It must be the curse of the age, what's taken is never renewed
It's a curse of this era, where we take and consume resources, but we never replenish them.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMES MOGINIE, MARTIN ROTSEY, PETER GARRETT, ROBERT HIRST, WAYNE STEVENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Douglas Blaack
So you cut all the tall trees down, you poisoned the sky and the sea
You've taken what's good from the ground
But you've left precious little for me
You remember the flood and the fall, we remember the light on the hill
There should be enough for us all, but the dollar is driving us still
River runs red, black rain falls, dust in my hand
River runs red, black rain falls, on my bleeding land
Steve Andreu
💖midnight oil to this day.. all time favorite
Jorge NO-REMIX
I have the vinyl of this album and sounds beautiful. This band is among my all - time top ten, though we know it is hard to make a comparison between different bands. I love their music.
Marcos Leal
The best intro to a song I've ever heard!
Saibot04
No just no it really is bad
Scott Mayger
Archie roach made me think of this one
Andrew Mitchell
Try Dancing The Night Away by The Motors.
Jefferson Almarinez
Tied with Alan Parsons project sirius/eye in the sky
Jennifer Badinger
The best intro to a song I've ever heard!
tres bon
Schöne Grüße an all die anderen Schüler, die dieses Lied als Hausaufgabe anhören müssen!
Jü Mo
Witzig! War eine meiner ersten CDs und jetzt(!!!) verstehe ich erst den Text....echt gut!