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.
Sell My Soul
Midnight Oil Lyrics
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Let's begin, I am ready, let's begin, ay
Sell my soul to him
Shed my skin, I just want to shed my skin
I don't want to sell my soul to him
Mechanize, city bursts and farmers die
They cry
Sleep face down in a goods train heading south in the rain
I sell around
Sell my soul to him
In this world (in this world)
I often think you understand me
In these words (in these words)
I often think you'd recognize me
'Cause I just want to swim with the fish in the sea
And I want faith to heal so that I can be clean
Gonna wait for you
America's great now
But you don't talk back, you hide your face
Crawl in rubble and smile and scorn
At that snail-paced creature, going up and down walls
I, I just want to celebrate
I'm not going to sell my soul to him (to him)
When you look right in
Sell my soul to him, to him
Yeah, well, come on down
Sell (sell) my (my) soul (soul) to him
You gonna sell your soul
Now you're gonna sell you soul to him, yeah (to him)
Sell my soul to him
the eyes of your reflection
In the water that's running deep
Do you see the person that you thought you'd be?
Or the person that you are when you're asleep?
In Midnight Oil's "Sell My Soul", the lyrics express the internal struggle of one's desire for material success and societal normalization while still longing for authenticity and personal meaning. The opening lines, "Let's begin, I am ready, let's begin / Sell my soul to him / Shed my skin, I just want to shed my skin / I don't want to sell my soul to him", suggest a willingness to go along with the expectations of mainstream society and surrender personal identity for financial gain. However, the following lines, "Mechanize, city bursts and farmers die / They cry / Sleep face down in a goods train heading south in the rain", bring attention to the harmful effects of industrialization and capitalism on rural communities and the environment.
The second verse, "In this world I often think you understand me / In these words I often think you'd recognize me / cause I just want to swim with the fish in the sea / And I want faith to heal so that I can be clean", reveals the desire to be understood and to connect with something greater than oneself. The reference to swimming with fish in the sea suggests a desire for freedom and a connection to nature. The desire for faith to heal and cleanse oneself speaks to the human need for spiritual fulfillment and a sense of purpose.
The final verse, "America's great now / If you don't talk back / You hide your face / Crawl in rubble and smile and scorn / At that snail-paced creature / Going up and down walls / Celebrate, I just want to celebrate / I'm not going to sell my soul to him / When you look right in the eyes of your reflection / In the water that's running deep / Do you see the person that you thought you'd be? / Or the person that you are when you're asleep?", comments on the state of American society, suggesting that success is only achievable through conformity and submission to authority. The repetition of "Celebrate" and the refusal to sell one's soul to "him" (presumably representing society or the devil) convey a sense of defiance and a refusal to compromise personal values for societal acceptance. The final lines question the authenticity of one's self-worth and identity, encouraging self-reflection and a search for personal truth.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: James Moginie, Martin Rotsey, Peter Garrett, Peter Gifford, Robert Hirst
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind