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.
Sleep
Midnight Oil Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The evening wore out your shoes
To a shuffling beat
It's a colorful crowd
Spraycan information
Cover the lonely station
Checkpoint for the state of the nation
On the missionbeat beat
The radio drug
Wayward destinations
Secondhand sensation
In the back of the cell
The plug and the cord
Shoulder dislocation
Bruised in isolation
In the eye of the storm
Writing on walls
Cross my heart confusion
Looking for a new solution
It's the heat of the land
Swallowing sweat
Say those dreams can shake me
Dawn come down and save me
Take this heart
Break this heart
Wrap it up and let me sleep
The lyrics to "Sleep" by Midnight Oil depict a surreal and somewhat dystopian world that seems to be on the brink of collapse. The first stanza describes a worn-out evening where the singer finds themselves feeling blue, and a "colorful crowd" is shuffling to a beat. The next stanza speaks about graffiti being a lonely outpost and a "checkpoint for the state of the nation," implying that the world is in turmoil. The radio is also mentioned as a drug, and people are on a wayward mission to secondhand destinations.
The third stanza is the most disturbing, describing someone in the back of a cell with a bruised shoulder and dislocation, presumably from torture. The following lines switch to the singer observing the chaos from the eye of the storm, with confusion in their heart and a need for a new solution. The fourth and final stanza speaks about the intense heat of the land and how dreams can shake and scare us. The singer asks for their heart to be broken and wrapped up, allowing them to sleep and escape the nightmare.
Overall, the lyrics to "Sleep" are intense and describe a world that is seemingly falling apart. The imagery created is vivid and unsettling, with hints of hopelessness and a need for change.
Line by Line Meaning
So you've got the blues
You are feeling sad or down
The evening wore out your shoes
You have been walking around for a long time
To a shuffling beat
The music you are hearing has a steady, slow rhythm
It's a colorful crowd
There are many different types of people gathered here
Spraycan information
Graffiti on the walls
Cover the lonely station
The train station is empty and abandoned
Checkpoint for the state of the nation
This location is an indicator of the state of the entire country
On the missionbeat beat
The police are patrolling the area
The radio drug
The music on the radio is very addictive
Wayward destinations
People are going to places they shouldn't be going to
Secondhand sensation
The feeling you get when you are doing something you have heard about and not experienced yourself
In the back of the cell
The artist is locked up in a cell
The plug and the cord
The singer has been restrained using an electrical cord
Shoulder dislocation
The singer has been physically harmed and their shoulder is out of place
Bruised in isolation
The singer has been hurt while they were alone
In the eye of the storm
During a difficult situation
Writing on walls
Graffiti on the walls with messages of hope and rebellion
Cross my heart confusion
I am feeling confused and uncertain
Looking for a new solution
Searching for a fresh way to deal with a problem
It's the heat of the land
The weather is very hot and oppressive
Swallowing sweat
The humidity is so high that sweat is always present
Say those dreams can shake me
My dreams or goals can help me overcome these struggles
Dawn come down and save me
I am hoping for a better tomorrow
Take this heart
I am giving away my love and emotions
Break this heart
My heart has already been broken by difficult experiences
Wrap it up and let me sleep
I want to forget my troubles and rest peacefully
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MARTIN ROTSEY, PETER GIFFORD, ROBERT HIRST, JAMES MOGINIE, PETER GARRETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind