Released 1986 (AUS)
1988 (UK, U.S.)
Genre Rock
Label Columbia
Producer(s) Midnight Oil
The Dead Heart
Midnight Oil Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't serve your king
Know your custom, don't speak your tongue
White man came, took everyone
We don't serve your country
Don't serve your king
White man listen to the songs we sing
We carry in our hearts the true country
And that cannot be stolen
We follow in the steps of our ancestry
And that cannot be broken
We don't serve your country
Don't serve your king
Know your custom, don't speak your tongue
White man came, took everyone
We don't need protection
Don't need your hand
Keep your promise on where we stand
We will listen we'll understand
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
We carry in our hearts the true country
And that cannot be stolen
We follow in the steps of our ancestry
And that cannot be broken
We carry in our hearts the true country
And that cannot be stolen
We follow in the steps of our ancestry
And that cannot be broken
Broken
Mining companies, pastoral companies
Uranium companies of, companies of
Collected companies
Got more right than people, yeah
Got more say than people, yeah
More say than the people, oh yeah
More say than people, yeah
More say than people, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Forty thousand years that makes a difference to the state of things
The dead heart
The dead heart
The dead heart, oh, lives here
The dead heart
The dead heart, I said
The dead heart lives
It lives here
The Dead Heart by Midnight Oil is a political protest song that expresses the Australian aboriginals' struggles against the British occupation and their forced assimilation into British culture. The lyrics describe how the British colonizers have taken their land and replaced it with their own, forcing them to abandon their religious beliefs, language, and traditions. The song speaks to the Australian aboriginals' resistance against this forced assimilation and their determination to preserve their heritage and way of life.
The opening lyrics, "We don't serve your country, don't serve your king, know your custom, don't speak your tongue, white man came took everyone," are a reference to the fact that the British colonizers forcibly took over Australia, removed the native people from their land, and attempted to impose their language and culture on them. The repeated chorus, "We carry in our hearts the true country, and that cannot be stolen, we follow in the steps of our ancestry, and that cannot be broken," speaks to the aboriginals' connection with their land and their determination to preserve their cultural heritage.
The song's lyrics also touch on the issue of modern corporations that exploit the land and the people who live on it for profit. The verse, "mining companies, pastoral companies, uranium companies of companies, of collected companies got more right than people, yeah," highlights the fact that corporations often have more power and say over the land than the people who actually live on it.
Overall, The Dead Heart is a powerful statement of resistance against colonialism and capitalism, and a celebration of aboriginal culture and heritage.
Line by Line Meaning
We don't serve your country
We don't owe allegiance to your rulers or government
Don't serve your king
We don't recognize your monarchy
Know your custom, don't speak your tongue
We follow our own traditions and may not speak the same language as you
White man came took everyone
Colonizers came and took away our land and our people
White man listen to the songs we sing
You should listen to the music and lyrics we create
White man came took everything
You took away everything that we had, including our culture and way of life
We carry in our hearts the true country
We have an innate connection to our land and way of life that cannot be taken away from us
And that cannot be stolen
Our connection to our true country cannot be stolen or erased
We follow in the steps of our ancestry
We carry on the traditions and practices of our ancestors
And that cannot be broken
Our heritage and cultural practices cannot be destroyed or erased
We don't need protection
We don't need you to protect us
Don't need your hand
We don't need your assistance or guidance
Keep your promise on where we stand
You should honor any agreements we have made about our land and way of life
We will listen we'll understand
We are willing to listen and learn from each other, but on equal terms
Mining companies, pastoral companies
Corporations that exploit land and resources
Uranium companies of companies of
Entities that are involved in uranium mining
Collected companies
Global corporations that collect resources from all over the world
Got more right than people, yeah
These companies have more rights than the people who live on the land they exploit
Got more say than people, yeah
These companies have more of a voice than the people who live on the land they exploit
More say than the people, oh yeah
These companies have more influence than the people they are affecting
Forty thousand years, that makes a difference to the state of things
We have been living in our country for tens of thousands of years and that makes a difference to how we view and understand things
The dead heart, the dead heart, the dead heart lives here
Our land may look barren and lifeless to outsiders, but it is rich with history, culture, and life that cannot be taken away from us
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: James Moginie, Martin Rotsey, Peter Garrett, Peter Gifford, Robert Hirst
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MarioKilian
I'm leaving this comment here so after a month , a year or 5... when someone likes it, I get reminded of this song ..❤
@andyberridge6455
Reminder, great song.
@scarletweaver171
1st Wave on Sirius played this today, Thanksgiving, and it is so perfect to play on this day.
@antmoore9664
Dude time to listen to it again 😂😂
@vanessapaskins3694
🖤❤️💛
@73kristilee
December 1st 2023 and I'm singing it for my ancestors, and my dad, RIP, who was stolen generation
🖤💛❤️
@Sarah-jy5or
It brings me to tears when I hear this song. The fact the band cares enough to make awareness of the plight of the indigenous people of Australia is beautiful!!!! . They obviously aren't singing these songs just for money or because it looks righteous. These issues obviously matter to them and they want all of us to care. I wish more bands were more caring for our brothers and sisters all around the world like this band does!!!!!
@AffectionateCorgi-fh8dc
Still listening to this video and band in 2024 sounds great as always does
@jaiwoolveridge
We the people of this ancient land still listen and understand. Thank you for raising a generation of people who reject the Eurocentric past and look to future based on an understanding of the 60,000 plus year old history of this place.
@rudismith1975
It will only get better, be patient