That makes more sense than what I came up with. I've never quite understood all of the lyrics.....but thought it was about how we've kind of messed up the environment.
I always thought it was about the Earth in general. That we keep taking, but need to start giving back. Especially with the line 'how can we sleep when our beds are burning", like we are killing the place we live, and destroying ourselves.
@@louisef1861 While he was studying at ANU, Peter Garrett's mother died in a house fire. The imagery is pretty stark. 'As a writer, write what you know about.'
How can they sleep when they should be feeling guilty when they've taken so much without giving something back to the environment and the indigenous aborigines.
Its certainly a common theme of Caucasian settlers moving in and oppressing / obliterating the native inhabitants. I think Native American and Australian Aboriginal cultures have experienced very similar tragedies and time hasnt really found a way to integrate the cultures yet. New Zealand fared much better and their native culture is woven into the modern day, although likely still not enough. But the fact that we were still removing aboriginal children 50 years ago is frightening. Need so much work to be done and its worthwhile because caucasian culture doesnt really have that strong connection to roots. Im first generation Australian from European parents, and I have no idea where we go after that. It all blends into this big whole mass "white" culture. Weve mixed too much. We dont have songs to tell us how things came to life, or why the night sky sparkles, or the meaning of Uluru (Ayers Rock). For the most part anyway. We should be celebrating what we have, not trying to forget it. And I talk too much :) Sorry.
It's apart of a history that white people don't like admitting to, and the way our brothers and sisters in Australia have been treated by white people!!!!! The genocide that happened bot here in America and Australia!!!!! I feel ya all my aborigine brothers and sisters!!!!!!
@@janp1088 The colonization of countries has been a positive thing for our species, Britain would not have become the empire it did if the Romans didn't colonize, they introduce their technology and dragged the standard of living up. Places to this day where Imperialism didn't touched are some of the most poorest countries in the world.
@@nash3timemvp From a purely scientific angle, complete agree. From a humanitarian point of view however, colonization has frequently resulted in decimation or slavery of the losing side and the fact that as a race, we condoned the behaviour up until even this century is rather abhorrent. But you do need to consider we are now speaking from an evolved point of view...for the most part. But the children who make up the stolen generation were still being removed from their parents 60 years ago...the holocaust survivors of Nazi Germany are still alive. Roman conquerors vs modern day atrocities...what have we learnt in 4000 something years.
Definitely not just a one-hit-wonder band! Here in the land of Aus, these guys are treasured as one of the great rock bands. I recommend any of their other bigger songs such as Blue Sky Mine, The Dead Heart, or Short Memory
I'm American and I hold them in very high esteem. They have always been one of my favorite bands. Saw them live several times and they were incredible.
@incogneto they have every right to be proud of bands like Midnight Oil, Men at Work, INXS. I mean these were some top notch bands and people got used to seeing great artists come from England. Australia in no way should be at the bottom of the list with home grown talent like that!
HAHAHAAHA!!! I know! I used to call it "doing the spazz-out" back then but now that I see it with older eyes, it sort of reminds me of that wacky Tube Man but with zero fluidity.
Gasp! The Oils are hardly a "one hit wonder", even here in the US! This was maybe their biggest hit here, but do yourself a favor and spend some time listening to this amazing group! Yes, they are Australian, and one of my fave groups, world wide. Their music is passion and feeling.
Glad to see you're onto them Helen. I was visiting a mate in NYC in '90 or '91 and he was crazy mad on "the Oils" - he even had on video tape their "gig" on the flatbed outside the Exon building. A very 'switched' on band. Your quote "do yourself a favour" had me smiling - Australia's most influential musical commentator from that era used to always say that - about albums or bands - Molly Meldrum is his name. "one hit wonders" indeed!!!
Hey Helen! I’m Australian and just saw Midnight Oil in concert 2 nights ago. They are still absolutely amazing both vocally and instrumentally. They are such an amazing band to see live. Their songs are still very rich in political content and their desire for social justice and equality is incredibly admirable.
Midnight Oil is not a one hit wonder.. they were and still are very are successful in Australia and New Zealand. Probably not very well known in America. All their songs had a message. Peter Garrett is an amazing guy.
More well-known than you might think, really, especially among those of us who grew up in the 80s. :-) It's true that they were relative unknowns up here prior to "Diesel & Dust" -- but that album really broke them loose in this country, because even though the overtly-political messages were written about the treatment of the Australian Aborigines, the themes resonated with us up here because of the parallels between their situation and that of the American Indian (or Amerind) tribes. (And before anyone jumps on me for the outdated terminology, I'm speaking from a historical context here; "Native Americans" hadn't yet found its way into common usage at that particular time.)
Indeed. I totes concur@@ballyastrocade5672. Growing up, we used to get everything "Satetlite Delayed" so that means everything on Mtv (including contests) were 2 weeks old. Thank gawd for Star Hits mag aaaand USA network's Night Flight Videos where so many cool new wave bands that Mtv were dismissive of and towards, were being showcased each Friday and Saturday nights.. As well as indie movies on punk bands like, "Ladies and Gentlemen The Fabulous Stains" and "Smithereens", et.al. Mate, I wouldn't trade my childhood/youthage experiences for any other decades. I (we?) grew in the most perfect time in terms of weird-funky fashion and amazing music. No shame.
@Al Strider I'd disagree. Massive shows in the last 3 years including two shows on The Domain. About to hit the road again with a mini tour despite the loss of Bones to support Makarrata Project. Makes me pissed yo be stuck in the UK
Australian Indigenous land rights, my friend. The 'pay the rent' movement recognised we whitefellas are living on land colonised by brutality, on land that belongs to the First Nations of this land, the 500+ Indigenous nations of this land.
My take has always been that he is speaking about how the colonists and prisoners that came to Australia usurped the aboriginal inhabitants, taking land, destroying language and culture. Much like what happened in USA, the young were forced to leave their culture, made to go to "schools" to reeducate them. I think the "beds are burning" is speaking to the discussion finally being forced out in the open, discussions of reparations are appropriate.. Sounds so much better when they sing it!
Today, around 40% of the continent of Australia is either exclusively owned by or has as an interested party the original inhabitants, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. There has been alot of change in the last 30 years undoing some of the impact of colonisation. Midnight Oil were massive influencers bringing the need for change to the forefront for everyday people in Australia.
Nicely put. Midnight Oil are the voice of a generation not satisfied with the way our aboriginal brothers and sisters have been treated. Shameful and I am so sorry as a white Australian woman
We will draw a veil over Peter Garrett's subsequent political career. I suppose most of us are lucky our youthful ideals are not a matter of public record.
They're from AUSTRALIA!!! They aren't a one hit wonder and this song sheds light of the plight of our indigenous brothers and sistas!!!! It gives me chills!!! Goes off in the pub or a barbie. Tears stream every single time I hear this song.
@@dipsydoodle7988 I suppose, *technically*, if you're going by the US "Hot 100" Billboard chart, then they would be classed as such, since this is the only one that made it to the Top 40 (peaking at #17) on that chart. However, on Billboard's "Mainstream Rock" chart, they had several hits from both the "Diesel & Dust" and "Blue Sky Mining" albums reach the top 40. (They had several albums before that, to be sure, but were relatively unknown in the US until "Diesel & Dust" came out.)
Yeah, they're Aussies. It's about doing the right thing for the original landholders here in Australia (before white man rocked up). A good follow-up to this song would be 'Solid Rock' by Goanna ❤️
"The Dead Heart" also has a catchy beat and more of those exotic music sounds if you like them here. Along with a similar social and environmental message.
Yes, Midnight Oil is not one hit wonder. They've been a very underrated group. The entire "Diesel n Dust" album is brilliant, as is their album "Blue Sky Mining".They are an important and prolific band.
In my opinion one of the best bands ever to come out of Australia. Their lyrics are actually usually just as relevant now as they were when the song came out. Dont just listen to them for the reaction... check out their catalogue yourself: One of the best and most powerful "political" bands ever.
One of the most unique and great bands of all time. When my daughter was about 8 she immediately resonated with the Oils -really stood from all the drivel out there And FOR SURE not a one hit wonder - at least 8-10 fantastic songs from these guys
Political Rock is the best Rock! I've not listened that much to Midnight Oil but I do know a fair share. My all time favourite band/artist from Down Under is Redgum/John Schumann and they're also political.
Ah, that explains so much, lol. My mom used to listen to these guys all of the time when I was younger, never dawned on me that they meant Celsius, lol...
James Morgan I agree, temperatures more around the 48/49 degree mark are common (in the shade of course) and even are at 50 degrees in some places (particularly late last year).
He did, for almost a decade. As Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts then later, as Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth. A decent guy...even as a politician.
@@joyced277 Yeah, he also brought in a roofing insulation policy that cost the lives of 4 installers and burned down over 200 homes before it was stopped.
You were right on Jovaughn - they are from Australia just like Men at Work. If my memory is correct, the song was a call for the Australian government and its people to return lands and provide restitution to native peoples of Australia (called aborigines in the past) who were displaced, dispossessed, and mistreated by white European settlers.
@@carokat1111 no, they’re not. Aboriginal peoples is the correct term. Aboriginal is an adjective, the noun (aborigine) has a pretty negative connotation these days, so it’s not particularly well received anymore.
Dude, not a one-hit wonder at all! MIDNIGHT OIL has so many wonderful, melodic and powerful songs! “Blue Sky Mine” was a hit, and one of my all-time personal favorites! If you thought “Beds Are Burning” was catchy, do yourself a favor and please listen to “Blue Sky Mine”.
JayveeTV “Blue Sky Mine” is just an awesome song that comments on the plight of those working in an asbestos mine in Australia. MIDNIGHT OIL had so much power and melody in their music.
@@JayveeTV "Blue Sky Mine" was a US#1 on the Mainstream Rock chart AND the Modern Rock chart in 1990. They had a load of College Rock and Alternative Dance hits in the US, too. There was a huge audience for this stuff back then but a lot of the stuff was impossible to buy in middle America, even if we watched the video three times a day and it was all over the radio. So, the charts are sometimes a bit misleading. They tell a story, but not the whole story. A lot of bands known as "one-hit wonders" are actually big in other countries, too. And in their native Australia (and adjacent New Zealand), Midnight Oil is HUUUGE.
Peter Garrett, the lead singer, is hugely intelligent. I love, love this band and I’m in my 70s. Best band ever. Great music and meaning. Love from Australia
Peter Garrett became a Politician, they had more than 10 hits, Great Songs, Deep meaningful purposeful music....this song makes an Australian get goosebumps hearing it. I am in Outback Australia right now.
I was caught off balance at first, by the lead singer’s rather strange singing voice, but I heard it, and have grown to quite like it. I am always happy to give it a go.
One thing I always liked about this video, and some of their others, is how they used camera perspective to adjust to Peter Garrett's height. At 6'4", he would tower over the rest of the band
To clarify, Rob Hirst said in an interview: “I wrote the chorus before we went out into the desert and it was actually translated from Italian. I had been to an art exhibition which featured the story of the fascists during the Second World War, Mussolini and the fightback from the partisans. The guy who put the exhibition on explained to me that there was an expression from Italy about the fightback from those partisans, ‘How could you sleep when beds are burning?’ and I thought we could write a song about the same idea of an ancient Australian community who had so much thrown at it but was still joyfully dancing in the desert, singing their songs and pushing back against all the shocking things that had been visited upon them ever since Europeans had arrived in this country."
That's interesting because Manic Street Preachers also used a reference from the Spanish Civil War, "If You Tolerate This, Then Your Children Will Be Next."
Thanks for posting that. I knew exactly what the song was about but I had no idea about the Italian partisans connection, which just adds a whole new layer to an already superb song.
This is what its about. After Midnight Oil toured through the Outback in 1986, playing to remote Aboriginal communities and seeing first hand the seriousness of the issues in health and living standards, Peter Garrett, Jim Moginie and Rob Hirst wrote "Beds Are Burning" to criticize how said populations were often forcibly removed from their lands, highlighted by the pre-chorus lines "it belongs to them, let's give it back". Considering such a local affair inspired a worldwide hit, Garrett commented "Who would have thought an Aboriginal land rights song would travel that far?"[4] There are specific references to certain Australian places and politics, such as Kintore Ranges and the town of Yuendumu, vehicles produced by the Holden company, the "It's Time" slogan and the notion of "fair go.
I bet that would change their opinion on these wankers, hate on anything they can! This song says white man get out! If Garrett believed that he should piss off to Europe
The song is by white Australians about the takeover of the country from the original Aboriginal people. They sang it at the closing ceremony of the 2000 Olympics. It could be adapted to the U.S. in relation to aboriginal Native Americans.
Ohhh okay. I knew I heard this song before but I couldn't place where. Now I remember during that Olympiad when they discussed the Aboriginals and this song was played.
The native Americans arent indigenous to America they crossed from Siberia during the iceage is the theory there is evidence of a people who lived there before Native Americans came along their cliff dwellings can still be seen in parts of North America...Australian aboriginals are indigenous.
@@shadowbanned5164 Native Americans are indigenous by right of permanent sustained occupation over 15,000-20,000 years. You are also referring to the Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellings. They were created by the Anasazi, the prehistoric ancestors of the present Pueblo Indians.
Back in the days of yore, when Countdown was on and Australian music was huge, the Oils where frequently in the US Top 10 (or was it 5?) that Countdown had at the end of the show.
✨I must say as I've gotten older I can appreciate this song more, at the time though it seemed like it was at number 1 forever and on the radio everywhere ✨
I forgot to say that yes they are Australian, good catch with the Men At Work. Your explanation works great for this song. That is the beauty of music that thankfully most artists understand and appreciate, the song meant one thing to the writer, but it can mean so many things depending on who listens, when they listen and what is going on around them when they hear it.
Hells yeah! I love the power and the passion. I love all their songs though. You can't dance to their music in your own style. You gotta "garrett" it all the way!!!
The 80's were probably the last decade of great protest or socially conscious music, where artistes wore their hearts and their causes on their sleeves and gave voice to myriad issues.
Australian. Great era of Aussie rock. Also, check out these bands- 'Hoodoo Gurus' and 'Goanna'. I believe the song is about returning land to the Aborigines.
You need to try some more Aussie Rock The Church Screaming Jets Cold Chisel If you liked the Oils try Goannas - Solid Rock A band that should also be on that list is Hunters and Collectors!!!
THE CHURCH “Under the Milky Way” was the only Top 40 hit in the USA for this amazing Australian band. However, I’ve seen then about 6 times in Minneapolis, and their guitarists are considered by many other artists to be two of the best in the business.
@@TonyPucci11 being in my 50s, in the late 80s I went to many pubs to see alot of these bands perform some are a bit vague from the chemicals and alcohol but I sure I had a good time lol.
Aussie Andy I am sure you did! Steve Kilbey of The Church has been doing a few performances from home lately on You Tube. I’d like to see a reaction to The Go-Betweens as well. I may be American, but I’ve got a Geelong Cats sweater!
By NO means are they a "one hit wonder"... This band was very big and very important in their time! A HUGE concert draw in So Cal for at least a decade!
Absolutely. In the northeast as well. I have seen them live several times and their fans are somewhat rabid. They have quite the catalogue of music as well.
One of the great aussie rock bands ever. Released over 10 albums and most of them are excellent and they progressed and matured in their songwriting as they went and had a message all the way through - well worth checking out their really early stuff - head injuries and place without a postcard when they were more raw, so many awesome aussie rock bands from back in the day dont get the recognition they deserve due to not getting airtime OS at the time
This was one of the first videos on MTV--I think I was 6 years old? But I would get in trouble for turning up the volume on this song and on the Eurythmics Sweet Dreams video. His voice has so much passion behind it, like he's just going to ERUPT in fury over the injustice and inequality. Those harmonies in the chorus ALWAYS make me cry, and I didn't even understand what the song was about as a kid. The music said it all, I guess. Thanks for checking out some of these more obscure/older tracks. It may not attract as many views as the 'classic' albums do, but it keeps you fresh and interesting, which will win you a consistent base audience. You're a natural for this!
Someone told me once that this song was in a movie but also if you don't know it's about the tribal people in Australia I always related it to the Native Americans here also
I remember staying at a small town pub in Australia that had upstairs accommodation and was getting ready for bed...I was part of a demolition work crew and we were all staying in the same room. The boss said, hey anyone want a beer? A new kid that had just started said, sure I’ll have one. Anyway the boss came back upstairs with a big bottle of beer and handed it to him. He drank his own and then turned the lights off leaving the other guy sitting in the dark drinking his beer, he never said a word. I don’t know why but I’ve always found this hilarious.
Great Australian pub band. Please check out Stevie Wright Evie parts 1,2 and 3 live at the Sydney Opera house concert of the decade possibly Australia's greatest rock song ever.
There are at least 4 bars that sound almost exactly like the theme to a 50s detective show called Peter Gunn. The driving baseline reminds me of that, too. I think you'd enjoy listening to the theme to Peter Gunn. There are a few show themes that stand on their own. This is one of them. Also, thinking of show themes with a driving baseline, the theme to Barney Miller, with legendary bassist Carol Kay is really tasty and fun.
Turd Ferguson several times I’ve tried vegemite.. ..I’ve tried marmite.... I don’t care how thin it’s spread on to toast, I just can’t do it. I guess I’m more of a jam girl. Now, whatever is in those Tim Tams... is probably a highly addictive drug... I can’t get enough of ‘em! 😊 .. bite both ends & use it like a straw to suck up milk so it gets nice and soggy. Delicious!! 😋
Hey great so see someone doing a reaction to the Oils but these guys were by no means a one hit wonder they were around for many years and produced a lot of great hits.
When the English came to Australia they declared it Terra Nulius meaning pretty much land of no one. They killed thousands, possibly millions of Aboriginals who had lived as one with the land for thousands of years prior to English colonisation. The White Australia Policy effectively took Aboriginal children away from their families in hopes of breeding out their cultural heritage, this is referred to The Stolen Generation.... Nowadays, while Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders make up about 2% of our population, they also make up to 30% of our prison population. There have also been over 400 Aboriginal deaths in custody since the 90s, with many dying without even being convicted of a crime. Just some info for those who are curious about the issues this song relates to.
Yvette Adshead England has given the world so many great things! Don’t feel ashamed by something that happened 200 years ago, just move forward and let it never happen again.
@@martymclean3763 The forcible removal of Aboriginal children from their families and consequently their cultural heritage occurred between 1910-1970, not 200 years ago.
The song came at a time when a shift towards Aboriginal land rights was gaining traction. This band contributed towards the Australian public’s consciousness of the inequality that existed in Australia.
I met Peter Garrett once, he was shopping for groceries in Bowral, I said “hello” and he said “g’day”, it was great! At the time he was our Minister for the Environment. Midnight Oil are a great Australian band, activists for our indigenous and environment. *Bowral is a small country town in the Southern Highlands of NSW
Yep man, they're one of Australia's BEST bands ever. The message here is about our First Nation ppl. The fact the land, Australia, was stolen from them, hence we have to 'pay the rent' and 'give it back' ;)
Check out also "Power and the passion" "U.S. Forces" and "Short Memory". All brilliant tunes which you'll love since you love this one. It's Australian (like Men at Work) and it's all about how we treat the aborigines here. It's well past time to pay the rent on this country we stole and treat them like equals.
"The time has come to say fair's fair. Time has come to pay the rent and pay our share." - The time for Australia to recognize the dispossession of our Indigenous people's land which is sacred to them.
@@flamingfrancis Yep, when Garret joined the Labor Party, became Environmental Minister and burnt a few houses down and caused a few deaths. Yep, he should rename the song, Rooves are burning
![ILLSLICK X YOUNGOHM - We're The same [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/yUJNkobYR0E/mqdefault.jpg)
It is about indigenous land rights in Australia. Time to "give it back".
That makes more sense than what I came up with. I've never quite understood all of the lyrics.....but thought it was about how we've kind of messed up the environment.
I always thought it was about the Earth in general. That we keep taking, but need to start giving back. Especially with the line 'how can we sleep when our beds are burning", like we are killing the place we live, and destroying ourselves.
@@louisef1861 While he was studying at ANU, Peter Garrett's mother died in a house fire.
The imagery is pretty stark.
'As a writer, write what you know about.'
'Earth is turning' and 'beds are burning' refers to the mining companies that kill the native land.
How can they sleep when they should be feeling guilty when they've taken so much without giving something back to the environment and the indigenous aborigines.
The time has come...this song is close to my Native American heart as well
Its certainly a common theme of Caucasian settlers moving in and oppressing / obliterating the native inhabitants. I think Native American and Australian Aboriginal cultures have experienced very similar tragedies and time hasnt really found a way to integrate the cultures yet. New Zealand fared much better and their native culture is woven into the modern day, although likely still not enough. But the fact that we were still removing aboriginal children 50 years ago is frightening. Need so much work to be done and its worthwhile because caucasian culture doesnt really have that strong connection to roots. Im first generation Australian from European parents, and I have no idea where we go after that. It all blends into this big whole mass "white" culture. Weve mixed too much. We dont have songs to tell us how things came to life, or why the night sky sparkles, or the meaning of Uluru (Ayers Rock). For the most part anyway. We should be celebrating what we have, not trying to forget it. And I talk too much :) Sorry.
@@janp1088 Hello. You might talk too much, but what you say is accurate. It's like a history lesson.
It's apart of a history that white people don't like admitting to, and the way our brothers and sisters in Australia have been treated by white people!!!!! The genocide that happened bot here in America and Australia!!!!! I feel ya all my aborigine brothers and sisters!!!!!!
@@janp1088 The colonization of countries has been a positive thing for our species, Britain would not have become the empire it did if the Romans didn't colonize, they introduce their technology and dragged the standard of living up. Places to this day where Imperialism didn't touched are some of the most poorest countries in the world.
@@nash3timemvp From a purely scientific angle, complete agree. From a humanitarian point of view however, colonization has frequently resulted in decimation or slavery of the losing side and the fact that as a race, we condoned the behaviour up until even this century is rather abhorrent. But you do need to consider we are now speaking from an evolved point of view...for the most part. But the children who make up the stolen generation were still being removed from their parents 60 years ago...the holocaust survivors of Nazi Germany are still alive. Roman conquerors vs modern day atrocities...what have we learnt in 4000 something years.
Definitely not just a one-hit-wonder band! Here in the land of Aus, these guys are treasured as one of the great rock bands. I recommend any of their other bigger songs such as Blue Sky Mine, The Dead Heart, or Short Memory
Blue Sky Mine is may absolute favourite song by the Oils.
US Forces, Power and the Passion, Short Memory, When the Generals Talk and my face The Dead Heart.
I'm American and I hold them in very high esteem. They have always been one of my favorite bands. Saw them live several times and they were incredible.
@incogneto they have every right to be proud of bands like Midnight Oil, Men at Work, INXS. I mean these were some top notch bands and people got used to seeing great artists come from England. Australia in no way should be at the bottom of the list with home grown talent like that!
The Dead Heart is excellent!
Who's here just to see his reaction to Peter Garrett's dancing.....😂
HAHAHAAHA!!!
I know!
I used to call it "doing the spazz-out" back then but now that I see it with older eyes, it sort of reminds me of that wacky Tube Man but with zero fluidity.
He had his own style, that's for sure! 🕺
hahahaha
Who's Gunna Shave Me? Ooops wrong song 😂🇦🇺
J's not the type to react to someone's dancing style in such a serious song..
Gasp! The Oils are hardly a "one hit wonder", even here in the US! This was maybe their biggest hit here, but do yourself a favor and spend some time listening to this amazing group! Yes, they are Australian, and one of my fave groups, world wide. Their music is passion and feeling.
Glad to see you're onto them Helen. I was visiting a mate in NYC in '90 or '91 and he was crazy mad on "the Oils" - he even had on video tape their "gig" on the flatbed outside the Exon building. A very 'switched' on band. Your quote "do yourself a favour" had me smiling - Australia's most influential musical commentator from that era used to always say that - about albums or bands - Molly Meldrum is his name. "one hit wonders" indeed!!!
One hit wonder!! Facepalm!!! OMG! Do some research!!
My favorite group ever
Hey Helen! I’m Australian and just saw Midnight Oil in concert 2 nights ago. They are still absolutely amazing both vocally and instrumentally. They are such an amazing band to see live. Their songs are still very rich in political content and their desire for social justice and equality is incredibly admirable.
@@jessicaclynes6418 So lucky, you! I had read they were getting back together, would love to see them live! (and Electric Mary, and Icehouse...)
One of the best live bands ever on the planet! Peter Garrett's dancing, he gives 100%!
All my drunk friends dance like this wen this song is on
Midnight Oil is not a one hit wonder.. they were and still are very are successful in Australia and New Zealand. Probably not very well known in America. All their songs had a message. Peter Garrett is an amazing guy.
More well-known than you might think, really, especially among those of us who grew up in the 80s. :-) It's true that they were relative unknowns up here prior to "Diesel & Dust" -- but that album really broke them loose in this country, because even though the overtly-political messages were written about the treatment of the Australian Aborigines, the themes resonated with us up here because of the parallels between their situation and that of the American Indian (or Amerind) tribes. (And before anyone jumps on me for the outdated terminology, I'm speaking from a historical context here; "Native Americans" hadn't yet found its way into common usage at that particular time.)
Similar to Latin Quarter in the social commentary aspect..
VERY well-known in the US.
Indeed.
I totes concur@@ballyastrocade5672.
Growing up, we used to get everything "Satetlite Delayed" so that means everything on Mtv (including contests) were 2 weeks old.
Thank gawd for Star Hits mag aaaand USA network's Night Flight Videos where so many cool new wave bands that Mtv were dismissive of and towards, were being showcased each Friday and Saturday nights..
As well as indie movies on punk bands like, "Ladies and Gentlemen The Fabulous Stains" and "Smithereens", et.al.
Mate, I wouldn't trade my childhood/youthage experiences for any other decades.
I (we?) grew in the most perfect time in terms of weird-funky fashion and amazing music.
No shame.
@Al Strider I'd disagree. Massive shows in the last 3 years including two shows on The Domain. About to hit the road again with a mini tour despite the loss of Bones to support Makarrata Project. Makes me pissed yo be stuck in the UK
Australian Indigenous land rights, my friend. The 'pay the rent' movement recognised we whitefellas are living on land colonised by brutality, on land that belongs to the First Nations of this land, the 500+ Indigenous nations of this land.
My take has always been that he is speaking about how the colonists and prisoners that came to Australia usurped the aboriginal inhabitants, taking land, destroying language and culture. Much like what happened in USA, the young were forced to leave their culture, made to go to "schools" to reeducate them. I think the "beds are burning" is speaking to the discussion finally being forced out in the open, discussions of reparations are appropriate.. Sounds so much better when they sing it!
Yeah, the beds are burning because......how can we sleep with a guilty conscience?
Yes~ Anyone else seen an indie movie called "Rabbit Proof Fence " from abt 10 yrs ago? It's a story about this very history~
Today, around 40% of the continent of Australia is either exclusively owned by or has as an interested party the original inhabitants, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. There has been alot of change in the last 30 years undoing some of the impact of colonisation. Midnight Oil were massive influencers bringing the need for change to the forefront for everyday people in Australia.
Nicely put. Midnight Oil are the voice of a generation not satisfied with the way our aboriginal brothers and sisters have been treated. Shameful and I am so sorry as a white Australian woman
We will draw a veil over Peter Garrett's subsequent political career.
I suppose most of us are lucky our youthful ideals are not a matter of public record.
They're from AUSTRALIA!!! They aren't a one hit wonder and this song sheds light of the plight of our indigenous brothers and sistas!!!! It gives me chills!!! Goes off in the pub or a barbie. Tears stream every single time I hear this song.
Who on earth said they were a one hit wonder?? No no no no no.
Who said it? No one ever.
@@louisef1861 well he has it on one hit wonder Wednesday, so someone must have!
@@dipsydoodle7988 I suppose, *technically*, if you're going by the US "Hot 100" Billboard chart, then they would be classed as such, since this is the only one that made it to the Top 40 (peaking at #17) on that chart. However, on Billboard's "Mainstream Rock" chart, they had several hits from both the "Diesel & Dust" and "Blue Sky Mining" albums reach the top 40. (They had several albums before that, to be sure, but were relatively unknown in the US until "Diesel & Dust" came out.)
@@ballyastrocade5672 "technically" I get it. In every other way, they do not fit the category!
People think incorrectly of other bands too that they're one hit wonders.zAnd you're right Louise Flintoff, someone had to have said it.
Yeah, they're Aussies.
It's about doing the right thing for the original landholders here in Australia (before white man rocked up). A good follow-up to this song would be 'Solid Rock' by Goanna ❤️
Aussies rock. A fact's a fact.
Love Goanna , spirit of place has got to be one of the greatest albums of all time , every song is a banger
The whole album "Diesel and Dust" is a good listen. "Bullroarer" is another good song.
I was gonna say, they're no one hit wonder band.
'Forgotten Years' is another and, as Stuart said, the whole Diesel n Dust album.
Yes, brilliant album!
"The Dead Heart" also has a catchy beat and more of those exotic music sounds if you like them here. Along with a similar social and environmental message.
Yes, Midnight Oil is not one hit wonder. They've been a very underrated group. The entire "Diesel n Dust" album is brilliant, as is their album "Blue Sky Mining".They are an important and prolific band.
The entire album is a proper masterpiece!
One of my favourite bands ever❤️🧡 I love King of the mountain, stay blessed and safe. ✌️ Sydney Australia 👋
One of the greatest Aussie singles of all time. But Midnight Oil still managed to top this one with "Blue Sky Mine".
Yep my fav of there's
One of the greatest singles of all time.
Dead Heart is prob my fave.
'Stars of Warburton' is one of my favourites..
I think beds are burning is their best song.
In my opinion one of the best bands ever to come out of Australia. Their lyrics are actually usually just as relevant now as they were when the song came out. Dont just listen to them for the reaction... check out their catalogue yourself: One of the best and most powerful "political" bands ever.
One of the most unique and great bands of all time. When my daughter was about 8 she immediately resonated with the Oils -really stood from all the drivel out there
And FOR SURE not a one hit wonder - at least 8-10 fantastic songs from these guys
Political Rock is the best Rock! I've not listened that much to Midnight Oil but I do know a fair share. My all time favourite band/artist from Down Under is Redgum/John Schumann and they're also political.
Steaming 45 degrees = 113 degrees Fahrenheit
gets bloody hot in some parts of Australia, but 45 is a cool summers breeze in the western desert of Australia...lol
Ah, that explains so much, lol. My mom used to listen to these guys all of the time when I was younger, never dawned on me that they meant Celsius, lol...
When will the Americans move over to the metric system?
@@raider5921 NEVAH !!!! ..... Haha!
James Morgan I agree, temperatures more around the 48/49 degree mark are common (in the shade of course) and even are at 50 degrees in some places (particularly late last year).
As an Aussie this song gives me tingles every time.
🖤💛❤️
Aussies! Didn't the man singing become a politician?
It's about the mistreatment of the Aboriginals.
Yup... Federal minister for the environment.
He did, for almost a decade. As Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts then later, as Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth. A decent guy...even as a politician.
Yeah, he was a much better singer than a politician though.
@@pdenn1s I've read a few comments on their TH-cam video about him being a real sellout. Dinne really derogatory comments.
@@joyced277 Yeah, he also brought in a roofing insulation policy that cost the lives of 4 installers and burned down over 200 homes before it was stopped.
You r very clever with working out the meanings of songs ... And knowing it had a men at Work sound... U r awesome!
You were right on Jovaughn - they are from Australia just like Men at Work. If my memory is correct, the song was a call for the Australian government and its people to return lands and provide restitution to native peoples of Australia (called aborigines in the past) who were displaced, dispossessed, and mistreated by white European settlers.
still called Aborigines!
@@carokat1111 no, they’re not. Aboriginal peoples is the correct term. Aboriginal is an adjective, the noun (aborigine) has a pretty negative connotation these days, so it’s not particularly well received anymore.
@@katherinemorelle7115 I used to live & work in an INDIGENOUS community.
Who wants JV to react to Yothu Yindi? 💖
100% i do
Yes Yothu Yindi
Yeeeeeeesssssss!!!
Absolutely
The blind guy from that band is amazing in his solo stuff
Thank you my friend. Saw them in LA in 1986 and they put on a great show! Singer is an activist and politician in Australia.
Note also that the 45° mentioned is Celsius, so 113° Fahrenheit. The temperature of the Outback of Australia.
I always liked this song, Forgotten Years is excellent too.
Agree. Great song.
Loved it
And king of the mountain
I can’t decide which one I prefer
Love the aunty in the green jumper 💖 - filmed in the outback and Redfern
Dude, not a one-hit wonder at all! MIDNIGHT OIL has so many wonderful, melodic and powerful songs! “Blue Sky Mine” was a hit, and one of my all-time personal favorites! If you thought “Beds Are Burning” was catchy, do yourself a favor and please listen to “Blue Sky Mine”.
One hit in the us
JayveeTV You know, by “hit” I mean I played “Blue Sky Mine” a lot as a college radio DJ back in the late 80s/early 90s!
Yacht Rock okay I see what you’re saying
JayveeTV “Blue Sky Mine” is just an awesome song that comments on the plight of those working in an asbestos mine in Australia. MIDNIGHT OIL had so much power and melody in their music.
@@JayveeTV "Blue Sky Mine" was a US#1 on the Mainstream Rock chart AND the Modern Rock chart in 1990. They had a load of College Rock and Alternative Dance hits in the US, too. There was a huge audience for this stuff back then but a lot of the stuff was impossible to buy in middle America, even if we watched the video three times a day and it was all over the radio. So, the charts are sometimes a bit misleading. They tell a story, but not the whole story. A lot of bands known as "one-hit wonders" are actually big in other countries, too. And in their native Australia (and adjacent New Zealand), Midnight Oil is HUUUGE.
Peter Garrett, the lead singer, is hugely intelligent. I love, love this band and I’m in my 70s. Best band ever. Great music and meaning. Love from Australia
It's about taking/ ripping the land from the Aborigines and giving it back and also to take care of the land
Peter Garrett became a Politician, they had more than 10 hits, Great Songs, Deep meaningful purposeful music....this song makes an Australian get goosebumps hearing it.
I am in Outback Australia right now.
I was caught off balance at first, by the lead singer’s rather strange singing voice, but I heard it, and have grown to quite like it. I am always happy to give it a go.
Dale Baker Good on you, mate! 👍👍🇦🇺
His dancing is rather strange too
Mate, still to this day some of the Biggest Oils fans are "Off Balance" with Pete's voice!!
'When the Generals Talk' written in the 70s about globalism. Way ahead of their time. Excellent band.
One thing I always liked about this video, and some of their others, is how they used camera perspective to adjust to Peter Garrett's height. At 6'4", he would tower over the rest of the band
It was quite a thing to see him on stage with them.
To clarify, Rob Hirst said in an interview: “I wrote the chorus before we went out into the desert and it was actually translated from Italian. I had been to an art exhibition which featured the story of the fascists during the Second World War, Mussolini and the fightback from the partisans. The guy who put the exhibition on explained to me that there was an expression from Italy about the fightback from those partisans, ‘How could you sleep when beds are burning?’ and I thought we could write a song about the same idea of an ancient Australian community who had so much thrown at it but was still joyfully dancing in the desert, singing their songs and pushing back against all the shocking things that had been visited upon them ever since Europeans had arrived in this country."
That's interesting because Manic Street Preachers also used a reference from the Spanish Civil War, "If You Tolerate This, Then Your Children Will Be Next."
Thanks for posting that. I knew exactly what the song was about but I had no idea about the Italian partisans connection, which just adds a whole new layer to an already superb song.
This is what its about.
After Midnight Oil toured through the Outback in 1986, playing to remote Aboriginal communities and seeing first hand the seriousness of the issues in health and living standards, Peter Garrett, Jim Moginie and Rob Hirst wrote "Beds Are Burning" to criticize how said populations were often forcibly removed from their lands, highlighted by the pre-chorus lines "it belongs to them, let's give it back". Considering such a local affair inspired a worldwide hit, Garrett commented "Who would have thought an Aboriginal land rights song would travel that far?"[4] There are specific references to certain Australian places and politics, such as Kintore Ranges and the town of Yuendumu, vehicles produced by the Holden company, the "It's Time" slogan and the notion of "fair go.
Very well said, and explains why it still gives me goosebumps to hear, to this day. One of my all time favorites.
I learned about this group a few years back and they have some great songs with amazing messages. Love this song!
Have you heard of Cold Chisel with Jimmy Barnes or John Farnham
I'd like to see an american's reaction to their song 'US Forces'
I bet that would change their opinion on these wankers, hate on anything they can! This song says white man get out! If Garrett believed that he should piss off to Europe
@@radaraacf hater gotta hate !!
Bwahahhaha.
Yes US Forces one of their greatest. 💙
@@radaraacf lemme guess...Trump supporter? Your a toss, it belongs to them we gotta give it back, FACTS.
The song is by white Australians about the takeover of the country from the original Aboriginal people. They sang it at the closing ceremony of the 2000 Olympics.
It could be adapted to the U.S. in relation to aboriginal Native Americans.
Ohhh okay. I knew I heard this song before but I couldn't place where. Now I remember during that Olympiad when they discussed the Aboriginals and this song was played.
And they really caused a stir with their "Sorry" shirts.
The native Americans arent indigenous to America they crossed from Siberia during the iceage is the theory there is evidence of a people who lived there before Native Americans came along their cliff dwellings can still be seen in parts of North America...Australian aboriginals are indigenous.
Aboriginal Native Americans? I believe you mean Americans
@@shadowbanned5164 Native Americans are indigenous by right of permanent sustained occupation over 15,000-20,000 years. You are also referring to the Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellings. They were created by the Anasazi, the prehistoric ancestors of the present Pueblo Indians.
Underrated band (in America) this is one of the top 5 Australian bands with AC/DC and INXS. Check out more of their stuff this whole album is 🔥
Back in the days of yore, when Countdown was on and Australian music was huge, the Oils where frequently in the US Top 10 (or was it 5?) that Countdown had at the end of the show.
✨I must say as I've gotten older I can appreciate this song more, at the time though it seemed like it was at number 1 forever and on the radio everywhere ✨
They had so many unforgettable songs. Amazing band. Their music never stops being relevant.
I forgot to say that yes they are Australian, good catch with the Men At Work. Your explanation works great for this song. That is the beauty of music that thankfully most artists understand and appreciate, the song meant one thing to the writer, but it can mean so many things depending on who listens, when they listen and what is going on around them when they hear it.
Some song suggestions - "The Power and the passion" by Midnight oil.
"Original Sin" by INXS.
Damn straight.Im a kiwi,but seen em both live. 2 of the best concerts I saw. Pete doin US FORCES blew my mind. Go Oz!
Hells yeah! I love the power and the passion. I love all their songs though. You can't dance to their music in your own style. You gotta "garrett" it all the way!!!
They are a rock band from Australia!
@@gregvoneinem5671 and AccaDacca of course.
Let's not forget Wolfmother.
@@beriandavies2111 Think they were NZ ,but Jet were Aussies
The 80's were probably the last decade of great protest or socially conscious music, where artistes wore their hearts and their causes on their sleeves and gave voice to myriad issues.
Yes! So true.
You just arent listening to the right artists. ✊
Australian. Great era of Aussie rock. Also, check out these bands- 'Hoodoo Gurus' and 'Goanna'. I believe the song is about returning land to the Aborigines.
🥰They always have song’s 🇦🇺with a messages in them.🤗Lead singer became a 🇦🇺Politician when the band split up.🇦🇺💗💕🇦🇺💗💕🇦🇺💗💕🇦🇺💗💕🇦🇺💗💕🇦🇺💗💕🇦🇺💗💕
You need to try some more Aussie Rock
The Church
Screaming Jets
Cold Chisel
If you liked the Oils try Goannas - Solid Rock
A band that should also be on that list is Hunters and Collectors!!!
The Church - same band that did The Unguarded Moment?
@@kimberlynewsom9876 great first choice of their hits
THE CHURCH “Under the Milky Way” was the only Top 40 hit in the USA for this amazing Australian band. However, I’ve seen then about 6 times in Minneapolis, and their guitarists are considered by many other artists to be two of the best in the business.
@@TonyPucci11 being in my 50s, in the late 80s I went to many pubs to see alot of these bands perform
some are a bit vague from the chemicals and alcohol but I sure I had a good time lol.
Aussie Andy I am sure you did! Steve Kilbey of The Church has been doing a few performances from home lately on You Tube. I’d like to see a reaction to The Go-Betweens as well. I may be American, but I’ve got a Geelong Cats sweater!
p.s. Ya gotta do "U.S. Forces" by the "Oils" as we call them.
By NO means are they a "one hit wonder"... This band was very big and very important in their time! A HUGE concert draw in So Cal for at least a decade!
Absolutely. In the northeast as well. I have seen them live several times and their fans are somewhat rabid. They have quite the catalogue of music as well.
Welcome to Australia. 😎 Midnight Oil are legends here.
This American knows better as I have a couple of their albums and no this is not a One Hit band.
One of the great aussie rock bands ever. Released over 10 albums and most of them are excellent and they progressed and matured in their songwriting as they went and had a message all the way through - well worth checking out their really early stuff - head injuries and place without a postcard when they were more raw, so many awesome aussie rock bands from back in the day dont get the recognition they deserve due to not getting airtime OS at the time
While you’re in the 80s rock scene, check out The Cult, “She Sells Sanctuary.” Great Rock/Dance Hit!
Love Removal Machine is a great one too. I 💖 The Cult!!
The Cult...Fire Woman
Yes, yes, yes! I'd be happy with any of those. Wild-hearted Son is another good one
This was one of the first videos on MTV--I think I was 6 years old? But I would get in trouble for turning up the volume on this song and on the Eurythmics Sweet Dreams video. His voice has so much passion behind it, like he's just going to ERUPT in fury over the injustice and inequality. Those harmonies in the chorus ALWAYS make me cry, and I didn't even understand what the song was about as a kid. The music said it all, I guess.
Thanks for checking out some of these more obscure/older tracks. It may not attract as many views as the 'classic' albums do, but it keeps you fresh and interesting, which will win you a consistent base audience. You're a natural for this!
Thank you for playing this song...
As a 58 year old Aussie was lucky enough to see them in concert a few times back in 80’s along with many other great classic Australian bands
I heard this guy held office in Australia......not sure.
Heidi that's who. Yep he did
Yes...and he was a disaster
@@urgonnaluvit can’t even spell disaster lol. Think we’ll take your political opinions with a grain of salt
@@maximillianford9301 Haha and your grammar leaves a lot to be desired.😂😂😂
@@maximillianford9301 People in glass house's 😂😂😂
I am an Aussie girl and I love this song, and he was the biggest voice at that time for our Indigenous Australians.
Thanks for picking this song
Please react to Crowded House ‘Don’t Dream Its Over’ ‘Better Be Home Soon’ or ‘Fall At Your Feet’🙏🏼
Hole in the River is good too... Actually the whole album is good...
He did long ago.
@@philipocallaghan he actually reacted a week later, which was so cool.
@@tinkler4 A favourite song of mine too, it felt much longer than a few weeks ago. This lockdown is making time feel like forever.
@@philipocallaghan I know right? I too thought I posted the request long ago. Yep I totally understand the lockdown lol
Saw them live in 84 Adelaide at Memorial Drive, they were soooo awesome! I love how unique Peter Garrett is, his voice and how he dances are amazing!
💜💜💜 give it back, in Australia and America, and everywhere!
Thanks for shining a light on Aussie music. The Oils are a great band.
Someone told me once that this song was in a movie but also if you don't know it's about the tribal people in Australia I always related it to the Native Americans here also
Love this song!!!
I love their song "Forgotten Years".
I Llloooovvvee Midnight Oil!!!! So many great songs!!!! ❤️from the Caribbean!
Have this on my 80s playlist. For some reason, when I was a kid, his voice freaked me out LOL
I remember staying at a small town pub in Australia that had upstairs accommodation and was getting ready for bed...I was part of a demolition work crew and we were all staying in the same room. The boss said, hey anyone want a beer? A new kid that had just started said, sure I’ll have one. Anyway the boss came back upstairs with a big bottle of beer and handed it to him. He drank his own and then turned the lights off leaving the other guy sitting in the dark drinking his beer, he never said a word. I don’t know why but I’ve always found this hilarious.
Great Australian pub band. Please check out Stevie Wright Evie parts 1,2 and 3 live at the Sydney Opera house concert of the decade possibly Australia's greatest rock song ever.
So good
There are at least 4 bars that sound almost exactly like the theme to a 50s detective show called Peter Gunn. The driving baseline reminds me of that, too. I think you'd enjoy listening to the theme to Peter Gunn. There are a few show themes that stand on their own. This is one of them. Also, thinking of show themes with a driving baseline, the theme to Barney Miller, with legendary bassist Carol Kay is really tasty and fun.
Their album: Earth and Sun and Moon has some great songs with terrific riffs
Saw these guys when I lived in Dallas. They and the Smashing Pumpkins opened for Neil Young. Great concert!.
Not a “one hit wonder”
They are pioneers in Australian music!!!!
Legends!!!
I love his voice. The message and song are great too. Awesome reaction!! I've always loved this song.
Thanks, JV. Ausrock!!! Doesn’t get much better. Btw, Us Aussies are still waiting for you to give your verdict on Vegemite.... 😂😂😂
😝
Sassymess mess If you’re doing a YUCK face you need to learn how to eat it properly. Google Hugh Jackman Jimmy Fallon Vegemite. That’ll help.
Vegemite- no thanks.
Tim Tams- yes please! 😋
Danelle B. Check out what I said to Sassymess mess above, and read same. 👆👆👆
Turd Ferguson several times I’ve tried vegemite.. ..I’ve tried marmite.... I don’t care how thin it’s spread on to toast, I just can’t do it. I guess I’m more of a jam girl. Now, whatever is in those Tim Tams... is probably a highly addictive drug... I can’t get enough of ‘em! 😊 .. bite both ends & use it like a straw to suck up milk so it gets nice and soggy. Delicious!! 😋
Hey great so see someone doing a reaction to the Oils but these guys were by no means a one hit wonder they were around for many years and produced a lot of great hits.
Actually that brass instrument was a trombone.
Most of their songs were hits. One of my fav bands. Lucky enough to see them live in the 90's. Brilliant Aussie band.
Powerful song about Vietnam war “I was only 19” raw and so soul wrenching
Mum amd dad and danny saw the passing out parade at pukapunya, it was a long march from cadets.
Yup. You nailed it. This song makes me want to scream and dance and rage. It is timeless!
When the English came to Australia they declared it Terra Nulius meaning pretty much land of no one. They killed thousands, possibly millions of Aboriginals who had lived as one with the land for thousands of years prior to English colonisation. The White Australia Policy effectively took Aboriginal children away from their families in hopes of breeding out their cultural heritage, this is referred to The Stolen Generation.... Nowadays, while Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders make up about 2% of our population, they also make up to 30% of our prison population. There have also been over 400 Aboriginal deaths in custody since the 90s, with many dying without even being convicted of a crime.
Just some info for those who are curious about the issues this song relates to.
Thanks for the info, it makes me ashamed to be English, my country has a lot to be ashamed of on the world stage, taking and not giving etc
Yvette Adshead England has given the world so many great things!
Don’t feel ashamed by something that happened 200 years ago, just move forward and let it never happen again.
@@martymclean3763 The forcible removal of Aboriginal children from their families and consequently their cultural heritage occurred between 1910-1970, not 200 years ago.
😭
Heck yeah another of my favorite songs. Thanks enjoy. Lets rock.
The song came at a time when a shift towards Aboriginal land rights was gaining traction. This band contributed towards the Australian public’s consciousness of the inequality that existed in Australia.
Midnight Oil. Fabulous band. Great to hear it again.
As good as this song is, and it is iconic, I like their tune 'the Dead Heart' just as much!
Yes I love that one too.
I met Peter Garrett once, he was shopping for groceries in Bowral, I said “hello” and he said “g’day”, it was great! At the time he was our Minister for the Environment. Midnight Oil are a great Australian band, activists for our indigenous and environment.
*Bowral is a small country town in the Southern Highlands of NSW
Yep man, they're one of Australia's BEST bands ever. The message here is about our First Nation ppl. The fact the land, Australia, was stolen from them, hence we have to 'pay the rent' and 'give it back' ;)
That was awesome watching you totally nail what that song's saying, and its groove :) And the Men at Work link, yep, Australian too
Australia, song is about the aboriginal people and the injustices/crimes with taking land rights away from the indigenous owners.
Driving through France in 2015 (remember when we could travel) listening to a French radio station and this song came on! Fantastic.
Check out also "Power and the passion" "U.S. Forces" and "Short Memory". All brilliant tunes which you'll love since you love this one.
It's Australian (like Men at Work) and it's all about how we treat the aborigines here. It's well past time to pay the rent on this country we stole and treat them like equals.
I remember dancing to that song in clubs!!! Such fun!
Paying the rent. Giving back to those who’s land we stole.
So glad you reviewed this. I used to love this song but I'd forgotten about it. Great song.
"The time has come to say fair's fair. Time has come to pay the rent and pay our share." - The time for Australia to recognize the dispossession of our Indigenous people's land which is sacred to them.
One hit wonders? Midnight Oil are Aussie ROCK ROYALTY!
Midnight Oil isn't a "one Hit wonder band" They are still touring now.
Fellow Frank....They are touring AGAIN....they did not tour for several years.
@@flamingfrancis Yep, when Garret joined the Labor Party, became Environmental Minister and burnt a few houses down and caused a few deaths. Yep, he should rename the song, Rooves are burning
I think it’s the trombone that makes the instrumental really distinctive
You have to check out aussie Legend Jimmy Barnes singing “Working class man”
Grew up listening to this song. Absolutely loved it as a kid, still do.