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Midnight Oil — The Dead Heart
Album: Diesel and Dust
Avg rating:
7.4

Your rating:
Total ratings: 4447









Released: 1987
Length: 5:07
Plays (last 30 days): 2
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 serve your country
Don't serve your king
White man listen to the songs we sing
White man came took everything

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

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

Mining companies, pastoral companies
Uranium companies
Collected companies
Got more right than people
Got more say than people
Forty thousand years can make a difference to the state
of things
The dead heart lives here
Comments (335)add comment
a little too racist for my taste. 
I remember hearing this a lot on FEN, the Armed Forces Radio Network, in Japan, the summer of '88, and turning it up! I was teaching English in Shizuoka, the first of what would be 20 years over there, and Midnight Oil was a very big part of the soundtrack!
Such a great song from an outstanding album and band. I've seen the Oils many times. They were a fantastic live act. I'm glad RP is keeping their music alive.
Saw these guys many years ago in Connecticut on their Blue Sky Mining Tour.  To this day, it was the best sounding concert I've ever been to.  They had a full horn section and sounded better than a CD!
I'm from Sydney and saw the Oils a zillion times in their fromative years. This song is their high water mark and basically defines Australia.
Just here to say that there was a fairly successful cover here in Canada a few years back and I had NO idea it was a cover, it just sounded and felt so timely and on the mark.

Clearly Midnight Oil were well ahead of the curve. 
A cracking Aussie outback song with deep meaning, still 2nd to Beds Are Burning for me
 wgsu_1978 wrote:

Me too. And I still have no idea what Warburton is.


Warburton is a company that sells diced wallpaper as sliced bread.
This thread hurts my head... this and that... nothing to do with music...
I don't feel guilty and I am as white as they come. My great grandparents came over the from the old country in Europe. as they would call it.  Should we as  ancestors sue them, because they were prejudice against Romanian Gypsies? Nope. All of my ancestors were persecuted, but yet they strived to survive and blamed no one.  Worked hard and moved past the past.  
No, I do not feel guilty bout anything. 
Forty thousand years can make a difference to the state
of things! 
 GTT wrote:

This is an interesting question. I recall the words of Heraclitus--character is destiny-- and I think that where each of is in life is the result of some combination of our own right and wrong actions, the right and wrong actions of others toward us, and a heavy dose of the grace of God.  Not to minimize the evils of colonialism, but if the victims that Midnight Oil are singing about are like other human beings--and I am certain they are--they were busy harming one another long before the white man ever got there. Also, I know people who got more than they deserved precisely because they belonged to a group that is "underprivileged" and I know people who got less than they deserved precisely because they belonged to a group that is "privileged." It's complicated. For me, the bottom line is: if we teach people that their problems are primarily caused by other people, we teach them that they are powerless to make their own lives better. So I suggest we teach people to focus on what they themselves can do bring about better results for themselves.

Thus, it's all about personal responsiblity ... there is nothing structural or social in society.
Very convenient for the ruling class ... individuals are solely responsible for their outcomes.

How's it working out in the Land of the Free where, say, 40% of people couldn't meet an unexpected expense of $1000 and illness leads to bankruptcy?
Living in the best of all possible worlds.

You've been sold a pup

LMAO

 MattRudely wrote:


There's no evidence it would be any different if the boot was on the other foot, though. So it's people. Not even men. People. We're twats.

Speak for yourself, thus you are a ....
Good tune!
 tonyinnj wrote:
a buncha quotes


A decent person will try to make amends if s/he is able, even if they are not guilty of the crime.
 fredriley wrote:


No. Collective guilt fails bigtime, as it's a) wrong (practically and morally), and b) it lets the real guilty folk off the hook. In the words of Hannah Arendt, historian of the Nazi period and the Holocaust, who famously wrote about the trials of Nazi war criminals, "where all are guilty, none are".

Only feel guilty for what you personally have done, or omitted to do. For the crimes of the past, feel angry and determined to not let them be repeated.
Arendt also famously said, when describing Eichman's defense that he
was only following orders, (and proudly describing his efficiency in his
book keeping) that it exemplified "the banality of evil".
Tony in NJ
W.A.S.T.E.


Excellent!!
saw them at the Brisbane entertainment centre on this tour great gig. But racism hasn't decreased in the intervening yrs sad to say and as I'm getting older the more I fear for all of my son's generation. But I've still got this album and I think this Arvo it deserves a nice loud play along with a couple of glasses of bourbon.
 fredriley wrote:
In the UK, it's a brand of bread :o)

That's the official claim. I'm unconvinced, but then, the British understanding of "bread" can be a bit strange.

 wgsu_1978 wrote:

Me too. And I still have no idea what Warburton is.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

It's a township, in the centre of  Ngaanyatjarra Aboriginal community, out in the middle of Western Australia. Their lands are about the size of the UK. A truly spectacular place to see the stars, due to its extreme remoteness - roughly 1500km/930mi from Perth, and 1000km/620mi from Alice Springs or Kalgoorlie.
 Ag3nt0rang3 wrote:
mwstennis wrote:
What do you base this on exactly? If you look at the hard numbers, this is simply not true. Without lawyers there would be no rule of law. Without the rule of law, the big guys could easily take advantage of the little guys. Lawyers provide the ultimate guard against tyrannical majoritarian rule. Just because a few sleezy personal injury attorneys advertise on TV doesn't mean they represent the profession.
Thanks. Though not a lawyer yet, I do work at a law office, and from my personal observations (I know, anecdotal evidence...) most lawyers are in it for "the Good", you just never hear about them, because the work they do isn't very exciting, most of the time. When their work is exciting, it's usually because, like the lawyers of Pakistan a few months ago, they're getting their asses kicked defending the Rule of Law, usually by a dictator. It's no accident that "Let's Kill All the Lawyers" is a line for Henry VIII, in Shakespeare's play of the same name...when a democracy falls hard, the lawyers are generally the first to go. Often kicking and screaming.
 
I live in DC and I have to say that by and large this is not true.  There is a reason this is the most alcoholic profession. They think that they are above it.  I build software for the legal profession. I keep them at arms length. Good money, despicable  human beings.
Lyrics alone are at a ten. Music a ten. Simple addition takes us to a 20. I love math.
more Oils! hard hitting melodies and lyrics...

Collected companies
Got more right than people
Got more say than people

real!
I would rather comment on this song than argue politics. Great song! But I must say Midnight Oil has done a great job in the lyrics (and not just this song) to point out important issues, whether we like it or not.
 fredriley wrote:


No. Collective guilt fails bigtime, as it's a) wrong (practically and morally), and b) it lets the real guilty folk off the hook. In the words of Hannah Arendt, historian of the Nazi period and the Holocaust, who famously wrote about the trials of Nazi war criminals, "where all are guilty, none are".

Only feel guilty for what you personally have done, or omitted to do. For the crimes of the past, feel angry and determined to not let them be repeated.
 
I am not proposing guilt as a solution because it often makes problems like these worse. However, it's important for those who are currently privileged to be aware that their status is based, at least in part, on past and current racism and discrimination. I think we collectively have an obligation to repair those historical and present wrongs. 
 adu wrote:

You omitted checking privilege: For what crimes of the past was one the beneficiary, and to what degree has one acted against their self interest to mitigate the unlevel playing field that's given advantage. You don't have to feel guilty to acknowledge what advantages you have that you cannot take credit for. A true meritocracy is elusive, but we can still have humble self reflection.

Note that I'm not saying you personally haven't done that self reflection, you might be a saint. I've done some and mitigated less, but I am careful not to suggest racial problems of the past are in the past. They will echo forward for many generations to come. We beneficiaries are obliged to, at least, dampen the sound.
 
This is an interesting question. I recall the words of Heraclitus--character is destiny-- and I think that where each of is in life is the result of some combination of our own right and wrong actions, the right and wrong actions of others toward us, and a heavy dose of the grace of God.  Not to minimize the evils of colonialism, but if the victims that Midnight Oil are singing about are like other human beings--and I am certain they are--they were busy harming one another long before the white man ever got there. Also, I know people who got more than they deserved precisely because they belonged to a group that is "underprivileged" and I know people who got less than they deserved precisely because they belonged to a group that is "privileged." It's complicated. For me, the bottom line is: if we teach people that their problems are primarily caused by other people, we teach them that they are powerless to make their own lives better. So I suggest we teach people to focus on what they themselves can do bring about better results for themselves.
 adu wrote:

You omitted checking privilege: For what crimes of the past was one the beneficiary, and to what degree has one acted against their self interest to mitigate the unlevel playing field that's given advantage. You don't have to feel guilty to acknowledge what advantages you have that you cannot take credit for. A true meritocracy is elusive, but we can still have humble self reflection.

Note that I'm not saying you personally haven't done that self reflection, you might be a saint. I've done some and mitigated less, but I am careful not to suggest racial problems of the past are in the past. They will echo forward for many generations to come. We beneficiaries are obliged to, at least, dampen the sound.
 
Another gift of a kind/kindred community is when you feel compelled to say something, but then discover another member of the community already saying it for you, and doing it better than you would have, anyway.  Thanks @adu.

I especially liked "you might be a saint".  You would need to be a saint to do this perfectly, but that does not mean the less than perfect should not do anything.
A band that I have a fondness for, despite disliking the lead vocalist's voice!
 fredriley wrote:


No. Collective guilt fails bigtime, as it's a) wrong (practically and morally), and b) it lets the real guilty folk off the hook. In the words of Hannah Arendt, historian of the Nazi period and the Holocaust, who famously wrote about the trials of Nazi war criminals, "where all are guilty, none are".

Only feel guilty for what you personally have done, or omitted to do. For the crimes of the past, feel angry and determined to not let them be repeated.
 
You omitted checking privilege: For what crimes of the past was one the beneficiary, and to what degree has one acted against their self interest to mitigate the unlevel playing field that's given advantage. You don't have to feel guilty to acknowledge what advantages you have that you cannot take credit for. A true meritocracy is elusive, but we can still have humble self reflection.

Note that I'm not saying you personally haven't done that self reflection, you might be a saint. I've done some and mitigated less, but I am careful not to suggest racial problems of the past are in the past. They will echo forward for many generations to come. We beneficiaries are obliged to, at least, dampen the sound.
 radioparadise9 wrote:

How about if you benefit from the theft of the land and the attempted genocide ..... like most Australians!

 
All the colonial nations share guilt nd wasn’t it strange peoples who escaped persecution in 19th Century Europe persecuted the native peoples
they encountered in America and Australia especially
 fredriley wrote:


No. Collective guilt fails bigtime, as it's a) wrong (practically and morally), and b) it lets the real guilty folk off the hook. In the words of Hannah Arendt, historian of the Nazi period and the Holocaust, who famously wrote about the trials of Nazi war criminals, "where all are guilty, none are".

Only feel guilty for what you personally have done, or omitted to do. For the crimes of the past, feel angry and determined to not let them be repeated.
 
How about if you benefit from the theft of the land and the attempted genocide ..... like most Australians!

 Jota wrote:
In practice this is correct however, under UK law, the Queen/Monarchy still retains the right to do a helluva lot. That's because we don't have a proper constitution or bill of rights.
 
So, what you're saying is that the Queen is the last-ditch protection against the excesses of mere mortals -- not often needed, but worth keeping in place. 
 gmsingh123 wrote:
All white people should feel guilty to some extent.
 
Why?  My great-grandfather's adherence to laws and customs of his day?   Should present-day European citizens feel guilty about their colonization of other cultures two or three hundred years ago?  Should young Germans and Japanese should feel guilty about World War 2 -- a war that wasn't their doing?

Do you feel guilty about your ancestors' sins?  If you go back far enough, there's likely some serious wrongdoing in your family tree. 

[PS:  Good to see you're still around, fredriley.]
 gmsingh123 wrote:

All white people should feel guilty to some extent.
 

No. Collective guilt fails bigtime, as it's a) wrong (practically and morally), and b) it lets the real guilty folk off the hook. In the words of Hannah Arendt, historian of the Nazi period and the Holocaust, who famously wrote about the trials of Nazi war criminals, "where all are guilty, none are".

Only feel guilty for what you personally have done, or omitted to do. For the crimes of the past, feel angry and determined to not let them be repeated.
 wgsu_1978 wrote:

Me too. And I still have no idea what Warburton is.
 

In the UK, it's a brand of bread :o)
 rick83390 wrote:
les européens ( the white man) sont responsable de beaucoup trop de désastres dans ce monde entre cupidité, ignorance et aveuglement. 
 

There's no evidence it would be any different if the boot was on the other foot, though. So it's people. Not even men. People. We're twats.
les européens ( the white man) sont responsable de beaucoup trop de désastres dans ce monde entre cupidité, ignorance et aveuglement. 
 justin4kick wrote:

Not here in Europe. Does this make us guilty? 
 
All white people should feel guilty to some extent.
It would be wonderful if the sentiments of this song reached out to everyone else outside of Australia. It was really a 'slap on each cheek... do you know what we did and what we're heading for' message.
 Bert7 wrote:

Pretty much could be said about any natives in any country.
 
Not here in Europe. Does this make us guilty? 
'Doo doo'  indeed !
moooooore Oils pleeeeeease
 eyeyeye wrote:
This never gets old and Punk never dies! 
 

Hardly punk is it?  A lot of thought and talent went into this song (and others of theirs).
This never gets old and Punk never dies! 
Interesting song on this day of Thanksgiving in our country.  Perhaps not by chance.  {#Yes}
Never gets boring!
 kt.johnson.jr364 wrote:
Great song - great album
 
Without question.  The good old days when a band could stand for something.
 SO MONOTONOUS AND BORING THIS IS

richlister wrote:
Durr durr durr dur durr de de... and repeat

 

Great song - great album
Something's ticking . . . 
Saw them in the early 80's up here in Canada, an inspiring show by all accounts.  They had an Australian indigenous opening act that consisted primarily of didgeridoo players that was particularly mesmerizing.
 poetdancer wrote:

Agreed. Saw them in Oakland (California) on this last tour, and they were still inspiring.

 
I was at the Oakland show too. As good as ever (although Peter's dancing around was a little less manic).
 Bert7 wrote:
Saw them a month ago in Vancouver Canada, if you get a chance don't miss them. Rocked for over 2 hours and sound great.{#Drummer} 

 
Agreed. Saw them in Oakland (California) on this last tour, and they were still inspiring.
Saw them a month ago in Vancouver Canada, if you get a chance don't miss them. Rocked for over 2 hours and sound great.{#Drummer} 
 fredriley wrote:

The UK Queen is only nominally head of State - she's a figurehead, and has no executive power, for all that all Acts of Parliament are carried out in her name. That she and her clan of inbred descendants of German robber barons are backwards and parasitic is a given, but she doesn't have any power - that's wielded by inbred ruling-class public school Tories.

 
In practice this is correct however, under UK law, the Queen/Monarchy still retains the right to do a helluva lot. That's because we don't have a proper constitution or bill of rights.

Powers of the Queen:

The power to appoint and dismiss the Prime Minister
The power to appoint and dismiss other ministers.
The power to summon, prorogue and dissolve Parliament
The power to make war and peace
The power to command the armed forces of the United Kingdom
The power to regulate the Civil ServiceThe power to ratify treaties
The power to issue passports
The power to appoint bishops and archbishops of the Church of England
The power to create peers (both life peers and hereditary peers).
 

In times of "grave constitutional crisis", the Queen has the power to VETO any ministerial advice/opinion.


they were originals
 poetdancer wrote:
They're about to launch their first tour in 20 years - perhaps to a venue near you! I'm very excited to see them again.
 
Is this tour going to be sponsored by Australian Dream®?
 
They're about to launch their first tour in 20 years - perhaps to a venue near you! I'm very excited to see them again.
White man come.
White man form rock band,
White rock band sing about White man come,
Dum Dum Dum De Dum

(repeat ad infinitum changing words slightly) 
So glad I had the opportunity to see this band live! They were incredible.
Overplayed long ago. Still feels I've heard it too many times too recently.
Glad they had their hit. Now let"s move on.
Not everything need be politics, all the time, at every movement. 
Durr durr durr dur durr de de... and repeat
Mad Max (reboot)...anyone?
{#Bananasplit}
 fredriley wrote:

The UK Queen is only nominally head of State - she's a figurehead, and has no executive power, for all that all Acts of Parliament are carried out in her name. That she and her clan of inbred descendants of German robber barons are backwards and parasitic is a given, but she doesn't have any power - that's wielded by inbred ruling-class public school Tories.

 

Just to clarify, in case you were a little confused by Fred's last sentence, what the British call public schools we call private schools here in the US.    


This song, though... <3
 fredriley wrote:

The UK Queen is only nominally head of State - she's a figurehead, and has no executive power, for all that all Acts of Parliament are carried out in her name. That she and her clan of inbred descendants of German robber barons are backwards and parasitic is a given, but she doesn't have any power - that's wielded by inbred ruling-class public school Tories.

 
Classic
 TerryS wrote:
Everyone in my underwear loves this song.

 
{#Hug}
and now for the Alexisonfire cover...?
Daft singing.
I see Peter Garrett didn't give HIS property to the aboriginal people of Australia. Hypocrite!
 rdo wrote:

Being dodgy is a prerequisite for being a politician —- it is infinitely better than a monarchy though, where retards are frequently the heads of state... case in point — the UK
 
The UK Queen is only nominally head of State - she's a figurehead, and has no executive power, for all that all Acts of Parliament are carried out in her name. That she and her clan of inbred descendants of German robber barons are backwards and parasitic is a given, but she doesn't have any power - that's wielded by inbred ruling-class public school Tories.
{#Dancingbanana_2}
Something about this drumming annoys me. Too monotonous? Doesn't sound like a normal drum set, rather whacking some plastic pans or something.
{#Jump}
 Bert7 wrote:

Pretty much could be said about any natives in any country.

 
Yep. This song is just whining...
 otaznick wrote:

"The song deals with the mistreatment of indigenous Australians and the nonrecognition of indigenous cultures in Australia, and was part of efforts to raise awareness of Australia's Stolen Generations - the forcible removal of Australian Aboriginal children from their families between 1909 and the 1970's."

 
Pretty much could be said about any natives in any country.
Oh how I love Friday Mornings :)
Can't get enough of The Oils.
Just keep movin'  {#Bananajumprope}
More into their older stuff but Midnight Oil is always gold!
 clyman99 wrote:


White man listen to the songs we sing
White man came took everything...  {#Eh}

 
"The song deals with the mistreatment of indigenous Australians and the nonrecognition of indigenous cultures in Australia, and was part of efforts to raise awareness of Australia's Stolen Generations - the forcible removal of Australian Aboriginal children from their families between 1909 and the 1970's."
 FatPants wrote:
I still listen to Midnight Oil perhaps more often than I should

 
Me too. And I still have no idea what Warburton is.
RP on a roll!!! Blue Oyster Cult and now this! Keep it going!!!
do dit do dit do do do
https://cdn.riffraf.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/midnight-oil-5079d805cf422.jpg

White man listen to the songs we sing
White man came took everything...  {#Eh}
 TerryS wrote:
Everyone in my underwear loves this song.

 
careful... we've been there before
Everyone in my underwear loves this song.
I still listen to Midnight Oil perhaps more often than I should
Well I remember how totally different this was from most of the stuff out there at the time. It was hitting back HARD, and we LOVED it!
The first CD I every bought.  Got it used.  But had to bring something home to try out the new Denon 777.

Dynamic range was so good that I almost killed the voice coils in my Audax tweeters.

 
 fitzworld wrote:
It is just me or does the lead singer remind you of Falco?

 
I can hear what you mean.  At the very beginning of the tune, Garrett seems to use a similar vocal inflection to that often employed by Austria's greatest rapper, but it changes after that.  Ordinarily, they don't sound alike at all, and they certainly did not have any visual resemblance to one another.
Love the brass and strings on this. Bonzer mate.
It is just me or does the lead singer remind you of Falco?
 WonderLizard wrote:
Incredible song by one of the greatest of the Oz bands. The arrangement is stunning.

 
DITTO!
Used to love this song as a kid. Was the super-amp tune before surfing. Now that I'm living in Australia and learning a bit about the Aboriginal people and their story it means a lot more. 10.
 stunix wrote:

Bush?

 
Abso-fuckin-lutly


I am sorry to dissappoint you all but I am a life long Democrat.  It is a supreme insult to any Democrat to suggest they are less patriotic than a Republican.  The people that come to this board are clueless about American politics---I do not let it bother me.  
yeah yeah get up and dance people...{#Dancingbanana_2}
{#Fire} {#War}
Incredible song by one of the greatest of the Oz bands. The arrangement is stunning.
 rdo wrote:

Being dodgy is a prerequisite for being a politician --- it is infinitely better than a monarchy though, where retards are frequently the heads of state... case in point -- the UK
 
Bush?
EVERYBODY IN MY SUMMER HOUSE LOVES THIS SONG, THOUGH WE KEEP BUMPING INTO EACH OTHER.
{#Bananapiano} .... getting into this tune Bill - nice one
 juanos wrote:
I once saw them in concert in Canberra, they were absolutely great live, it is a GREAT pity that Peter Garret decided to quit music to become a rather dodgy politician!

 
Being dodgy is a prerequisite for being a politician --- it is infinitely better than a monarchy though, where retards are frequently the heads of state... case in point -- the UK
Woooooo  Ya YAaa
Ya ya ya
 hugogdt wrote:
One of the best tunes of the Oils, one of their most clear and reivindicative lirics.

 
And a great beat!
One of the best tunes of the Oils, one of their most clear and reivindicative lirics.
I once saw them in concert in Canberra, they were absolutely great live, it is a GREAT pity that Peter Garret decided to quit music to become a rather dodgy politician!
GREAT TUNE, GREAT BAND.{#Dancingbanana}{#Dancingbanana}{#Jump}{#Bananasplit}{#Dancingbanana_2}
 justin4kick wrote:
The Australian Cars?

  
No please no!
The Australian Cars?
I just looked up the definition of 'compelling' to be sure that I was using it correctly.
Definition: Evoking interest, attention, or admiration in a powerfully irresistible way 
Yeah, that's what I meant. 
Unmistakable sound. Compelling and beautiful.

Everybody in my churches loves this song...
 
 mefrombrazil wrote:
where are they now?

 
Still around for occasional special (read: significant) appearances. As you can see from the earlier posts, they do have differing lives now.

Rob Hirst was a recent profile supporter/activist of the massive gas hub resistance movement at James Price Point and wrote a great tune dedicated to Joe Roe, a tribal traditional Aboriginal leader here, and, as it happens, the LNG processing plant project has been abandoned.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQFvz_ICu2g

He's also written a book about life on the road with the Oils.

I feel Garrett is turning out to be a very ordinary politician whereas his earlier stiff walk front man oddity in a seminal Oz rock outfit was memorable.
 mefrombrazil wrote:
where are they now?

  Peter Garrett, the lead singer, is the current Minister for Education in the Federal Parliament of Australia:
https://www.petergarrett.com.au/
 mefrombrazil wrote:
where are they now?

 
Rob, Martin and Jim founded a band with Violent Femmes bassist. Peter is a politician.
where are they now?