image link which also takes you to Rolling Stone article on the group
Jim Adams is the host of Song Lyric Sunday. Jim says:
Music is in the air, lighting up our hearts
and filling our dreams as an art form
made up of sounds and silence.
(and you said you weren’t a poet, Jim)
The prompt for this week is “Occupation”, which would include many jobs like being an accountant, actor, acupuncturist all the way through being an undertaker, veterinarian and window cleaner.
Here are the “rules”:
- Post the lyrics to the song of your choice, whether it fits the theme or not.
- Please try to include the songwriter(s) – it’s a good idea to give credit where credit is due.
- Make sure you also credit the singer/band and if you desire you can provide a link to where you found the lyrics.
- Link to the YouTube video, or pull it into your post so others can listen to the song.
- Ping back to this post will eventually work, as long as you are being patient.
- Read at least one other person’s blog, so we can all share new and fantastic music and create amazing new blogging friends in the process.
- Feel free to suggest future prompts.
- Have fun and enjoy the music.
There is more than one meaning to the word occupation. My thoughts went to the Australian powerhouse band, Midnight Oil’s album, “Blue Sky Mining” and to the song, “Mountains of Burma”. Blue Sky Mining is the seventh studio album by Australian alternative rock band Midnight Oil, released on 9 February 1990. Going out to try to find the meaning behind the song, I found this excellent page that gives background information on what the words mean.
I like the solemn, dirge-like quality to this song, and the passion with which it is performed. The guitarists in this band never fail to impress.
Tucker box is empty now, heart of Kelly’s country cleared
The gangers on the southern line, like the steam trains have disappeared
Pelicans glide, miracles up in the sky
We vote for a government, with axes in its eyes
Mountains of Burma, the road to Mandalay
In the mountains of Burma, light years away, mountains of Burma
Will the sons of Solidarity, still march on May Day
And will the sisters of the seventies, still fight for equal pay
There’s no one on the Reeperbahn, no more blankets handed out for land
We feed an economy, that’s got blood on its hands
Mountains of Burma…
Pack your bags full of guns and ammunition
Bills fall due for the industrial revolution
Scorch the earth till the earth surrenders
Soldiers of armies, storm empty fields
In a traveller’s trance, on the way to the high frontier
Sleepwalkers stumble, cable cars run aground
Imaginary enemies, form high above the clouds
In the Mountains of Burma…
Songwriters: James Moginie / Martin Rotsey / Peter Garrett / Robert Hirst / Wayne Stevens
(wikipedia and the CD credit only Hirst with writing)
I haven’t thought of Midnight Oil in a while. Loved them!! Going to have to work them in to my listening today! Saw them 25 years or so ago and they were outstanding. Powerful stuff!!! Great choice!!!!!!!!
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Hans so cool you have seen them live! They are great aren’t they. Those guitars blow me away. Glad you love them.
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A couple years ago they went on tour again- but never came close to here would love to see them again…
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That’s a new one for me Lisa. I like the lyrics. A great choice 🙂
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Thank you Christine, they are a talented group and I learned they had a comeback in 2015, so I need to find the new stuff!
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Interesting take on the theme!
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I was looking for a midnight oil song with a profession but when I saw that song I thought yes, occupation of a hostile government will work also…
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I liked the song, but had a hard time understanding the article.
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What part didn’t you understand? It sounds like there has been an oppressive military government that has killed hundreds if not thousands of its people until recently, similar to how other nations oppress their populations with their governments, effectively “military occupation”.
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I just finished rereading the article and I guess the first time I read it too many names that were thrown at me in this conflict that I was not aware of and I got confused. It is a real shame for government leaders to treat their own people like this.
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Yes. It is.
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Great song.
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Thank you, Punam.
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You are welcome!
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Wow, such a powerful song and such an interesting take on the theme! I had never heard of this band and, though it isn’t my style, I love the lyrics.
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Midnight Oil is a very political minded band. Glad you liked the lyrics.
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Good song I hadn’t heard before as I’d only heard a couple of their songs. I read the article, and it was horrible what happened over there. The only knowledge I’d had was from the movie ‘Beyond Rangoon’, which does touch on the subject.
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I’ll have to check out that movie.
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One of ours, and such a grounded group, very socially conscious, great choice.
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Thank you very much. I love their music. They give their all when they perform. Sounds like you are a fan also.
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Very much a fan, they spoke for a generation on indigenous rights and human rights in general, so good.
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