Midnight Oil Photo: Oliver Eclipse
When I saw Jim’s prompt for this week, the first environmental band I thought of was Pearl Jam and the song about the whale which makes me cry every time I listen to it. Next, I thought of Cake and the song about the long line of cars. But as I started scrolling through a list of environmental bands, I immediately stopped at Midnight Oil. To me they are the environmental band, and River Runs Red is the epitomy of a song about a level of abuse of the planet that has led to increasingly extreme climate change. Not only that, but it is a song with one of the best guitar intros of all time. It makes think of a vibrant life force that is clawing its way to survive in the face of its deadliest foe — humans.
Blue Sky Mining is the seventh studio album by Australian rock band Midnight Oil, released on February 9, 1990. In March of that year, the album peaked at number one on the ARIA Albums Chart for two weeks. A limited release of the record featured clear blue vinyl. This was the band’s first studio album with bassist and backing vocalist Bones Hillman, who would remain in the group until his death in 2020.
At the ARIA Music Awards of 1991, Midnight Oil won ‘Best Group’ and an ‘Outstanding Achievement Award’, and were awarded ‘Best Cover Art’, ‘Best Video’ and ‘Album of the Year’ for Blue Sky Mining.
“River Runs Red” is the 2nd cut on side 2. Five singles were released from the album but this wasn’t one of them.
Personnel:
Peter Garrett – lead vocals, harmonica
Bones Hillman – bass, vocals
Robert Hirst – drums, vocals
Jim Moginie – guitars, keyboards, vocals
Martin Rotsey – guitars
Additional personnel:
Warne Livesey – additional keyboards
Jeremy Smith – French horn
Phillip Hartl – String Leader
Glad and Carl – Horn Swells
The lyrics to the song are fairly straightforward, detailing how humans don’t give enough concern for the very being that brought us to life and cares for us on an ongoing basis. Far beyond that, it sometimes feels that humans have a malicious disregard for the homeostasis of our planet. Like Neil Young sang on one of his songs from the “On the Beach” album, “I’m a vampire, baby, suckin’ blood – i.e. oil — from the Earth.” My belief is that we are a parasitic species that has to be stopped.
Before ending my post today, I want to share that I found out about a 2024 documentary about Midnight Oil during my research, called, “Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line.” Here’s the trailer:
Jim Adams is the host of Song Lyric Sunday. This week Jim asks us for a song associated with climate change or the environment.
Tao Talk 
I know the group, and I remember their song Beds Are Burning, which was a big hit, but this one was new to me, Lisa. I liked the harmonies in this, and it was a perfect match for the theme today. That extra video that you threw in was also very informative.
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Glad you liked the harmonies, Jim.
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A great choice for the theme, Lisa. I’m a big fan of Midnight Oil and bought all of their albums in those distant pre-streaming days. Peter Garrett put his money where his mouth was and went into politics, being elected to Parliament and becoming a Government Minister to support the causes he cared about. Few rock singers have done that!
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Clive, thank you very much. I had heard that before about Garrett and politics. Hoping the doc will shed more light on that political aspect of a very political band.
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I’ve written about him before – I played Beds Are Burning for SLS a while back and gave his bio then. I’ll look out for the doc: if it doesn’t mention that it won’t be worth watching’
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We have a number of rivers in the Brooks Mountain Range that are running Orange with acid mine drainage due to permafrost thaw here in Alaska- so this is coming true in real time.
Great choice, Li.
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V, very sorry to hear your mountains are being attacked, which is what I consider mining to be. When you say “acid mine drainage” what is that? Is it stuff that has been frozen from mining days and is now thawing?
Thank you.
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This is a new one for me Lisa, great choice for todays theme 🙌 mining can have such devasting effects for the earth and the people
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For sure, Ange. Our Upper Peninsula is under attack by a Canadian mining firm that is trying to tear up one of the few mountains in Michigan for some resource or another. Sickening!
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Money is king so very sad
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This was new to me Li, as was the band but I really enjoyed it. Especially loved the long intro because it gave me a sense of something good is coming and it didn’t disappoint. 🥰
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Christine, happy to introduce you to it and glad you like the intro. It really is fabulous.
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Thanks for this! Midnight Oil is one of those bands that I’d heard OF, but hadn’t heard. My intro to Australian music was via indigenous bands and I’d missed Midnight Oil.
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Steve, wow on not having heard any Midnight Oil music. I have one album of digiridoo (sp?) music but I have most of MO’s albums at this point. Happy to have made the intro for you.
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Great choice, my bias though, this a fave band and fave album.
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I’m sure you know a lot more about them. Was it you who told me Garrett had been in politics? I think you shared a quote of his about it but I can’t remember what it was.
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We did and I did. Yes, he joined the Australian Labor Party and when they won government he became minister for the environment – he achieved quite a bit, but admits now he has more power from the edge. He originally trained as a lawyer. Clever guy.
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Paul, thanks so much for being my memory :) Do you have any info on the doc they made?
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I only know the one song by midnight oil. This one is new to me. Thanks for sharing. I also enjoyed the trailer and now I want to see the full documentary. What an intriguing band
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Happy you want to see the doc. Should be interesting.
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It is myriads of years old and previously was frozen solid in permafrost which is the ice structure our state sits on. It’s very troubling as we have no idea what is frozen in there or for how long.
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Fan of Midnight Oil here, Lisa, but unfamiliar with this song. Appreciate the intro.
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My pleasure, Nancy.
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They were pretty good at hitting issues without being too preachy.
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Great assessment, Graham.
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The music and words really work well together in this song. Parasite is a good description for humans. More and more every day. (K)
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I remember them from the 1980s…they sound really good here and of course it fits the theme.
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Max, one of the best intros EVER. I get into the zone every time I hear it. I have collected most of their albums now and may have them all. I’ve designated December 23 as MOD (Midnight Oil Day) and plan on compiling a playlist for it.
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I do like the intro a lot… I got into them around the time of Beds Are Burning
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That is where I did also, then bought the next 2 and love all 3. This past year I’ve been collecting their discography. Lots of good music in the earlier albums also.
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Thanks for the introduction to this song; I do know some from this album, despite not actively following the band around that time, and don’t recall hearing this track before. Powerful song and I agree about them being *the* environmental band. They’ve been genuinely consistent on that.
Thanks also for the tip on the doc… will have to look out for that one.
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Steve, there are so many good songs on that album that this one might have fallen under your radar.
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That could well be, Lisa. Like I mentioned, I recall the album, but likely never heard the whole album. Enjoyed listening to the song today.
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