Midnight Oil – The Dead Heart | The Song That Put Land Rights at the Centre of Rock

Midnight Oil – “The Dead Heart” Midnight Oil were never exactly the sort of band to write three minutes about fancy cars and having a nice weekend. “The Dead Heart” is Midnight Oil at their most purposeful: muscular rock music carrying a message about Indigenous Australian identity, dispossession and land rights. First released in 1986 the song was later included on the band’s landmark Diesel and Dust (1987) . The line-up on the recording was Peter Garrett on lead vocals, Jim Moginie and Martin Rotsey on guitars, Peter Gifford on bass and Rob Hirst on drums. Moginie also contributed keyboards. Additional musicians included John Ockwell on cello, Jeremy Smith on French horn and Glad Reed on trombone while producer Warne Livesey also played keyboards. The track was recorded at Alberts Studios in Sydney , produced by Livesey and Midnight Oil, and mixed by Nick Launay. The song was composed in connection with the 1985 handback of Uluru to its traditional owners and its lyrics confront colonisation and the removal of Aboriginal children from their families. Not exactly lightweight material for the singles rack — but Midnight Oil seldom arrived carrying lightweight luggage. Then came the 1986 Blackfella/Whitefella Tour when Midnight Oil travelled through remote Central Australian communities with Warumpi Band . The experience had a profound effect on the group and became a creative catalyst for Diesel and Dust . An Australian 12-inch release of “The Dead Heart” also featured Warumpi Band’s “Blackfella/Whitefella” and Coloured Stone’s “This Land” giving Indigenous artists space alongside the Oils rather than merely making them the subject of the song. 🎧 Let us know your favourite track in the comments. 👍 Like, subscribe, and hit the bell for more in-depth explorations. #JukeboxCuts #MidnightOil #TheDeadHeart