The Dead Heart
Midnight Oil
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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 need protection Don't need your land Keep your promise on where we stand We will listen we'll understand 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
Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer
Written by: James Moginie, Martin Rotsey, Peter Garrett, Peter Gifford, Robert Hirst
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
10 facts about this song
Origin"The Dead Heart" is a song by Australian rock band, Midnight Oil, released in 1986.
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Song MeaningThe song was written to bring attention to the struggles and injustices suffered by Indigenous Australians.
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AlbumThe song was featured in both the "Diesel and Dust" album and the "Blackfella/Whitefella" tour live album.
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InspirationThe inspiration came from the band's 1986 tour, "Blackfella/Whitefella", of Outback Australia with Indigenous groups, Warumpi Band and Gondwanaland.
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Chart Performance"The Dead Heart" reached number 53 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, and it peaked at number 11 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart.
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AccoladesIt has since become one of the band's most recognized songs and was listed at number 96 in the ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association) 2011 list of the Top 100 Australian songs.
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Music GenreMidnight Oil is known for their distinctive style of alternative rock and this song is considered to be characteristic of their sound, combining rock with a folk influence.
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Film Soundtrack"The Dead Heart" was also featured in the 1988 Australian drama film "Dead Heart".
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Band ActivismThe release of the song was a part of the band's ongoing activism in support of Indigenous rights, a theme that features heavily in their lyrics and public statements.
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Song ElementsThe opening and closing sections of the song feature a distinctive "drone" effect, which is intended to mimic the sound of the didgeridoo, a traditional Indigenous Australian instrument.
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Citation
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"The Dead Heart Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 21 May 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/1729174/Midnight+Oil/The+Dead+Heart>.
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