This is a political song about giving native Australian lands back to the Pintupi, who were among the very last people to come in from the desert. These "last contact" people began moving from the Gibson Desert to settlements and missions in the 1930s. More were forcibly moved during the 1950s and 1960s to the Papunya settlement. In 1981 they left to return to their own country and established the Kintore community which is nestled in the picturesque Kintore Ranges, surrounded by Mulga and Spinifex country. It is now a thriving little community with a population of about 400. In my own way, as a Cherokee, I can relate. When it came out in '86 I was 16, so the meaning went right over my head and I wasn't big on the song for a while. As I got a little older, I learned the meaning and grew to like the song. 🙂
Thank you, Holli for your info here! I always find it refreshing to read comments from people who have thought to seek an understanding of the history of a race and their separate tribes. Noting your heritage here, so I can understand that there would be an empathetic ear in the mix as well.
The neatest thing about 80s music is how much of it actually meant something. It was socially conscious, much of it. Musicians actually thought they could impact the world in a positive way. Not sure if they actually did that much, but they sure as hell tried.
I remember a few years back seeing people online saying that the singer entered politics and actually became one of the people causing problems. Funny how that kind of thing happens sometimes.
In every decade there are bands and artists who are socially conscious. It really isn't just an 80s thing, or something tied to any single time period. In the sixties, we had dozens of political and socially conscious artists, such as Bob Dylan. In the seventies, well, take a look at Pink Floyd's lyrics and even some of Black Sabbath's lyrics. And so on.
Midnight Oil formed in 1972 from what I’ve read, but I was too young to remember,. The lead singer is Peter Garrett who joined in 1973. He has a very eccentric dance style, and that really is his signature move. This song was released in 1987…. He became a politician after and a minister for education and then minister for the environment, and I believe he helped to place a World Heritage on the Ningaloo Reef off the coast of WA, my home State.
It was #1 in many countries in the late 80s and even top 20 in the US. A more iconic (live) performance of this song was in the 2000 Sydney Olympics Closing Ceremony with about 120,000 singing and dancing along. Midnight Oil are one of Australia's most iconic bands of the past 40 years and they have many more (mostly meaningful) songs.
The video footage is all Australian, but the sound effect of the squeaky windmill is from the beginning of the Sergio Leone film "Once Upon A time In The West", a really great film you should check out. Lead Singer Peter Garrett, all 6'6" of him, eventually wound up being a member of the Australian government, and was instrumental in trying to restore tribal lands and rights to the Aboriginal tribes of the Australian Outback. Always trying to do the right thing.
I worked at a theater these guys played at, These guys were really cool and the stage at the theater is round and it slowly rotates. I thought the singer was gonna break it, the dude is a giant and when he starts dancing and stomping I swear the stage was bouncing as it tried to rotate.. but such a nice guy.
This was Midnight Oil's biggest song, and had the most play overseas of any of their songs, and they also performed it at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, so there's every chance you heard it on the radio or saw it at those Olympics.
I had the pleasure of seeing them in concert back in the '90's. They actually sound better live than recorded. I was a sweaty mess by the end of the show. Love them!!
What this song is talking about is the that time when the Australian government wanted to conduct nuclear experiments from 1952 to 1963 and decided that the outback would do nicely, thank you very much. The problem was that there were indigenous people living there, people who were forcibly relocated and had not only to abandon the grounds where they lived for eons but also many sacred grounds where they could never return to. Of course, they were never compensated for the relocation and the loss of their heritage. THAT'S what this song is about.
I think you missed/misinterpreted the meaning of the song. It's about a few things but native land title is the main. Compensation. Aboriginal Australian communities back in the day were forcibly removed from their land in Western Australia to make way for mining. "The time has come to say fairs fair, to pay the rent, to pay our share. The time has come a facts a fact...it belongs to them... we're gonna give it back". You can see Indigenous Australians throughout the video clip too. The lyric "45 degrees" is in celsius, so that's 113F for context 🔥☀️
Mr Garret there is 6'8" tall, has alopecia, is extremely intelligent, ran for public office in Australia and was successful, I think. I could be wrong about that last one, I can't remember. Interesting man, very good and interesting band. Good reaction guys.
This is one of greatest songs ever. It has been embedded in my mind since the first time I heard it. Great job!! Thanks for sharing it, loved seeing you moving to a beat!!! ❤ 🔥
The first time I saw this band, it cost me a whole $1.50, and I sat at the bar and had a beer before the show and Peter was sitting at the bar having a beer, and we talked for a while. The rest of the band came on stage, and he said he had to go and walk up on stage. Twenty years later I got to do security at one of their show here. Should check out power and passion(the best drummer I have seen live going off big time), short memory would be my next greatest song, shame it's so short
I think I was in 7th or 8th grade when this came out, but this sort of music led me to look into what they were talking about. It made me care about people on the other side of the world. Most importantly, it presented a counter narrative. I think that this shows that activism and music do go together. The fact that it posed that question of how can we act like it's all good when it clearly isn't? It made me think outside myself at a very young age, and it shaped my thinking for life. No joke.
I had a chance to meet and talk to him at the Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting Company in the late 90's when they played the Catalyst in Santa Cruz. I was in the Conservation Corp and we talked for about 20 minutes, he was engaging and interested. Seemed like a really great guy.
This song always brings me back to summers in Oklahoma in the 80's. I had a jeep back then, kinda felt like I lived in a MO video. We could even get Castlemaine XXXX and Foster's Lager at a Drive-thru Liquor store in town. (We could get domestic kegs through the drive-thru, had to go in for imports). So fun.
Watch the video of the Oils doing the song at Ellis Park in South Africa in 1994...It will blow your socks off ...Same song but with heaps more components to it ....
When i arrived in Melbourne in 1995 from cork and was impressed with the live music scene especially in the pub scene,,Australia has this habbit of producing great musicians and groups,
The destruction of the actual Australian, the Aboriginals by the English establishment has been swept under the carpet successfully. So these boys were doing a moral duty talking about these things imo
You must have heard the original of BEDS ARE BURNING because it has been played around the world for 100 years..... almost :-) It is a world-famous song that is still played on the radio occasionally. 
You need to give some of their other stuff a listen: "King of the Mountain" , "Back on the Borderline" are a couple that are worthy. My band supported Midnight Oil back in the 70's when they played at our Leagues Club on the Southeast Coast of NSW. I won't go into the geography, suffice to say that it was an absolutely great night to be able to start the night and finish the night while watching these legends and not having to pay for a ticket!
this is a song full of deep meaning. Its about land rights for australian indigenous who lost lands to a false claim by captain james cook who declared australia as terra nullius, NO MANS LAND. And how modern australia STILL denies indigenous people their rights and land. In the 1980s and 1990s a landmark high court decision found that not only was there prior occupation of australia but also prior ownership. Some 2 months after this ruling the federal government changed and enacted into law which denied indigenous asutralian their lawful rights. Since then australian schools still fail to teach these facts. What you see of australia from overseas is false, australia is as racist as any other country
Is it possible that while looking for Concrete Blonde videos you’ve stumbled upon Johnette Napolitano’s (frontwoman) semi-ish-recent cover of Beds Are Burning? Hers is actually so incredible, she basically changed it up just enough to be about the North American indigenous people.
Too much on the radio. A good song but not one of my favourite Midnight Oil songs. The USA missed out on their better music and still to this day I find it weird so many people overseas know this song but not their better songs.
Midnight Oil was a big advocate for the aboriginal natives of Australia. This song still rocks today and still retains it's meaning in today's times
As a Native American I identify with this song. Midnight Oil was awesome 😎
The singer was in Parliament a MP they are fabulous
This is a political song about giving native Australian lands back to the Pintupi, who were among the very last people to come in from the desert. These "last contact" people began moving from the Gibson Desert to settlements and missions in the 1930s. More were forcibly moved during the 1950s and 1960s to the Papunya settlement. In 1981 they left to return to their own country and established the Kintore community which is nestled in the picturesque Kintore Ranges, surrounded by Mulga and Spinifex country. It is now a thriving little community with a population of about 400.
In my own way, as a Cherokee, I can relate.
When it came out in '86 I was 16, so the meaning went right over my head and I wasn't big on the song for a while. As I got a little older, I learned the meaning and grew to like the song. 🙂
The fact you now know all of that means the song did it’s job thank you for taking the time to understand the motivation behind the song
Thank you, Holli for your info here! I always find it refreshing to read comments from people who have thought to seek an understanding of the history of a race and their separate tribes. Noting your heritage here, so I can understand that there would be an empathetic ear in the mix as well.
They were removed so that the military could test fire rockets
Nice Wikipedia cut and paste.
Thank you. 👍
As an indigenous Australian I would give my life for Peter garret much respect brother you’re a true Australian
The neatest thing about 80s music is how much of it actually meant something. It was socially conscious, much of it. Musicians actually thought they could impact the world in a positive way. Not sure if they actually did that much, but they sure as hell tried.
I remember a few years back seeing people online saying that the singer entered politics and actually became one of the people causing problems. Funny how that kind of thing happens sometimes.
@@jetagelullaby The singer Peter Garrett did go into politics but achieved nothing .
Went back to his band
In every decade there are bands and artists who are socially conscious. It really isn't just an 80s thing, or something tied to any single time period. In the sixties, we had dozens of political and socially conscious artists, such as Bob Dylan. In the seventies, well, take a look at Pink Floyd's lyrics and even some of Black Sabbath's lyrics. And so on.
@@jetagelullaby He was shafted by the ALP, became their fall guy for their atrocious insulation scheme.
Awesome ❤❤❤
Midnight Oil formed in 1972 from what I’ve read, but I was too young to remember,. The lead singer is Peter Garrett who joined in 1973. He has a very eccentric dance style, and that really is his signature move. This song was released in 1987…. He became a politician after and a minister for education and then minister for the environment, and I believe he helped to place a World Heritage on the Ningaloo Reef off the coast of WA, my home State.
Technically, you are correct, but they were called Farm before 1978 when their debut album as Midnight Oil came out.
Midnight Oil set up and played in the street in New York as a protest to the Exxon valdez oil spill in the 80s
This is a BIG song about Indigenous Land Rights, that has been covered by a few big names. Iconic.
This song has received extensive radio airplay.
It was #1 in many countries in the late 80s and even top 20 in the US. A more iconic (live) performance of this song was in the 2000 Sydney Olympics Closing Ceremony with about 120,000 singing and dancing along. Midnight Oil are one of Australia's most iconic bands of the past 40 years and they have many more (mostly meaningful) songs.
I really don't how many people know,one of best band from Austrelia,specially this song Beds are burning. It's 2024 I still listen them
The video footage is all Australian, but the sound effect of the squeaky windmill is from the beginning of the Sergio Leone film "Once Upon A time In The West", a really great film you should check out. Lead Singer Peter Garrett, all 6'6" of him, eventually wound up being a member of the Australian government, and was instrumental in trying to restore tribal lands and rights to the Aboriginal tribes of the Australian Outback. Always trying to do the right thing.
I worked at a theater these guys played at, These guys were really cool and the stage at the theater is round and it slowly rotates. I thought the singer was gonna break it, the dude is a giant and when he starts dancing and stomping I swear the stage was bouncing as it tried to rotate.. but such a nice guy.
This was Midnight Oil's biggest song, and had the most play overseas of any of their songs, and they also performed it at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, so there's every chance you heard it on the radio or saw it at those Olympics.
This came out mid 80's and his dancing is tame here, you should see him live! Saw them in 84 in Adelaide and they're on fire.
Elaine Bennis school of dancing.
Came out in 87.
His dancing is insane, what's more, he suffers from asthma, so on either end of the stage he'd have oxygen tank to pull from so he can keep going.
I had the pleasure of seeing them in concert back in the '90's. They actually sound better live than recorded. I was a sweaty mess by the end of the show. Love them!!
This man is Australia's Gem. Such a meaningful song and the entire band truly means what they are saying. Love This reaction to a fantastic song.
❤🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
This song was all over American radio in the 1980s. I remember driving home from high school with this song blaring out of my car.
as a australian aboriginal this song tugs at my heart
Me too cuz
What this song is talking about is the that time when the Australian government wanted to conduct nuclear experiments from 1952 to 1963 and decided that the outback would do nicely, thank you very much.
The problem was that there were indigenous people living there, people who were forcibly relocated and had not only to abandon the grounds where they lived for eons but also many sacred grounds where they could never return to. Of course, they were never compensated for the relocation and the loss of their heritage.
THAT'S what this song is about.
So were the nuclear experiments done?
No it’s about giving reparations to the true black native Australian
I think you missed/misinterpreted the meaning of the song. It's about a few things but native land title is the main. Compensation. Aboriginal Australian communities back in the day were forcibly removed from their land in Western Australia to make way for mining.
"The time has come to say fairs fair, to pay the rent, to pay our share. The time has come a facts a fact...it belongs to them... we're gonna give it back".
You can see Indigenous Australians throughout the video clip too.
The lyric "45 degrees" is in celsius, so that's 113F for context 🔥☀️
Beds are burning has been used in soundtracks for movies & tv such as American Dad, Kite Runner, Ladykillers. You may have heard it in one of those.
Mr Garret there is 6'8" tall, has alopecia, is extremely intelligent, ran for public office in Australia and was successful, I think.
I could be wrong about that last one, I can't remember.
Interesting man, very good and interesting band.
Good reaction guys.
It's a pretty famous aussie anthem so you've most likely heard it before
This is one of greatest songs ever. It has been embedded in my mind since the first time I heard it. Great job!! Thanks for sharing it, loved seeing you moving to a beat!!! ❤ 🔥
Masterpiece ever. Great
The first time I saw this band, it cost me a whole $1.50, and I sat at the bar and had a beer before the show and Peter was sitting at the bar having a beer, and we talked for a while. The rest of the band came on stage, and he said he had to go and walk up on stage. Twenty years later I got to do security at one of their show here. Should check out power and passion(the best drummer I have seen live going off big time), short memory would be my next greatest song, shame it's so short
I think I was in 7th or 8th grade when this came out, but this sort of music led me to look into what they were talking about. It made me care about people on the other side of the world. Most importantly, it presented a counter narrative. I think that this shows that activism and music do go together. The fact that it posed that question of how can we act like it's all good when it clearly isn't? It made me think outside myself at a very young age, and it shaped my thinking for life. No joke.
Early days of MTV in the 80s.
Great song, great message. My time to go out and have a lttle fun.
Trivia Frontman was a politician for a while in Australia Suit tie Think I like him better here Glad you enjoyed Regards from Sydney Australia
I had a chance to meet and talk to him at the Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting Company in the late 90's when they played the Catalyst in Santa Cruz. I was in the Conservation Corp and we talked for about 20 minutes, he was engaging and interested. Seemed like a really great guy.
Back in the day, at parties everyone got pissed and danced like Peter Garret. He gave a lot to the Australian people.
Lol, 😂 maybe all our faces are stretched back and if the earth stops our faces would look like a Shar-Pei dog, lol, love your reactions
This song always brings me back to summers in Oklahoma in the 80's. I had a jeep back then, kinda felt like I lived in a MO video. We could even get Castlemaine XXXX and Foster's Lager at a Drive-thru Liquor store in town. (We could get domestic kegs through the drive-thru, had to go in for imports). So fun.
Good that you got some good Aussie music because you got some shit Aussie beer 😁
They are two of the worst two Aussie beers you can get. Only better than West End and Swan Lager I reckon.
Has Australian love reacted midnight oil one Greatest bands
If your bed is burning you are definitely going to be dancing! 🤣
Love it very cool vibe there from down under catchy song
It was a very popular mainstream rock radio track in its day, and I suspect it has appeared in film and television...
and they are still going today....
The album cover for Diesel & Dust (this song came from this album) is an old building on farm land.
It is just down the road from me.
Banger! 🔥
A classic !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
One of the great Land Rights anthems here in Australia. Up there with Solid Rock and, the big one, Treaty.
Did you know that the drummer for Midnight Oil ended up with AC/DC for the video Thunder struck and several tours
Watch the video of the Oils doing the song at Ellis Park in South Africa in 1994...It will blow your socks off ...Same song but with heaps more components to it ....
Classic song
My first EVER reaction request here was Midnight Oil... Travis... it was your Short Memories... You KNOW this band... Remember... REMEMBER....
I thought that was the guy from the 77 movie "The Hills Have Eyes" singing. I was getting freaked out.
Released on Midnight Oil's sixth album Diesel and dust, back in 1986.
If you watch American dad this song was played in one of the episodes.
Love you both. Your reactions are always good. Ben watching you for a couple of years. Keep up the great job. Hello from Pa. 😎😎😎
Travis' I know this song face! 🤣
When i arrived in Melbourne in 1995 from cork and was impressed with the live music scene especially in the pub scene,,Australia has this habbit of producing great musicians and groups,
Blue Sky Mine by them is another good song
Somehow only just stumbled across your channel today and love your energy and the songs you’re covering
classic! ♥
Is not a song, is a MASTERPIECE. The first time I heard it I was in Scotland. I remember these times with longing....more longing.
Midnight Oil had some hits in the US as well. This song in particular. Midnight Oil is always played at social change music festivals.
Thanks for the next Oils' song, guys. You can always continue with their "The Dead Heart" and never stop.
Best new rock music for cruising with car or motorbike.
still got the LP. That was a huge hit in Europe in 1988.
Peter's dancing looks even more strange because he is 6 foot 7 in height or so.
That song was on Billboard top rock on 1996 -1998 .
They were on David Letterman a number of times and played in new York
They have some great live versions of this. Great Song. Still relevant today.
Wolf Hunterz...Midnight Oil has toured America....they did a farewell tour not long ago...
This was on top-40 radio when it was released.
The destruction of the actual Australian, the Aboriginals by the English establishment has been swept under the carpet successfully.
So these boys were doing a moral duty talking about these things imo
A large part of my and many Aussie youths in the 80's
Many more cranking tunes to discover here WH 😎👍🇦🇺
Another great social commentary song is Canadian Bruce Cockburn's If I Had a Rocket Launcher about war in Central America.
You must have heard the original of BEDS ARE BURNING because it has been played around the world for 100 years..... almost :-) It is a world-famous song that is still played on the radio occasionally.

I love this song and 80s music
You need to give some of their other stuff a listen: "King of the Mountain" , "Back on the Borderline" are a couple that are worthy. My band supported Midnight Oil back in the 70's when they played at our Leagues Club on the Southeast Coast of NSW. I won't go into the geography, suffice to say that it was an absolutely great night to be able to start the night and finish the night while watching these legends and not having to pay for a ticket!
It was a huge, huge song...if you've heard it the chorus, it was from Midnight Oil.
this is a song full of deep meaning. Its about land rights for australian indigenous who lost lands to a false claim by captain james cook who declared australia as terra nullius, NO MANS LAND. And how modern australia STILL denies indigenous people their rights and land. In the 1980s and 1990s a landmark high court decision found that not only was there prior occupation of australia but also prior ownership. Some 2 months after this ruling the federal government changed and enacted into law which denied indigenous asutralian their lawful rights. Since then australian schools still fail to teach these facts. What you see of australia from overseas is false, australia is as racist as any other country
They did the song at the Sydney 2000 Olympics closing ceremony
Tune
This was a short and casual song, jocular in manner.
...if you know, you know :'D
Is it possible that while looking for Concrete Blonde videos you’ve stumbled upon Johnette Napolitano’s (frontwoman) semi-ish-recent cover of Beds Are Burning? Hers is actually so incredible, she basically changed it up just enough to be about the North American indigenous people.
Peter Garretts dance moves are typically of an old school 80s Aussie 😅
Lit! 🔥
You guys love a harmonica? Try Midnight oil's "Blue sky mine".
Banger 🇬🇧
The Midnight Oil have done a lot more besides 'Beds are burning'. My favorite song by them is 'Stars of Warburton'. Highly underrated band.
Blue sky mines is mine
Seen them twice in concert in New Zealand... Peter Garrett is a great front man.
midnight Oil! Such a great 80's band, They actually have some relatively new stuff if you feel like taking a peek! Album called "Resist".
I remember the first midnight oil blue sky minning
Fire! 🔥
It's about returning payment an ownership to the indigenous people
Thanks for the blast from my past. I grew up listening to this song (and others, obviously!)
I think this is the original. Yes, ❤us old folks love music and dancing and videos. ❤
my mother is famous about this band.
Hi imagine how we went off when us Aboriginal people first heard it, we LOVE IT and a song from Midnight Oil, WOW I truly cried I was 16yrs..
Best dance moves in the business
Great song!
"Big DAWWGGG!!!" Seriously, you guys are adorable. And when you get a chance, listen to this whole album. It's glorious.
Jeez, I miss the 80s. ;)
It was a reasonable success in the US when it was released so I suspect it was all over the radio
Too much on the radio. A good song but not one of my favourite Midnight Oil songs. The USA missed out on their better music and still to this day I find it weird so many people overseas know this song but not their better songs.
Too Good!👍
You have to watch them live at Ellis Park