Midnight Oil

On the fringes of torso and lips
Straining to hear the voice of gospel choir
Pummelled plains and beaten fields
We?e never broken in spirit within

But I feel like we?e coming around
Yes, I feel like we?e coming around
Tell me

Cloud burst teeming, insect wave and bite
Yes it? true, we are not alone
TV silence it? a narrow entrance
It? a sometimes leading into future time

But I feel like we?e coming around
Yes, I feel like we?e coming around
I feel like we?e coming around

Sins of omission, no love
Sins of omission

I heard it once before in shepherd? isolation
Over the horizon in blue and white now, now
Now overcome you can outrun it
When the roarings cease and the right stuff weaves and fits into your life

And I feel like we?e coming around
Yes I feel like I? coming around, tell me

Sins of omission, no love
Sins

Spirit of the Age

There is an SOS of real distress, baby tears at the best address
Ambulance chasers won't confess, sun comes up and you're stuck
The ones and the zeros are flushing your pores,
You've been flamed in the dark and you're feeling sore
The dripfeed rattle lures the innocent cattle
It is the only job in town

Yeah I know Spirit of the Age is coming home
Here it comes

A 747 is landing on your head
A hand reaches out and you find you're dead
Scared of the tarot and scared of the score
But you went in deep cos you needed more
But Karma is a boomerang and here it comes again
Feels like the country is a going round the bend

Yeah I know Spirit of the Age is coming home

There were a few blue singlets at the garage sale
No-one was cheering at the treasures they were clearing
Desperate fictions are in my book
Howl of the dashboard culture that shook
But Karma is a boomerang it's bound some down again
Feels like the country is just a going round the bend

Yeah I know spirit of the Age is coming home

(J.Moginie/P.Garrett - Midnight Oil)

Don't want to live in a prison cell
don't want to live in a smoking room,
independence just won't come to you
in the brief of a diplomat.

Say your prayers for the future
say your prayers for the past,
it might be round the corner
it might be all we have.
Say your Prayers.

Don't want to live with a compromise
don't want to live with hypocrisy,
bureaucracy doesn't have to win
breaks the cage of the beast within.

Say your prayers in the boardroom
say your prayers on the stairs,
it might be catastrophic
it might be too damn bad.
Say your prayers.

I got the cure for compassion fatigue
spend a week with the Timorese,
running scared from the military
you can share you can share your disease.

Now we don't live with an absent master
we don't live on an island divided,
don't want my kids to grow up in shame
in a country with a different name
had to throw them out, had to break the chains.

I got the cure for compassion fatigue
spend a week with the Timorese,
running scared from the military
I come to you with a plaintive plea.

Come and see the real thing
Come and see the real thing
Come and see

Come and see the real thing
Come and see the real thing
Come and see

Is there a meaning here
Is there a meaning here
Does it really mean a thing?

Come and see the real thing
Come and see the real thing
Come and see
I am the real thing

Ooh mow mow mow mow...

Tryin hard to understand it
Tryin hard to make things real
Tryin hard to understand it
But the real things just so sweet
But there's a meaning here
If there's a meaning here
Does it really mean a thing?
Come and see the real thing
Come and see the real thing
Come and see...
I am the real thing

Ooh mow mow mow mow

I am not seeing
I am not feeling
I...

Tryin hard to make things happen
Well it's the way it's always been
Tryin hard to make things happen
When the real thing can be so thin

Is there a meaning here
Is there a meaning here
Does it really mean a thing

Come and see the real thing
Come and see the real thing
Come and see...
I am the real thing
Ooh mow mow mow mow...

I am not seeing
I am not feeling
I...

Ooh mow mow mow mow

Skating down the street just beware;
people dropping dirt bombs everywhere.
when you smell that asphalt grin
and you feel it burn your skin

Its gravelrash!
burning on your ass
Gravelrash.
stay away from those cheap mopeds
dangerous on the road protect your head
enjoy the sun the beach and the smiles
beware the sand on the corner arhh!
Burning my ass
its gravelrash yeah!
woo hoo hooo! alright!

Gravelrash.
Goodnight.

I am gone, can't waste more time
I said, not quite joking
The fire has gone the big trees stand
The underground is smoking

Remember nothing you've been told
Means anything to me
And everything you hold is mine
In the barest degree

I walked up to the park
The lion rock was weeping
I walked on to the grave
The lizard king was sleeping

Remember nothing you've been told...

The day's draw long, too long to count
Cushioned by the wasting
Restless age, the rusted temple
A place of my own making

No matter what else you've been told
It's still all up to me
And everything you own, is mine
In the barest degree, in the barest degree

There is a place we're coming to
It is not green it is not blue
I hope that you understand

The devil was a dancing on the old foreshore
Hitting up on bright lights and the liquor stores
Save me, please save me

We got to prick that bubble in the shopping arcade
Gonna make amends for the things we've said
I do hope that you understand

Dirty washing on the line, footsteps in the sand
Whose gonna lead us on to some promised land
Save me

The devil was a dancing on the old foreshore
Hitting up on bright lights and the liquor stores
Yeah tell me, please save me

The land lives longer if we listen to the earth beat
Lives go forward if we listen to the hearts speak
Seasons won't falter, stars won't fade away
I know

Gonna find myself a place in the country
Wake up and reach out and breathe real air
Do you know how it feels clean tissue no scars

Dirty washing on the line, footsteps in the sand
Whose gonna lead us onto some kind of promised land
Save me

Devil was a dancing on the old foreshore
Hitting up on bright lights and the cut price the liquor stores
I say

The land lives longer if we listen to our hearts speak
Lives go forward if we listen to the earth beat
Seasons won't falter, stars won't fade away
Fade away
They won't fade away

There is a place I was born
It is a place I?e never seen
Don? even know where it is
Don? even know my name

Where is home, where is my home?
I? searching far and wide

It? a bastard song
It is the feeling that everything? wrong
We are alive, we that have wings
We have devices can do anything, I say

Where is home, where is my home?
I hear my spirit cry

If you?e out of transmission, way out on the road
If you?e out of commission I can, give you the code
Darkness is coming and it? in your command
Time to be moving, time

There is a town I was born
Now there? a place I?e got to call home

Where is home, where is my home?
I? searching far and wide, oh yeah
Where is home, where is my home?
I hear my spirit cry
It? in the clear blue sky

Here comes the angel of death
You may not remember her yet
Concrete all over her face
Child bride of the human race

Until you see life in the forest
Until you hear you?e been abolished
Forget everything that you think you?e been promised
Bring on the change

Sunscreen all over your face
Chatswood wasn? built in a day
Mysteries are in this game, I say
Shine on, take me away

Heads in the bank, hearts in the closet
Soul? out to lunch, will soon be upon us
We believe everything that we see, let? be honest
And bring on the change

Lift up your eyes, look to the heavens
Could be a sign, or a seven-eleven
Some day we?l see everything they?e been selling
Bring on the change c?on, c?on
Bring on the change, I say
You gotta bring on the change

Sorry I am for the hurt I caused
Grieving I still do over careless words
As I move freely to a place
The debris I left behind comes back into my day

Out of time disconnected
Plagued by senses sweet desire, out of time
Out of time deluded
I plunged my hand into the mother load of love

In the rain calling out his name, I call, yes I call
In the rain falls on my shame it falls, yes it falls
In the rain

Life picked me up this morning and thrust me to the world
Like a child I? hurtled forward
Dreaming things anew, sights I see sound true
All the places, open faces gracing everything I view

In the rain falls on my shame I call,yes I call
In the rain falling on my shame I call yes, I call
In the rain calling out his name, I fall, yes I fall
In the rain

Hope you?e a God, your turn to pray
Hope you've a God, it's your turn to pray
Light on the hill so far away
The light on the hill is so far away
Boy, where are you now
With skin so brown, get out of town

Star of Hope, star of Glory
Shine upon this half made man
To himself, he begs, steals or borrows
But you won't be seeing him again

Hope you've a God it's your turn to pray
Hope you've a God it's your turn to pray
Light on the hill is so far away
Sign on the hill says it's the judgment day

Howl, where are you now
Words fly around, get out of town

Star of Hope, star of Glory
Shine upon this half made man
Blinded by, a new tomorrow
You wont be seeing him again

Howl, where are you now
Where skin's so brown, get out of town

Star of Hope, star of Glory
Shining on this a frying pan
To yourself if there's some tomorrow
You wont be needing me again

Star of Hope, star of Glory
Shine upon me if you can
To myself, beg, steal and borrow
You wont be seeing me again

She was the golden summer wine
And now she? black and blue resigned
He took advantage like the spider, helpless
One too many times

You had to go ahead and sing
You had to steal that diamond ring
Upon the headstone so inscribed, they cried
One too many times

We are so human, we?e so small
We?e always coming back for more
A second helping third and fourth, it? gone
One too many times
One too many times

Well I'm as old as the hills
And young as the day
Nobody sees things, in quite the same way
Computers and shovels, churches and brothels
Mannequins and skeletons, cities and dustbowls

Here we go here we go again
Hear the clamour of the feeding pen
New day new way all my friends can say

Cyclone fences in the cybernetic orchard
Miracle drugs, discount bulk purchase
Sacred in the forest, fast food in the kiosk
Cardboard dinners and the saints and the sinners

I don't want to run and hide
I've seen it all from either side
Truth and fiction must collide someday

God knows, God knows, God knows it's been fun

Ah, sweet sensation, the oldest temptation
Now throughout the ages, we've been a' turning all those pages
Now each generation you've got to choose a new location
Got to reach out, got to sync up, build up, get up, to a stronger foundation

God knows, God knows, God knows it's been fun

(Garrett/Moginie)

In the cities and the towns
The word is coming down
No more doubt, no more pain
There's been a dragging of the chain
Now there's a price we gotta pay
No way out, no way round

Where is the town that we lived in, brother?
Where is the sound of the church bells, sister?
Now is the time to heal

You keep running from the wheel
But there? nothing left to feel
Empty heart down and out
Now the writer? can? explain
Why we?e playing up again
No way out, no way down

Where is the hope of a clean tomorrow?
Hope only offers when justice is coming
Now is the time to heal

Where is the ground, the beloved country?
Women and men who have fallen silent
Where are the words that can speak forgiveness?
Now is the time
Now is the time
Now is the time to heal

COMMON GROUND

THESE ARE NOT DISPASSIONATE WORDS OF THE COOL / THE HEADLINE STILL RULES THE EDITOR'S A FOOL / SHALL WE DOUSE OUT THE FLAMES OR WILL EVERYBODY FUSE / AND LEAVE US STRANDING HERE TOMORROW / I HEARD A CALLING OUT. A CRY FROM THE HEART / FROM THE TOWNS OF CEMENT AND NO BEAUTY / A WHISPER IT TURNED HOWL. MAN HE DIDN'T KNOW / HE WAS STANDING WAITING FOR TOMORROW / NOTHING'S LEFT NOTHING'S FOUND THERE MUST BE SOME COMMON GROUND / NOTHING'S LEFT NOTHING'S FOUND THERE MUST BE SOME COMMON GROUND / I COULD NEVER FIGURE THE CALENDARS FLOW / NOR CAN I WORK OUT HOW THE WILD WIND BLOWS / BUT WE'RE READY FROM WITHIN AND WE'RE STARTING TO GO / AWAY FROM THE PLACE OF NO TOMORROW / NOTHING'S LEFT NOTHING'S FOUND THERE MUST BE SOME COMMON GROUND / NOTHING'S LEFT NOTHING'S FOUND THERE MUST BE SOME COMMON GROUND / OH THE WRECKING FIELDS ARE A TERRIBLE PLACE. WITH A SULPHUROUS SMELL AND A FRIGHTENING PACE AND THE HOOK GOES IN EARLY AND THE CRITIC IS KING AND IT'S HARD TO STAY HUMAN AND STAND IN THE RING / THERE'S NO TIME TO BE ABSENT, A CLOWN OR A FOOL / WHILE SHYLOCK IS SMILING WE'RE LOADED LIKE MULES / IF WE SURRENDER OURSELVES TO INDUSTRIAL RULES / WE'LL WAKE UP IN THE WRECKAGE OF TOMORROW/ NOW / NOTHING'S LEFT NOTHING'S FOUND THERE MUST BE SOME COMMON GROUND / NOTHING'S LEFT / SOMETHING'S FOUND CAN WE SEE SOME COMMON GROUND

Wherever the wind blows
When it blows over the sea
The moon's sitting high
Waves will rise
Water shapes
Waves will take you, take you there

Surf's up tonight

Summers on hold
It will go running away
You've gotta move now
Get inside
Take that dive
Get inside today

Surf's up tonight
Now I was lonely
And you were too


I met you down at the waterline

Now there's something we can do
Now there's something left to do
Oh yeah

Surf's up tonight

Wherever you are
When you're coming over land
There's a place where you can throw it away
There's a place you can forget
You get wet, it's free
You get high, you're alive

Surf's up tonight
Come on up tonight
Surf's up tonight

Scanning at the blue bended headlands
White flurry scudded, a dark silhouette flashes by, in the wet
It is glistening flesh
In the deep marine, in the deep marine
There is room for make believe out in the ocean
There is room for make believe out on the land
In the wet, in the dream, if its flashing then seen
In the deep marine, in the deep marine

Looking to the white framed headland
Green pockets dropping, a bright cockatoo
Circles up in the breeze, in the realm you can't reach
In the deep marine, in the deep marine
There is room for make believe out in the ocean
There is room for make believe out on the land
In the west, crashes by, its a green silhouette
In the deep marine, in the deep marine

No one can make her, no one can break her down
Underwater, over land
No one can make her, no one can break her
Underwater, over land
No one can make her, no one can break her
She is what she is and no one can bring her down, bring her down

Looking to the white framed headland
Green pockets dropping a bright cockatoo
Circles up in the breeze, in the realm you can't reach
In the deep marine, in the deep marine
There is room for make believe out in the ocean
There is room for make believe out on the land
In the wet, flashes by, its a green silhouette
In the deep marine, in the deep marine

No one can make her, no one can break her
Underwater, overland
No one can break her, no one can fake her
She it what she is and no one can bring her down, bring her down

Underwater, overland

No one can squeeze her, no one can freeze her now
No one can make her, no one can break her down
No one can seize her, no one can freeze her
She is what she is and you've got to see it

Here comes the olive branch man
He'll press it any way he can
He tries so hard to understand

Here comes the tired statesman
Heavy lidded bearded nowhere left to land
He makes the jigsaw fit
With a hammer in his hand
It's just a drop in the ocean

Here comes the nightmare man
He's got the numbers bottom line and sleight of hand
He's smiling everywhere he can with feeling
For every fallen soldier every grain of sand
It's just a drop in the ocean

One thing's for sure
That it's still the same
That young folk die
For some noble aim
And they live so fast
But they die so young
And we just keep wondering
What the hell went wrong

Yeah, they live so fast
But they die so young
And we just keep wondering
What goes on

It's such a shame
Such a useless shame
That they have to play
Such a hopeless game
And it makes me shake
Makes me shake with rage
For the wasted lives
For nothing gained

Coz they die so fast
And they die so young
And we just keep wondering
What goes on?
What goes on?
What goes on?
What goes on?
You tell me what goes on?
What goes on?
What goes on?

You got a good thing before
You got everything to live for
Ain't nothing you want to die for
No, no, nothing at all

Coz you live so fast
But you die so young
And we just keep wondering
wondering, wondering

Yeah, whatcha gonna do now, now that you started?
Whatcha gonna do now, now that it's done?
The words got out there, they float around and are coming right back down.
You gonna leave us lying here
Dealing with the consequences of a bad sound
Of a bad sound.

White skin black heart
White skin black heart

Whatcha gonna do now, that it's spoken?
These words of a habit, have not faded away.
.................... it clear, conscious gets opened like a wound.
If you can't concieve a better line and better times,
Then let silence bury you, in the end.
When you feel it, when you feel it
You're condemned.

You see, you've lost your strangle on the freedom road! You
think ........................of something a long time ago! You
[spewed it out you were so] insecure! It was like ............. on
the toilet floor! You're a [nine seat] drunk, ............... and
you say you want something, .......... you heard the rednecks
roaring for blood and then they wanted more! Life was so small, you
couldn't get enough. You made a start.

White skin black heart
Dripping,
White skin black heart

White skin black heart
White skin black heart

White skin black heart
Drag your eyes from [aurora] black heart!
White skin black heart
Drag your leg, get outta here [my sight]!
White skin black heart
White skin black heart
White skin black heart
White skin black heart
You didn't have to start
White skin black heart
White skin black heart