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"Beds Are Burning"
Australian seven-inch vinyl single
Single by Midnight Oil
from the album Diesel and Dust
B-side	"Gunbarrel Highway" "Bullroarer" (US only)
Released	10 August 1987
Studio	Albert Studios, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Length	4:18
Label	Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Rob Hirst Jim Moginie Peter Garrett
Producer(s)	Warne Livesey Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil singles chronology
"The Dead Heart" (1986) "Beds Are Burning" (1987) "Put Down That Weapon" (1987)
Audio sample
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"Beds Are Burning" is a 1987 song by the Australian rock band Midnight Oil, the first track from their album Diesel and Dust. This song was released as the second single from the album. It reached No. 1 in New Zealand, South Africa and Canada, No. 3 in the Netherlands, No. 5 in France, No. 6 in the United Kingdom, Australia and Ireland, No. 17 in the United States and Sweden.

It is one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll and it was named number 95 on VH1's 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s and number 97 by the Triple J Hottest 100 of All Time in 2009.

In May 2001, Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) celebrated its 75th anniversary by naming the Best Australian Songs of all time, as decided by a 100 strong industry panel. "Beds Are Burning" was declared third behind the Easybeats' "Friday on My Mind" and Daddy Cool's "Eagle Rock".

In January 2018, as part of Triple M's "Ozzest 100", the 'most Australian' songs of all time, "Beds Are Burning" was ranked number 9.

Composition

After Midnight Oil toured through the Outback in 1986, playing to remote Aboriginal communities and seeing first hand the seriousness of the issues in health and living standards, Peter Garrett wrote "Beds Are Burning" to criticize how said populations were often forcibly removed from their lands, highlighted by the pre-chorus lines "it belongs to them, let's give it back". Considering such a local affair inspired a worldwide hit, Garrett commented "Who would have thought an Aboriginal land rights song would travel that far?" There are specific references to certain Australian places and politics, such as Kintore Ranges and the town of Yuendumu, vehicles produced by the Holden company, the "It's Time" slogan and the notion of "fair go".

Charts

Other appearances

• Live at the World Café: Handcrafted (2002, World Café)

Cover versions

• On 2 October 2009, 60 musicians and celebrities from around the world released a free reworked version to highlight climate change issues before the United Nations' talks in Copenhagen. Singers included Lily Allen, Klaus Meine of the Scorpions, Simon Le Bon from Duran Duran, Tyson Ritter of The All-American Rejects and Bob Geldof. The former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the French actress Marion Cotillard also added their voices to the cover version. The song is part of Global Humanitarian Forum TckTckTck Time for Climate justice campaign and is a part of the greater "TckTckTck" project, which aims to draw attention to the urgency of the global warming crisis, by signing a "musical petition" with each download.
• On 18 February 2020, US musician Amanda Palmer released a version of the song, as the lead single from her album Forty-Five Degrees - A Bushfire Charity Flash Record. Palmer's version features Missy Higgins, Brian Viglione and Jherek Bischoff.
• On 18 February 2020, Australian Julia Stone released a version of the song. The song is the lead single from the forthcoming album Songs for Australia.

See also

• List of number-one singles of 1988 (Canada)
• List of number-one singles from the 1980s (New Zealand)

References

1. "Singles: New Releases". Australian Music Report. 10 August 1987. Retrieved 21 December 2019 – via Imgur.
2. "The final list: APRA'S Ten best Australian Songs". Archived from the original on 8 March 2008.. Australasian Performing Right Association. 28 May 2001.
3. "Here Are the Songs That Made Triple M's 'Ozzest 100'". Music Feeds. 27 January 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
4. McCabe, Kathy (14 November 2016). "Peter Garrett reflects on Midnight Oil anthem Beds Are Burning as you decide the Best ARIA Song". News.com.au. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
5. Mueller, Andrew (11 March 2014). "Australian anthems: Midnight Oil – Beds are Burning". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
6. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 200. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
7. "Midnight Oil – Beds Are Burning" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
8. "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 8558." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
9. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 8655." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
10. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 5, no. 40. 1 October 1988. p. 25. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
11. "Midnight Oil – Beds Are Burning" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
12. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Beds Are Burning". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
13. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Midnight Oil - Beds Are Burning" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
14. "Midnight Oil – Beds Are Burning" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
15. "Midnight Oil – Beds Are Burning". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
16. "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (M)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
17. "Midnight Oil – Beds Are Burning". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
18. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
19. ^ "Midnight Oil – Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
20. "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending JUNE 25, 1988". Archived from the original on 7 October 2012.. Cash Box.
21. "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay Top 100. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
22. "National Top 100 Singles for 1987". Australian Music Report. 28 December 1987. Retrieved 21 December 2019 – via Imgur.
23. "Jaaroverzichten 1988". Ultratop (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 May 2014.
24. "Top 100 Single of '88" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 49, no. 10. 24 December 1988. p. 9. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
25. "1988 Year End Eurocharts > Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6, no. 52/1. 1 January 1988. p. 30. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
26. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1988". Dutch Top 40 (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 May 2014.
27. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1988". Single Top 100 (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 May 2014.
28. "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1988". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
29. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2014 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
30. "Canadian single certifications – Midnight Oil – Beds Are Burning". Music Canada.
31. "Les Singles / Titres Certifiés "Argent"". InfoDisc (in French). Retrieved 12 May 2016.
32. "Les Singles en Argent". InfoDisc (in French). Archived from the original on 12 January 2016.
33. Mogus, Jason (1 October 2009). "'Beds are Burning' brings celebrities together in support of TckTckTck and climate justice". Archived from the original on 4 October 2009.. Tcktcktck.org.
34. "Amanda Palmer Announces Australian Charity Record; Releases Midnight Oil Cover". BroadwayWorld. 20 February 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
35. Kenneally, Cerys (17 February 2020). "Julia Stone announces collaborative album with cover of Midnight Oil's "Beds Are Burning"". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 25 February 2020.

External links

• Template:MetroLyrics song

• 1987 singles
• 1987 songs
• APRA Award winners
• ARIA Award winners
• Columbia Records singles
• Midnight Oil songs
• Number-one singles in New Zealand
• Number-one singles in South Africa
• RPM Top Singles number-one singles