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"Beds Are Burning" 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 a community with a population of about 400. Kintore and the town of Yuendumu are mentioned by name in the lyrics, as are vehicles produced by Holden.[citation needed] It's believed by some that the line, "How can we sleep while our beds are burning?", may also be a reference to his[who?] mother's death in a house fire years earlier.

Midnight Oil performed the song in front of a world audience of millions at the closing ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Then Prime Minister John Howard had triggered controversy that year with his refusal to embrace symbolic reconciliation and apologise to Indigenous Australians and members of the stolen generations. But he had also claimed that the reconciliation-themed "Beds Are Burning" was his favorite Midnight Oil song. The band played it dressed in black, with the word "Sorry" printed conspicuously all over their clothes, as a popular apology to indigenous people and to highlight the issue to Howard, who was in the audience as the ranking Olympic host.

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Q: What is the song 'beds are burning' by midnight oil about?
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When was Beds Are Burning created?

"Beds Are Burning" was created by the Australian rock band Midnight Oil in 1987. It became one of their most famous songs and addressed the issue of Indigenous land rights and cultural heritage in Australia.


How do you sleep while your beds your burning?

Peter garret: Midnight oil, How do you sleep while the beds are burning


Who is the girl that sings beds are burning?

Jessica Boehrs sang the "Midnight Oil song" with a group called Novaspace....


What is the target audience for beds are burning?

The target audience for "Beds are Burning" by Midnight Oil is generally people who are interested in social and environmental issues. The song's lyrics address the injustices faced by Indigenous Australians and advocate for their rights and land rights. It appeals to listeners who are socially conscious and politically engaged.


What actors and actresses appeared in Burning the Midnight Oil - 2013?

The cast of Burning the Midnight Oil - 2013 includes: Met Haynes as Met


What was meant by burning the midnight oil?

"Burning the midnight oil" is an idiomatic expression that means working late into the night. It refers to staying up late to work on a task or project that requires a significant amount of effort and focus.


What does burning the midnight oil mean?

"Burning the midnight oil" means working or studying late into the night, often to complete a task or meet a deadline. It implies putting in extra effort and sacrificing sleep in order to get work done.


What is the meaning of the song beds are burning?

Written by the Australian band Midnight Oil in 1987, this is a song about Aboriginal civil rights and land reform. It is condemning the crimes perpetrated against Australia's native population by white people over the Centuries, calling for Aborigines to be given back their ancestral lands and treated as equals, and asks how Australian society can live with itself when it knows of the injustices meted out to the Aboriginal population (hence the lines "How can we dance when our luck is turning, How can we sleep when our beds are burning") The chorus sums up the songs meaning: "The time has come to say fair's fair, To pay the rent now, to pay our share".


When was The Midnight Oil created?

The Midnight Oil was created in 1973.


When was Midnight Oil created?

Midnight Oil was created in 1971.


When did Midnight Oil end?

Midnight Oil ended in 2002.


What do the lyrics mean in midnight oil beds are buring?

The song is about Aboriginal land rights in Australia. The time has come to pay the rent refers to the prior ownership and occupation of Australia by its indigenous people and the need to acknowledge this and pay the traditional owners. The same is true of 'it belongs to them, let's give it back'.