Beds Are Burning

"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.

"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^[1]
Studio	Albert Studios, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Genre	Rock^[2] pub rock^[3] R&B^[2]^[4]
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)
Alternative cover
Side A of the US single
Audio sample
file help
Music video
Beds Are Burning on YouTube

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".^[5]

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.^[6]

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, Jim Moginie and Rob Hirst 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?"^[7] 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".^[8]

In an interview with British website and publication Songwriting Magazine, Rob Hirst discussed how Midnight Oil were determined to be seen as an Australian band. In the same conversation he stated, "Land rights are something that appear in so many countries around the world, New Zealand, Canada, the United States, but we were determined that Midnight Oil wouldn't be seen as one of those international bands, writing songs that could have come from anywhere. We were determined to put place names and other specific bits and pieces in all our songs."^[9]

Track listings

Australian 7" single

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Beds Are Burning"	Hirst, Moginie, Garrett	3:52
2.	"Gunbarrel Highway"	Hirst, Moginie, Garrett	3:37

Australian 12"/CD Maxi single

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Beds Are Burning"	Hirst, Moginie, Garrett	3:52
2.	"Gunbarrel Highway"	Hirst, Moginie, Garrett	3:37
3.	"Sometimes"	Hirst, Moginie, Garrett	3:45

UK 12" single

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Beds Are Burning" (Single Version)	Hirst, Moginie, Garrett	4:15
2.	"Beds Are Burning" (Yuendumu Percapella Mix)	Hirst, Moginie, Garrett	4:27
3.	"The Dead Heart" (Long Version)	Hirst, Moginie, Garrett, Martin Rotsey, Peter Gifford	6:07

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1987–1989) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)^[10] 6 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[11] 2 Canada Top Singles (RPM)^[12] 1 Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)^[13] 20 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100 Singles)^[14] 20 France (SNEP)^[15] 5 Ireland (IRMA)^[16] 11 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[17] 3 Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[18] 3 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[19] 1 South Africa (Springbok Radio)^[20] 1 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)^[21] 17 UK Singles (OCC)^[22] 6 US Billboard Hot 100^[23] 17 US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard)^[23] 6 US Hot Dance Club Play (Billboard)^[23] 20 US Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales (Billboard)^[23] 45 US Cash Box Top 100^[24] 26 Chart (2020) Peak position Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100)^[25] 58

Year-end charts Chart (1987) Rank Australia (Australian Music Report)^[26] 21 Chart (1988) Rank Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[27] 47 Canada Top Singles (RPM)^[28] 6 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100 Singles)^[29] 84 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[30] 25 Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[31] 30 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[32] 11 South Africa (Springbok Radio)^[33] 10 Chart (1989) Rank UK Singles (OCC)^[34] 99

Certifications and sales

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)^[35]	Platinum	70,000^^
Canada (Music Canada)^[36]	Gold	50,000^^
France (SNEP)^[37]	Silver	250,000^*
^* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Live version

"Beds Are Burning"
Live Maxi-Single
Single by Midnight Oil
from the album Scream in Blue
Released	1992
Recorded	Our Common Future Concert, Darlinghurst, 1989
Length	4:05
Label	Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Rob Hirst Jim Moginie Peter Garrett
Midnight Oil singles chronology
"Sometimes" (1992) "Beds Are Burning" (1992) "Truganini" (1993)

A live recording from 1989 was released in 1992, as the second and final single from the band's compilation of live recordings album, Scream in Blue.

Track listing

CD Maxi

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Beds Are Burning" (live)	Hirst, Moginie, Garrett	4:05
2.	"No Reaction" (live)	Hirst, Moginie, Martin Rotsey	2:56
3.	"Instant Karma!" (live)	John Lennon	3:44

Cover versions

• In 2001, a cover of "Beds Are Burning" was included on the eponymous Underground Moon album, a one-off modern rock project by former War & Peace band mates, Jeff Pilson (Foreigner, Dokken), using the pseudonym Dominic Moon, and Tommy Henriksen (Alice Cooper, Warlock).^[38]
• 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,^[39] which aims to draw attention to what they perceive as the urgency of global warming, by signing a "musical petition" with each download.
• Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings released a cover version on their 2018 album Studio Time. Wyman himself performed co-lead vocals.
• On 1 May 2018, Canadian hardcore punk band Comeback Kid released a beefed up version of the song on a digital/7-inch release along with a new original song "Little Soldier".^[40]
• on 1 June, 2018, Patti Smith performed a version live in Dublin, Ireland. Smith leads into the song with her own 3-minute spoken-word intro about the Aboriginal people of Australia, and the destruction of the Great Barrier Reef.^[41]
• 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.^[42]
• On 18 February 2020, Australian Julia Stone released a version of the song. The song is the lead single from the 2020 various artists compilation album Songs for Australia.^[43]
• On 25 February 2022, American band Awolnation released a cover of the song in collaboration with Tim McIlrath of Rise Against. The song is the second release for the album of covers My Echo, My Shadow, My Covers, set for release on 6 May 2022.^[44]
• A bilingual Arrernte-English version was released by Northern Territory band Southeast Desert Metal in July 2022.^[45]

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. Harrington, Jim (2015). "Midnight Oil - "Beds Are Burning". In Dimery, Robert (ed.). 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die. New York: Universe. p. 598.
3. Gawne, Holley (17 October 2021). "Check out 14 of the most iconic Aussie pub rock songs". Tone Deaf. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
4. Fricke, David (2004). "Midnight Oil". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 541–542. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
5. . Australasian Performing Right Association. 28 May 2001. Archived from the original on 8 March 2008.
6. "Here Are the Songs That Made Triple M's 'Ozzest 100'". Music Feeds. 27 January 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
7. 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.
8. Mueller, Andrew (11 March 2014). "Australian anthems: Midnight Oil – Beds are Burning". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
9. Haskell, Duncan (5 May 2019). "How I Wrote Beds Are Burning". Songwriting Magazine. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
10. 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.
11. "Midnight Oil – Beds Are Burning" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
12. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 8655." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
13. "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 8558." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
14. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 5, no. 40. 1 October 1988. p. 25. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
15. "Midnight Oil – Beds Are Burning" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
16. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Beds Are Burning". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
17. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Midnight Oil - Beds Are Burning" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
18. "Midnight Oil – Beds Are Burning" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
19. "Midnight Oil – Beds Are Burning". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
20. "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (M)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
21. "Midnight Oil – Beds Are Burning". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
22. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
23. "Midnight Oil – Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
24. . Cash Box. Archived from the original on 7 October 2012.
25. "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay Top 100. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
26. "National Top 100 Singles for 1987". Australian Music Report. 28 December 1987. Retrieved 21 December 2019 – via Imgur.
27. "Jaaroverzichten 1988". Ultratop (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 May 2014.
28. "Top 100 Single of '88" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 49, no. 10. 24 December 1988. p. 9. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
29. "1988 Year End Eurocharts > Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6, no. 52/1. 1 January 1988. p. 30. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
30. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1988". Dutch Top 40 (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 May 2014.
31. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1988". Single Top 100 (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 May 2014.
32. "End of Year Charts 1987". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
33. "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1988". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
34. "Year End Singles". Record Mirror. 27 January 1990. p. 44.
35. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2014 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
36. "Canadian single certifications – Midnight Oil – Beds Are Burning". Music Canada.
37. "French single certifications – Midnight Oil – Beds Are Burning" (in French). InfoDisc. Select MIDNIGHT OIL and click OK. 
38. "Jeff Pilson's Underground Moon to See Debut Reissued". Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles. 1 August 2008. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
39. Mogu, Jason (1 October 2009). . Tcktcktck.org. Archived from the original on 4 October 2009.
40. Hughes, Josiah (4 May 2018). "Comeback Kid Share Cover of Midnight Oil's "Beds Are Burning"". Exclaim!. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
41. https://www.slicingupeyeballs.com/2018/06/19/patti-smith-beds-are-burning-video/
42. "Amanda Palmer Announces Australian Charity Record; Releases Midnight Oil Cover". BroadwayWorld. 20 February 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
43. 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.
44. Cashmere, Paul (25 February 2022). "Awolnation Covers Midnight Oil's 'Bed Are Burning' with Tim McIlrath of Rise Against". Noise11.com. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
45. Jonscher, Samantha; Goetze, Eliza (6 July 2022). "Southeast Desert Metal realise burning ambition with Arrernte cover of Midnight Oil hit to coincide with NAIDOC Week". ABC News. Retrieved 8 July 2022.