Read about It

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“Read about It”
Song by Midnight Oil
Album 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Released 1982
Genre Rock
Length 3:52
Label Columbia Records
Producer Midnight Oil, Nick Launay
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 track listing
  1. Outside World
  2. Only the Strong
  3. Short Memory
  4. Read about It
  5. Scream in Blue
  6. US Forces
  7. Power and the Passion
  8. Maralinga
  9. Tin-legs and Tin Mines
  10. Somebody's Trying to Tell Me Something
Midnight Oil chronology
"Power and the Passion"
(1982)		 "Read about It"
(1982)		 "US Forces"
(1983)

"Read about It" is a popular song by Midnight Oil from their 1982 studio album, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. It was the second single from the album. It was a favorite with the band and with fans, appearing at least once on every tour since its release and appearing at the WaveAid concert. Very few other Midnight Oil songs have appeared so often (only "Power and the Passion," "Beds Are Burning," "The Dead Heart," and "Say Your Prayers" are known to have been performed so often).

Contents

[edit] Song structure

This song and "Short Memory" are the same length and follow in quick succession. By contrast, however, to the somewhat slow, keyboard-led "Short Memory," "Read about It" is abrasively cathartic. Live performances were sometimes even more intense than the original, and may be one of the reasons the band sometimes had to be administered oxygen on stage. This more than likely explains the short gap found near the end.

[edit] Lyrics

The song targets printed media in particular. (note: These lyrics are transcribed from live version on Oils on the Water.)

You won't read about it
Read about it
Just another ridiculous deal
Ain't no doubt about it
Nothing ever happens
Nothing really matters
No one ever tells me
What am I to know
So what am I to know?

Beyond this, it also strikes at class structures with most of its lyrics outside the chorus.

The rich get richer
The poor get the picture
The bombs never hit you
When you're down so low
The bosses want decisions
The workers need ambitions
There won't be no collisions
When they move so slow

[edit] Compilations

The song's original studio version was featured on Flat Chat.

[edit] Live versions

Two live versions have been issued. The earlier and noticeably more intense, from early 1985 (Red Sails in the Sunset tour) is found on the Best of Both Worlds CD/2DVD package. The more recent, from 1990 (Blue Sky Mining tour) was not taken at such a ridiculously fast pace and is found on the Scream in Blue live retrospective.

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