The Dead Heart

"The Dead Heart"

Australian twelve-inch vinyl single
Single by Midnight Oil
from the album Diesel and Dust
Released 1986 (AUS)
1988 (UK, U.S.)
Genre Rock
Label Columbia
Producer(s) Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil singles chronology
"Best of Both Worlds"
(1985)		 "The Dead Heart"
(1986)		 "Beds Are Burning"
(1987)

"The Dead Heart" is a song by Australian rock band Midnight Oil.[1] It was first released as a single in Australia in 1986 and in the United Kingdom and the United States in 1988 after it had been included on the 1987 album, Diesel and Dust.[1] It peaked at number four on the Australian singles chart and at number eleven on the U.S. Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The song deals with the mistreatment of indigenous Australians and the nonrecognition of indigenous cultures in Australia, and was part of efforts to raise awareness of Australia's Stolen Generations - the forcible removal of Australian Aboriginal children from their families between 1909 and the 1970's.

Track listing

7" single
No. TitleWriter(s) Length
1. "The Dead Heart"  R. Hirst, J. Moginie, P. Garrett, M. Rotsey, P. Gifford[2] 5:10
2. "Kosciusko"  R. Hirst, J. Moginie, P. Garrett, M. Rotsey, W. Stevens[3] 4:57
Total length:
 10:07
12" single
No. TitleWriter(s) Length
1. "The Dead Heart"  R. Hirst, J. Moginie, P. Garrett, M. Rotsey, P. Gifford[2] 6:20
2. "Blackfella / Whitefella" (performed by Warumpi Band)N.Murray, G. Djilaynga[4] 3:25
3. "This Land" (performed by Coloured Stone)B.Lawrie[5] 5:00
Total length:
 14:45

Charts

Chart (1986) Peak
position
Australian Singles Chart 4
Chart (1988) Peak
position
Canadian Singles Chart 38
UK Singles Chart 68
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 53
U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks 11

Cover versions

Sydney-based punk rock band, Frenzal Rhomb recorded a significantly up-tempo version of the song for the 2001 album, Power & The Passion: A Tribute to Midnight Oil. In 2010, Canadian band Alexisonfire recorded a version for their limited edition tour EP.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Amicus". Collectionscanada.gc.ca.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "'The Dead Heart' at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  3. ↑ "'Kosciusko' at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  4. ↑ "'Blackfella / Whitefella' at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  5. ↑ "'This Land' at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 4 April 2014.

External links