MIDNIGHT OIL - Blue Sky mine REACTION - First time hearing 

The song is about former workers at the Wittenoom asbestos mine in Western Australia getting compensation. The proceeds from the song were donated to the asbestos disease victims.

"Blue Sky Mine" has the greatest harmonica work of all time for any rock song.... PERIOD! Peter Garrett did a masterful job. It also has to be said that this masterpiece belongs on the top 100 Rock Songs of All Time. It would be at the bottom of my list but on the list without question! Congratulations on a nice review.

Back in the 80’s when Midnight Oil first became popular in the US I was instantly hooked. The anger in the songs and Peter Garrett’s subdued but powerful growl were something I didn’t even know I needed. They are still a favorite.

All of their songs are political and deep, but musically, I think this is my favourite Midnight Oil song, Bedlam Bridge is also right up there, oh and King Of The Mountain, oh hell, they're all great. Thanks for reacting to them Harri.

Great reaction!! This is one of my favourite Oils song. So powerful! Released in 1990, the song is about the workers at the Wittenoom asbestos mines (Western Australia) who contracted various asbestos-related diseases. 'Blue' refers to dangerous blue asbestos. 'Sugar refining company' is a reference to the Colonial Sugar Refining Company that owned the mine. The mines closed in the 1960's. I had relatives that lived and worked in Wittenoom, and died as a result of the asbestos.

At a Canadian music festival in the 90s Peter Garret noticed a short girl in the front getting knocked around by a mosh pit. He stopped the concert and asked them to stop so people up front could enjoy the show. When they didn't, he stopped the music again and chewed them out for creating a playground and threatened to end the concert. The audience shouted them down and they finally broke up the pit.

Liked this song when it came out. Great vocals and story telling. One of a few bands I liked from 80's. Thanks for sharing Harri!

Love them! They were the first band I ever heard that I knew they had a message! So damn good!

Massive Midnight Oil fan here since their punk days in the late-70s. Really appreciate that you've given them some much-deserved "reaction" time. They deserve it! Great choice too. Blue Sky Mining is one of their three greatest albums.

Back in the 70's I worked in a factory and according to the EPA at that time I worked with about 7 of the top ten worst chemicals to be around and was still told there was nothing there that would hurt me. And this was one of the better places to work at for that job.

the line that says, 'they'll be paying your pocket tonight' is incorrect. It is 'There'll be pay in your pocket tonight.' Cheers m8!

M.O. has such a deep library. My favorites are Progress and Dreamworld.

This is the song!

Great band and reaction

great album as well

Great drums.

Such a great band and song

Great band, always with a strong message.

My favourite band. Enjoy. This is the only band I appreciate more than the Beatles.

A lot of the fellas who worked in those mines later died due to asbestosis, worse still was many indigenous men were lured into working at these mines by the companies one of which, James Hardie was fully aware of the risks to the health of the workers. The mining companies fought tooth and nail to prevent having to pay compensation to the men and their families. Sadly we are going through it again now with people getting silica in their lungs after working in stone mines without proper PPE. It’s a constant battle in Australia sadly.

blue sky mining is about mining for blue asbestos which is the most dealiest form of asbestos and the song is about the asbestos town Wittenoom that became so contaminated that you cannot go to that abandoned town even now 55 years later and where hundreds of miners died of mesothelioma - the rain coming down is washing away the fine blue asbestos powder that would cover the ground - it is a sad and terrible story no happy ending im afraid - its abit like contaminated radioactive towns where it will be centuries before it is safe to go into

Beds are Burning is my favorite Midnight oil.

"Hope the crumbs in my pocket can keep me for another night"

Thank you. You have given the best and true response to this song.

Powerful and thoughtful lyricism, after all the pain and worry, it ends with ‘we’ve got nothing to fear’ that being what the owners of the mine told them. And then followed by ‘in the end the rain comes down’ as the rain with settle the dangers of the dusty asbestos

The story is much more than “just” exploitation of workers. It’s the fact that asbestos mining is deadly to the miners, and the mining companies refused to pay any compensation to their workers. It took years of court cases to force the asbestos companies to take responsibility and pay up, long after the mining and use of asbestos was banned, and many workers died an agonizing death with asbestosis in the meantime. Brilliant band - always relevant and forthright with their messaging, combined with outstanding musicianship. They’re now on the final leg of their worldwide farewell tour, taking their music to remote communities in the Australian Outback after sellout concerts in the US and Europe.

Damn, whoever made the lyric video didn’t do their homework 😂

Another outstanding reaction video! Love Midnight Oil and I love your channel! Thanks so much!!!!

Your commentaries are so cool, Harri. Keep 'm coming....

Cheers for the video mate 😎 👌

"Sugar slaves By: Imelda Miller White Society used them as labourers when needed and discarded them when no longer needed: they were coerced and expendable labour Human Rights & Equal Opportunity Commission 1992 Australian South Sea Islanders today consider our ancestors to have been the Sugar Slaves. South Sea Islanders, transported to Australia as a cheap source of labour, worked in the development and establishment of the new Queensland sugar industry. They came predominately from Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands; but also New Caledonia, Fiji, Gilbert Islands, New Ireland, and Milne Bay Provinces of Papua New Guinea. These peoples were collectively referred to time Kanakas, but we prefer to be called South Sea Islanders as the word 'kanaka' is considered derogatory by Islander communities in the Pacific and Australia. Between 1863 and 1904, 62,000 South Sea Islanders were brought to Australia to work in the sugar industry. They arrived at several major ports along the eastern coastline including Brisbane, Maryborough, Bundaberg, Rockhampton, Mackay, Bowen, Townsville, Innisfail and Cairns."

My father Dave Roberts was a deputy shire president for the shire of Ashburton and late premier Ernie Bridge declared the old mining town of Wittenoom gorge mines and townsite closed down from late 1980.s till now and now its biggest contiminated zone in the southern hemisphere

It's about asbestos mining.

I was born in a drought in the central west of New South Wales in 1982, and it was dry & hot. But this song is more about even more dry and arid areas in the inner part of my state or even more remote areas. This band was a legit Australian soundtrack. Peter Garrett is now a politician in our parliament.

brilliant song!

MUSIC WITH A MESSAGE THE STORY OF THE OILS

Although this song is about the tragedy of asbestos it can be about ANY “dirty mining”

5.35 acordes da guitarra o máximo

It's specifically about asbestos mining, and the sickness and death that resulted for the workers, and for people who used the products.

Mesothelioma, a horrible lung disease caused by asbestos dust that not only affected the miners but also the wives and children of the miners. The James Hardy Group of companies relocated out of Australia to Holland so as to avoid litigation that they knew that they would not be able to defend.

The tragedy of a "Blue Sky Mine" Wittenoom, Western Australia. The blue asbestos fibres cause asbestosis, which can develop into mesothelioma. Having friends die from this insidious disease, its a truly awful diagnosis. The sugar refining company (mine owners) and the Govt KNEW decades beforehand of the dangers. The men, women, and children exposed were given a life sentence of sorts. Will it get me too? One fibre is all it takes. Wittenoom has been closed as a town, but the asbestos is still there. The damage will continue, people will continue to succumb to the disease, and the headstones will increase. Nothings as precious, as a hole in the ground... Rest in peace Mr Mac, my neighbour, my surrogate grandfather. You fought a tough battle. I wint forget you.

Check out 'River Runs Red' Midnight Oil.

Amazing lyrics . Sadly still true

Peter garret did tribute concert for blue asbestos mining town of Wittenoom and was a biggest contamination zone within Wittenoom gorge mines and old now and please send message to people who travel around Australia and don't go in western Australia Australia

I cry when listen that song.

Along the same political/economic line, the song “Big Money” by RUSH is great! The lyrics to the best songs are worth hearing, and Midnight Oil is one of the best modern examples. The song “Eyes Wide Open” by Gotye is the most upsetting song nowadays. It’s about the aftermath of the climate crisis. Corporations are going to be the ruin of us. I weep every time I listen to it. ✌️❤️🇨🇦

Not sure why he couldn’t use the original video as it is very powerful with the images and the signs showing Wittenoom and the flashes of CSR and the court cases. I don’t believe the whole thing was settled and the fact the WA took a while to close up the town and get all the residents out. The buildings are down. No signs indicating where Wittenoom is and the roads blocked. But the area is still covered with blue asbestos. It should be cleared up but with the money it would take, just not sure how that will be accomplished if there is an attempt to do so.

Listen new song Rising Seas is amazing song by Midnight Toil

please react to truganini also

The line is “there’ll be pay in your pocket tonight”. Who did those lyrics, a bot??

sugar refining company = aka CSR

People were dying of cancer because of working in the mines years after they finished working there

Who's gonna shave me!

Australia one of the highest tax country in the world why our household debt high

Mate there is nothing as pressing as as a hole in in the ground.

Dude it’s not about the harmonica it’s about the Asbestos

This song explains the ridiculousness of the white privilege claims

Search "Wittenoom Blue Asbestos Mine Australia"