Blue Sky Mine
Midnight Oil · Essential Oils [2012]
There'll be pay in your pocket tonight
My gut is wrenched out it is crunched up and broken
My life that is lived is no more than a token
Who'll strike the flint upon the stone and tell me why?
If I yell out at night there's a reply of blue silence
The screen is no comfort I can't speak my sentence
They blew the lights at heaven's gate and I don't know why
Chorus
But if I work all day on the blue sky mine
(There'll be food on the table tonight)
Still I walk up and down on the blue sky mine
(There'll be pay in your pocket tonight)
The candy store paupers lie to the shareholders
They're crossing their fingers they pay the truth makers
The balance sheet is breaking up the sky
So I'm caught at the junction still waiting for medicine
The sweat of my brow keeps on feeding the engine
Hope the crumbs in my pocket can keep me for another night
And if the blue sky mining company won't come to my rescue
If the sugar refining company won't save me
Who's gonna save me?
Chorus
And some have sailed from a distant shore
And the company takes what the company wants
And nothing's as precious
As a hole in the ground
Who's gonna save me?
I pray that sense and reason brings us in
Who's gonna save me?
We've got nothing to fear
In the end the rain comes down
Washes clean the streets of a blue sky town
Blue Sky Mine
Midnight Oil's "Blue Sky Mine" stands as a potent anthem within their broader catalogue of Australian political activism. Recorded for the 2012 compilation "Essential Oils," the track exemplifies the band's signature blend of punk energy and socially conscious lyricism. The song addresses the environmental degradation of mining operations, reflecting a recurring theme in the group's work that critiques industrial exploitation and its impact on the landscape. With its driving rhythm and urgent vocal delivery, the recording captures the frustration and determination characteristic of the band's engagement with national issues. It serves as a reminder of their commitment to raising awareness about ecological justice through their music, resonating with listeners who value music that speaks to contemporary social realities.