Shakers And Movers
Midnight Oil · Blue Sky Mining [1990]
The harlot and the autocrat, are they driving you further down
The season's rhymes, they anchor me, against the raging tide
Take you to the last wild place, skin and the stars they embrace
A caveman could a saint become, on a hospital ward on the Somme
We can dive into distant amoebas, our wings could melt in the sun
I can shake, I can move, but I live can't without your love
I can break, Over you, but I live without your love
Our poet Henry Lawson, he named them, the lay'em out brigade
Here they come, there they go, oh great god of development
Don't really know you yet
Coastline hosed down washed away, economics now there's nothing left
Tomorrow's child takes concrete footsteps
And they'll drink champagne or be damned
And the storm is breaking now, yes the storm is crashing down
(Moginie/Garrett)
Shakers And Movers - Midnight Oil
Released on the 1990 album Blue Sky Mining, 'Shakers And Movers' stands as a defining anthem of the Australian political rock movement. Led by Bernie Owen's distinctive vocals and the band's signature fusion of punk energy with progressive rock structures, the track delivers a scathing critique of the mining industry's environmental impact. The song captures the era's growing public consciousness regarding ecological degradation in Western Australia, using sharp social commentary to galvanize listeners against corporate exploitation. As a cornerstone of Midnight Oil's catalogue, it exemplifies their commitment to using music as a vehicle for activism, blending urgent lyrical themes with driving, rhythmic instrumentation that has cemented their legacy as one of Australia's most influential rock bands.