Midnight Oil "Song a Day" #8 "My Country"

"My Country"
Was it just a dream, were you so confused
Was it just a giant leap of logic
Was it the time of year, that makes a state of fear
Methods, were their motives for the action

And did I hear you say
My country right or wrong x 3

Did you save your face
Did you breach your faith
Women, there were children at the shelter
Now who can stop the hail
When human senses fail
There was never any warning, no escape

And did I hear you say
My country right or wrong
My country oh so strong
My country right or wrong x 4

I hear you say the truth must take a beating
The flag a camouflage for your deceiving
Cause I know, (I know) I know, it's written on your soul
I know we all make mistakes

This is not a case of blurred vision, it's a case of black holes, 

pocket holes, soul holes

And did I hear you say
My country right or wrong
My country oh so strong
My country right or wrong x 4
My country, my country, my country

Much as I'd like to have the first US late night TV clip of my list be from Letterman [who loved the bushmen from the outback] this one does exist [and at least Leno is being self conscious about Pete's height] so we have the MTV Unplugged style of this song, with Chris Abrahams on piano as he did around that time... but just in case we also have the Oils VEVO version.

This song from "Earth & Sun & Moon" is both anthemic and lends itself to acoustic/sit down style... it's obviously hard to keep Peter Garrett still! It helps if Pete remembers the lyrics...

It's a song about use and misuse of patriotic symbols like the flag, especially our flag with the Union Jack in the corner, co-opted to argue NO to a republic when used for the purposes of power and not always altruistically...

While here, just want to thank the fans in the US/Canada and Europe and the UK [and out stops on the way back] for warming up the band!! They trip to NZ in a week to keep things rolling and the Great Circle comes HOME!! You can't tell anything about a crowd from phone videos though some gigs have stood out I can't begin to imagine how huge these concerts are going to be!! 

There is nothing like an Oils crowd... I hope unlike the Sound Wave concert the crush is not full of "I was there" onlookers for their sake, when the music starts... 

AND apologies in advance to all the support acts who'll be shouted down. John Butler Trio being perhaps the only exception I've ever witnessed... Ooooooiiiiilllllsss!!Ooooooiiiiilllllsss!!Ooooooiiiiilllllsss!!