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Midnight Oil — Underwater
Album: Breathe
Avg rating:
6.3

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1353









Released: 1996
Length: 4:53
Plays (last 30 days): 2
Scanning at the blue bended headlands
White flurry scudded, a dark silhouette flashes by, in the wet
It is glistening flesh
In the deep marine, in the deep marine
There is room for make believe out in the ocean
There is room for make believe out on the land
In the wet, in the dream, if its flashing then seen
In the deep marine, in the deep marine

Looking to the white framed headland
Green pockets dropping, a bright cockatoo
Circles up in the breeze, in the realm you can't reach
In the deep marine, in the deep marine
There is room for make believe out in the ocean
There is room for make believe out on the land
In the west, crashes by, its a green silhouette
In the deep marine, in the deep marine

No one can make her, no one can break her down
Underwater, over land
No one can make her, no one can break her
Underwater, over land
No one can make her, no one can break her
She is what she is and no one can bring her down, bring her down

Looking to the white framed headland
Green pockets dropping a bright cockatoo
Circles up in the breeze, in the realm you can't reach
In the deep marine, in the deep marine
There is room for make believe out in the ocean
There is room for make believe out on the land
In the wet, flashes by, its a green silhouette
In the deep marine, in the deep marine

No one can make her, no one can break her
Underwater, overland
No one can break her, no one can fake her
She it what she is and no one can bring her down, bring her down

Underwater, overland

No one can squeeze her, no one can freeze her now
No one can make her, no one can break her down
No one can seize her, no one can freeze her
She is what she is and you've got to see it
Comments (100)add comment
I can never forget the thrill of discovering this amazing band. In '88 was teaching in coastal Shizuoka, and the FEN station was playing "Beds Are Burning," almost daily, and that was okay by me! What a wild, unique sound, and soul-stirring lyrics! In '90 when Blue Sky Mining came out, I was on my first of 3 big walkabouts of Oz, and it was perfect. When Earth and Sun and Moon came along, I was in the wilds of Ishikawa, and I loved it madly. Capricornia has some great tunes, too!
 eileenomurphy wrote:

The snare sound gets on my nerves!


Heh... I like it.
Such a fantastic band to see live. 
 eileenomurphy wrote:

The snare sound gets on my nerves!




Mine too!!!!
The snare sound gets on my nerves!
 Hippostar wrote:
There are ways to get rid of that annoying snare drum ring... {#Rolleyes}
 
You bet!!! ...a patch of duct tape on the head! ...or a properly adjusted "noise gate"!!!
Thanks for this!!! “The Vocalist from Midnight Oil is Peter Garrett. He is currently a Federal Minister in the Australian Parliament. If you really want to sample some Classic Midnight Oil I suggest one of the very early albums. "Head Injuries " is a stand out ! And if you have never seen Peter dance it is a style that is definately unique. Have a look on the tube. https://youtu.be/4c3X0OlVjuE”
Went to some of their concerts back in the 80s and they were great. Not a big fan of this song though.
Never heard it before but this gets a big ol' nope from me.
Not sure what it is but this is not pleasing to me :/
The Vocalist from Midnight Oil is Peter Garrett. He is currently a Federal Minister in the Australian Parliament. If you really want to sample some Classic Midnight Oil I suggest one of the very early albums. "Head Injuries " is a stand out ! And if you have never seen Peter dance it is a style that is definately unique. Have a look on the tube.
 
https://youtu.be/4c3X0OlVjuE
 Hippostar wrote:
There are ways to get rid of that annoying snare drum ring... {#Rolleyes}
 
I was just about to post I am very much liking the way they have worked the snare. 
Breathe was uneven by their standards, but I did like this one.  Also Bring on the Change and E-Beat from this album.
Normally I would agree with you but I think it works with this track. It's sounds like they tuned it that way on purpose.  

Hippostar wrote:
There are ways to get rid of that annoying snare drum ring... {#Rolleyes}
 


This is Midnight Oil? OK, I officially hate the music industry. Terrific song, I have never heard this before.
Why did I never hear this before now?? One of their most kickass songs, for sure. (I miss them!)
 Otomi wrote:
really nice with the headphones and volume near the pain threshhold
 
Turning up the volume really does help this track to sound better.  Not sure why that is, but it's still only a 5 for me due to boring repetition.

 acatamongus wrote:
Never heard this before. But I like...
 
These guys keep surprising me.  Easy 8 for me.

Never heard this before. But I like...
 Hippostar wrote:
There are ways to get rid of that annoying snare drum ring... {#Rolleyes}
 
It belongs there.
 glassbuteo wrote:
this was always my favorite Midnight Oil song..
 
Me too.
There are ways to get rid of that annoying snare drum ring... {#Rolleyes}
this was always my favorite Midnight Oil song..

 pinklife wrote:

Diggin' the beat...{#Bananajam}


 


Diggin' the beat...{#Bananajam}


Proof that you can only be so earnest for so long before you just have to give in to a bout of silliness.
 RadioDoc wrote:

More like the Monkees.

 
no fair!

 jadewahoo wrote:
Wow! At first I thought this was the Beatles! But then, after reading the comments below, I realized that this band really does sound more like the Doors.

I'm lovin' any Midnight Oil!
 
More like the Monkees.

meh. they just don't float my boat.

Wow! At first I thought this was the Beatles! But then, after reading the comments below, I realized that this band really does sound more like the Doors.

I'm lovin' any Midnight Oil!
more, more, more! please guys  {#Dancingbanana_2}
Very different from the what we usually hear from this band. This I like.
I can't stand most of this band's music,
but I really like this tune.  Great groove!

Thought it was Talking Heads. How funny.
pretty good have a feeling this could grow on me
really nice with the headphones and volume near the pain threshhold
bbHappy wrote:
More Midnight Oil please!
Yes!!! But thank you RP for playing more than 'Beds Are Burning' as it is. There's a great video for this song, too. And it sounds to me like Snow Patrol borrowed the bass for 'Shut Your Eyes.'
I thought it was so cool to hear a midnight oil song I didn't know. Deeper tracks - THIS is why I listen to RP! Then I realized that the song was Ho Humm. How dissapointing.
I normally really enjoy Midnight Oil, but I could never get into this album. In my opinion their best album was Earth and Sun and Moon, but it's rarely played.
More Midnight Oil please!
thewiseking wrote:
great tune from a great band. i forgive them for being Australian :)
I forgive myself for NOT being Australian.
Yes Minister!
This absolutely blows!
Garrett & Midnight Url? Fair Dinkum!
Greetings, serinde wrote:
Huh. Is this really early Midnight Oil, or really recent? Not what I'm used to from them (see: Blue Sky Mining), but I'm liking the change.
This is the late-middle of their career. The early stuff: "Head Injuries", "Place withou A Postcard", "10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 4, 3, 2, 1" and "Red Sails at Sunset", then "Diesel & Dust, then "Blue Sky Mine"....here's a full discography: (click here) Neil
great tune from a great band. i forgive them for being Australian :)
Holy crap, this is awful.
ho-hum says it all...
That is a mighty bass tone!
buckskin wrote:
Spacey set, both outer & inner
In fact, I gave every tune a 10
Spacey set, both outer & inner
ad4tise wrote:
This is awful, just horrible.
This is wonderful, just magnificent. Thanks for playing deeper than 'Beds Are Burning'.
Keep on Rockin Bill! I love Fridays!!!
Great!
Robolink wrote:
Wow. Anybody who can go from Curtis Mayfield to some sweetie French music to Frank Sinatra to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" in, like, 15 minutes is well, like, genius... :-) Thanks. Fun set.
yes - that's rp fer ya - genius
Head-boppy! (Cut to swaying sea of disenfranchised Hullabalooza youth...)
Nuance wrote:
I can't stand Midight Oil. Didn't even know this was them. Best thing I've ever heard them do.
Funny, this statement inverted (except for the knowing part) is exactly my thought
Damn, for a second or two I thought this was P.J Harvey... Now that would have been a righteous step from Nirvana. And the water gag would have been tight as ever :3
brighthue wrote:
I get it now -- "SMELLS Like Teen Spirit" from the disc with the submerged baby on the booklet, followed by "Underwater" from "Breathe" by Midnight Oil.
They call this music? This is awful, just horrible. Much more of this and I am channel changing!
I get it now -- "SMELLS Like Teen Spirit" from the disc with the submerged baby on the booklet, followed by "Underwater" from "Breathe" by Midnight Oil.
I can't stand Midight Oil. Didn't even know this was them. Best thing I've ever heard them do.
Old_Pool_Skunk wrote:
Oils. Great set, Bill.
worth repeating....
redeyespy wrote:
This is quite bad, and I'm a fan.
Kinky mo'fo...
ugg, whate happened to Beds Are Burning? Been a while since I heard these guys and it seems like they've been up to no good.
Oils. Great set, Bill.
tuning out
Huh. Is this really early Midnight Oil, or really recent? Not what I'm used to from them (see: Blue Sky Mining), but I'm liking the change.
redeyespy wrote:
This is quite bad, and I'm a fan.
Yeah, I like many of their other songs but this is rather bland.
Wow. Anybody who can go from Curtis Mayfield to some sweetie French music to Frank Sinatra to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" in, like, 15 minutes is well, like, genius... :-) Thanks. Fun set.
This is quite bad, and I'm a fan.
Yeah, good luck getting the eviscerated-by-Bush EPA to clean up ANYTHING hazardous these days. Yesterday they gave industrial pig/chicken farms a blank check to continue dumping waste into our water and air for another 5 years....grrr Baby_M wrote:
Midnight Oil "Underwater" Quick, call the EPA and the Coast Guard! There's been a hazmat spill!
Though Breathe was a stylistic departure for the Oils, that doesn't make it their "worst," if there is such a thing. Bring On the Change is as rockin' as they come; Time To Heal always brings me up; the duet Home (with Emmylou Harris) is sweetly melodic; and Surf's Up Tonight is a kind of funky singalong perfect for its subject. And Underwater's bass line and organ pump (not to mention a slick video) always get me moving. They were really incredible live, but good luck catching that again. Get the 2004 Best of Both Worlds import DVD (and an all-region player, or VLC) to see what they were all about, or find a copy of Wave-Aid, if you missed out.
mcrowther wrote:
This is the best song on the worst Oils album- but overall MO was one of my all favorite bands- and they were AWESOME live.
Yeah, if you ever have the chance to see them live, do it. Fricken amaizing.
Ooof. A bit grating to these ears...
This is the best song on the worst Oils album- but overall MO was one of my all favorite bands- and they were AWESOME live.
This is the beast song on the worst Oils album- but overall MO was one of my all favorite bands- and they were AWESOME live.
Midnight Oil "Underwater" Quick, call the EPA and the Coast Guard! There's been a hazmat spill!
Used to be a BIG fan. Don't know what happened....
plutodazed wrote:
I liked a number of tunes from Diesel And Dust. This song doesn't come from that that CD. It doesn't get my motor running.
Maybe your motor's spent some time Underwater. This grooves.
I liked a number of tunes from Diesel And Dust. This song doesn't come from that that CD. It doesn't get my motor running.
GreenJello wrote:
Anybody else think this sounds a lot like David Byrne/Talking Heads?
elokin2141 wrote:
yeah , what a rip off
As a fan of all of the above, I'd just like to say that it seems unlikely to me that Midnight Oil borrowed from David Byrne/TH. The Oils and Talking Heads started out around the same time and both were quite experimental in their sounds, but the Oils were more prolific from beginning to end. And in terms of variety and creativity, Midnight Oil's deeper "album cuts" from "10, 9, 8..." or "Red Sails in the Sunset," or even "Blue Sky Mining" demonstrate plenty of creativity and originality. Their second-to-last CD, "Redneck Wonderland," was also a thorough reinvention of their sound. These guys never needed to borrow from anyone. If you've never heard the "B-sides" of the albums mentioned above, you barely know Midnight Oil.
GreenJello wrote:
Anybody else think this sounds a lot like David Byrne/Talking Heads?
yeah , what a rip off
coding_to_music wrote:
Makes my ears hurt
Try pinching your nose and then trying to blow it. That should equalise the pressure while Underwater.
GreenJello wrote:
Anybody else think this sounds a lot like David Byrne/Talking Heads?
I'm hearing it too
Anybody else think this sounds a lot like David Byrne/Talking Heads?
Gregorama wrote:
Great hooks.
nice one.
That snare drum ring is just unforgiveable. :x
Makes my ears hurt
Great hooks.
BEST BAND EVER!! Love the ocean/water theme today.
Queue wrote:
This one is way better than "Tone Poem" (Beds are Burning II) ;)
I agree - this is my new favorite MO song.
Sorry, these guys can't even pretend to be able to sing. Had to turn it down.
Originally Posted by Leslie: I usually can't stand Midnight Oil. Their lyrics are always pretty good, yet I usually can't tolerate the lead singer's vocals. This song is the exception. I really like it.
The opposite is true vor me. I like the singer for his energy, but here he sounds as if he's bored with his own stuff, and so am I. Every song on Blue Sky Mining is better than this.
I always have liked this song. Good to hear it on RP.
This one is way better than \"Tone Poem\" (Beds are Burning II) ;)
Is this their normal lead singer? Doesn\'t sound anything like him.
I usually can\'t stand Midnight Oil. Their lyrics are always pretty good, yet I usually can\'t tolerate the lead singer\'s vocals. This song is the exception. I really like it.
Excellent tune, I\'m always glad to hear any Oils on RP!!! :D