Beds Are Burning - wikipedia Beds Are Burning `` Beds Are Burning '' Australian seven - inch vinyl single Single by Midnight Oil from the album Diesel and Dust B - side `` Gunbarrel Highway '' `` Bullroarer '' ( US only ) Released Studio Albert Studios, Sydney, Australia Length 4 : 18 Label Columbia Songwriter ( s ) Rob Hirst Jim Moginie Peter Garrett Producer ( s ) Warne Livesey Midnight Oil Midnight Oil singles chronology `` The Dead Heart '' ( 1986 ) `` Beds Are Burning '' ( 1987 ) `` Put Down That Weapon '' ( 1987 ) `` The Dead Heart '' ( 1986 ) `` Beds Are Burning '' ( 1987 ) `` Put Down That Weapon '' ( 1987 ) Audio sample file help `` Beds Are Burning '' is a 1987 song by the Australian rock band Midnight Oil, the first track from their album Diesel and Dust. This song was the second from the album to be released as a single, and is among the band 's best - known songs outside Australia. It reached No. 1 in New Zealand, South Africa and Canada, No. 3 in the Netherlands, No. 5 in France, No. 6 in the United Kingdom and Australia, No. 11 in Ireland and No. 17 in the United States and Sweden. It is one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. It was named number 95 on VH1 's 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s and number 97 by the Triple J Hottest 100 of All Time in 2009. In May 2001, Australasian Performing Right Association ( APRA ) celebrated its 75th anniversary by naming the Best Australian Songs of all time, as decided by a 100 strong industry panel. `` Beds Are Burning '' was declared third behind the Easybeats ' `` Friday on My Mind '' and Daddy Cool 's `` Eagle Rock ''. Contents 1 Meaning 2 Chart performance 2.1 Weekly charts 2.2 Year - end charts 2.3 Certifications and sales 3 Performances 4 Other appearances 5 Cover versions 6 See also 7 References 8 External links Meaning `` Beds Are Burning '' is a protest song in support of giving native Australian lands back to the Pintupi, who were among the very last people to come in from the desert. These ' last contact ' people began moving from the Gibson Desert to settlements and missions in the 1930s. More were forcibly moved during the 1950s and 1960s to the Papunya settlement. In 1981, they left to return to their own country and established the Kintore community, which is nestled in the picturesque Kintore Ranges, surrounded by Mulga and Spinifex country. It is a community with a population of about 400. Kintore and the town of Yuendumu are mentioned by name in the lyrics, as are vehicles produced by the Holden company. Chart performance Weekly charts Chart ( 1987 -- 1989 ) Peak position Australia ( Kent Music Report ) 6 Belgium ( Ultratop 50 Flanders ) Canada Dance / Urban ( RPM ) 20 Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) France ( SNEP ) 5 Ireland ( IRMA ) 11 Netherlands ( Dutch Top 40 ) Netherlands ( Single Top 100 ) New Zealand ( Recorded Music NZ ) South Africa ( Springbok Radio ) Sweden ( Sverigetopplistan ) 17 UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) 6 US Billboard Album Rock Tracks 6 US Billboard Hot 100 17 US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play 20 US Billboard Hot Dance Music / Maxi - Singles Sales 45 US Cash Box 26 Chart ( 2016 ) Peak position Poland ( Polish Airplay Top 100 ) 65 Year - end charts Chart ( 1987 ) Rank Australia ( Kent Music Report ) 21 Chart ( 1988 ) Rank Belgium ( Ultratop 50 Flanders ) 47 France ( SNEP ) 48 Netherlands ( Dutch Top 40 ) 25 Netherlands ( Single Top 100 ) 30 South Africa ( Springbok Radio ) 10 Certifications and sales Region Certification Certified units / Sales Australia ( ARIA ) Platinum 70,000 Canada ( Music Canada ) Gold 50,000 France ( SNEP ) Silver 262,000 sales figures based on certification alone shipments figures based on certification alone Performances Midnight Oil performed the song in front of a world audience of millions at the closing ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Prime Minister John Howard had triggered controversy that year with his refusal to embrace symbolic reconciliation and apologise to Indigenous Australians and members of the Stolen Generations. But he had also claimed that the reconciliation - themed `` Beds Are Burning '' was his favorite Midnight Oil song. The band played it dressed in black, with the word `` Sorry '' printed conspicuously all over their clothes, as a popular apology to indigenous people and to highlight the issue to Howard, who was in the audience as the ranking Olympic host. Other appearances Live at the World Café : Handcrafted ( 2002, World Café ) Cover versions On 2 October 2009, 60 musicians and celebrities from around the world released a free reworked version to highlight climate change issues before the United Nations ' talks in Copenhagen. Singers included Lily Allen, Klaus Meine of the Scorpions, Simon Le Bon from Duran Duran, Tyson Ritter of The All - American Rejects and Bob Geldof. The former UN secretary - general Kofi Annan, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the French actress Marion Cotillard also added their voices to the cover version. The song is part of Global Humanitarian Forum TckTckTck Time for Climate justice campaign and is a part of the greater `` TckTckTck '' project, which aims to draw attention to the urgency of the global warming crisis, by signing a `` musical petition '' with each download. See also List of number - one singles of 1988 ( Canada ) List of number - one singles from the 1980s ( New Zealand ) References Jump up ^ `` The final list : APRA 'S Ten best Australian Songs ''. Archived from the original on 8 March 2008... Australasian Performing Rights Association. 28 May 2001. Jump up ^ `` Beds Are Burning ''. Midnight-oil.info. Retrieved 22 November 2012. Jump up ^ `` Forum -- ARIA Charts : Special Occasion Charts -- CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989 ''. Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` Ultratop.be -- Midnight Oil -- Beds Are Burning '' ( in Dutch ). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 3 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` Top RPM Dance / Urban : Issue 8558. '' RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 21 June 2013. Jump up ^ `` Top RPM Singles : Issue 8655. '' RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 21 June 2013. Jump up ^ `` Lescharts.com -- Midnight Oil -- Beds Are Burning '' ( in French ). Les classement single. Retrieved 3 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` The Irish Charts -- Search Results -- Beds Are Burning ''. Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 21 June 2013. Jump up ^ `` Nederlandse Top 40 -- Midnight Oil - Beds Are Burning search results '' ( in Dutch ) Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 3 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` Dutchcharts.nl -- Midnight Oil -- Beds Are Burning '' ( in Dutch ). Single Top 100. Retrieved 3 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` Charts.org.nz -- Midnight Oil -- Beds Are Burning ''. Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 3 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 -- 1989 Acts ( M ) ''. Rock.co.za. Retrieved 21 June 2013. Jump up ^ `` Swedishcharts.com -- Midnight Oil -- Beds Are Burning ''. Singles Top 100. Retrieved 3 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` Archive Chart : 1989 - 05 - 13 '' UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 21 June 2013. ^ Jump up to : `` Midnight Oil -- Awards ''. AllMusic. Retrieved 21 June 2013. Jump up ^ `` CASH BOX Top 100 Singles -- Week ending JUNE 25, 1988 ''. Archived from the original on 7 October 2012... Cash Box. Jump up ^ `` Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia : : Związek Producentów Audio - Video ''. Polish Airplay Top 100. Retrieved 27 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Forum -- ARIA Charts : Special Occasion Charts -- Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts -- 1980s ''. Australian-charts.com. Retrieved 3 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` Jaaroverzichten 1988 ''. Ultratop ( in Dutch ). Retrieved 3 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` TOP -- 1988 ''. Top-france.fr ( in French ). Retrieved 3 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` Top 100 - Jaaroverzicht van 1988 ''. Dutch Top 40 ( in Dutch ). Retrieved 3 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` Jaaroverzichten -- Single 1988 ''. Single Top 100 ( in Dutch ). Retrieved 3 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` Top 20 Hit Singles of 1988 ''. Rock.co.za. Retrieved 3 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` ARIA Charts -- Accreditations -- 2014 Singles ''. Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 6 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` Canadian single certifications -- Midnight Oil -- Beds Are Burning ''. Music Canada. Jump up ^ `` Les Singles / Titres Certifiés `` Argent '' ``. InfoDisc ( in French ). Retrieved 12 May 2016. Jump up ^ ( in French ) `` Les Singles en Argent ''. Archived from the original on 12 January 2016... InfoDisc. Jump up ^ Mogus, Jason ( 1 October 2009 ). `` ' Beds are Burning ' brings celebrities together in support of TckTckTck and climate justice ''. Archived from the original on 4 October 2009... Tcktcktck.org. External links Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Midnight Oil Peter Garrett Rob Hirst Jim Moginie Martin Rotsey Bones Hillman Andrew James Peter Gifford Studio albums Midnight Oil Head Injuries Place without a Postcard 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Red Sails in the Sunset Diesel and Dust Blue Sky Mining Earth and Sun and Moon Breathe Redneck Wonderland Capricornia Singles `` Power and the Passion '' `` Read About It '' `` US Forces '' `` The Dead Heart '' `` Beds Are Burning '' `` Put Down that Weapon '' `` Dreamworld '' `` Blue Sky Mine '' `` Truganini '' `` The Real Thing '' Compilations and EPs Bird Noises Species Deceases 20,000 Watt R.S.L. The Best of the B - Sides Flat Chat Essential Oils The Full Tank The Overflow Tank Live and other albums The Green Disc Scream in Blue The Real Thing Best of Both Worlds Videos and films 20,000 Watt R.S.L. The Midnight Oil Collection Best of Both Worlds Black Rain Falls Exxon Protest Related articles Discography Ghostwriters Oil Rag The Power & The Passion ARIA Award for Single of the Year `` You 're the Voice '' by John Farnham ( 1987 ) `` Beds Are Burning '' by Midnight Oil ( 1988 ) `` Under the Milky Way '' by The Church ( 1989 ) `` Crying in the Chapel '' by Peter Blakeley ( 1990 ) `` I Do n't Wanna Be with Nobody But You '' by Absent Friends ( 1991 ) `` Treaty ( Filthy Lucre Remix ) '' by Yothu Yindi ( 1992 ) `` The Day You Went Away '' by Wendy Matthews ( 1993 ) `` The Honeymoon Is Over '' by The Cruel Sea ( 1994 ) `` Tomorrow '' by Silverchair ( 1995 ) `` Where the Wild Roses Grow '' by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Kylie Minogue ( 1996 ) `` Truly Madly Deeply '' by Savage Garden ( 1997 ) `` Torn '' by Natalie Imbruglia ( 1998 ) `` The Day You Come '' by Powderfinger ( 1999 ) `` Do n't Call Me Baby '' by Madison Avenue ( 2000 ) `` My Happiness '' by Powderfinger ( 2001 ) `` Ca n't Get You Out of My Head '' by Kylie Minogue ( 2002 ) `` Born to Try '' by Delta Goodrem ( 2003 ) `` Are You Gonna Be My Girl '' by Jet ( 2004 ) `` Catch My Disease '' by Ben Lee ( 2005 ) `` Black Fingernails, Red Wine '' by Eskimo Joe ( 2006 ) `` Straight Lines '' by Silverchair ( 2007 ) `` Sweet About Me '' by Gabriella Cilmi ( 2008 ) `` Walking on a Dream '' by Empire of the Sun ( 2009 ) `` Big Jet Plane '' by Angus & Julia Stone ( 2010 ) `` Somebody That I Used to Know '' by Gotye featuring Kimbra ( 2011 ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Beds_Are_Burning&oldid=800664871 '' Categories : 1987 singles 1987 songs APRA Award winners ARIA Award winners Columbia Records singles Midnight Oil songs Number - one singles in New Zealand Number - one singles in South Africa Protest songs RPM Top Singles number - one singles Hidden categories : CS1 Dutch - language sources ( nl ) CS1 French - language sources ( fr ) Articles with French - language external links Use dmy dates from May 2014 Articles with hAudio microformats Singlechart usages for Flanders Singlechart usages for Canadadance Singlechart called without artist Singlechart called without song Singlechart usages for Canadatopsingles Singlechart usages for France Singlechart usages for Ireland2 Singlechart usages for Dutch40 Singlechart usages for Dutch100 Singlechart usages for New Zealand Singlechart usages for Sweden Singlechart usages for UK Singlechart usages for Poland Certification Table Entry usages for Australia Certification Table Entry usages for Canada Certification Table Entry usages for France Talk Contents About Wikipedia Català Deutsch Español Euskara Français Nederlands Polski Slovenčina Edit links This page was last edited on 14 September 2017, at 23 : 08. 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Question: who wrote the lyrics to beds are burning
Answer: Rob Hirst