Midnight Oil

[Powderworks] lyrics help?

James Warren jimcwarren at earthlink.net
Mon Apr 12 06:02:42 MDT 2004


This may be a stretch, but I guess the idea of the lyric in Minutes to 
Midnight is that sometimes we humans forget about the value of life. 
We'll put the remains of a horse in a museum; we'll endanger the lives 
of everyone with our blind arms build-up.

I'm glad to be talking about this song, one of my favorites.

-Jim

On Apr 11, 2004, at 7:49 PM, Matthew Wightwick wrote:

> G'day all,
>
> Phar Lap was to Australian culture what Seabiscuit was
> to American culture (at least, if the publicity
> surrounding the movie Seabiscuit was any indication).
> A racehorse that came out of nowhere to win one
> Melbourne Cup, became the favourite to win the next
> Melbourne Cup, but had way too much weight put on his
> (her? pretty sure Phar Lap was a stallion) back to do
> much good.
>
> Died under suspicious circumstances (there are
> suggestions that some Americans poisoned his feed).
>
> After his death, his preserved body was placed in a
> glass case in the Museum of Victoria next to his large
> preserved heart. Hence the line "Phar Lap floating in
> a jar" and another famous Australian saying "a heart
> the size of Phar Lap's" (often used to refer to
> sportspeople).
>
> Cheers,
>
> Matthew W.
>
>  --- sweetapj at bellsouth.net wrote: > I don't know much
> but Phar Lap was an Aussie
>> racehorse who lost in uncertain circumstances and
>> it's a sore point with Aussies.  I wish I knew a bit
>> more.
>>
>> Jill in Atlanta
>>>
>>> From: Glitch <sena.reisenweaver at verizon.net>
>>> Date: 2004/04/11 Sun PM 09:19:26 EDT
>>> To: <powderworks at cs.colorado.edu>
>>> Subject: Re: [Powderworks] lyrics help?
>>>
>>> Personally, I've always wondered what "phar lap
>> floating in a jar" was.
>>> ???
>>> -GB
>>>
>>>
>>>
>> ----------------------------------------------------
>>> got your last meal filled up with pesticide
>>> hamburger chain third world infanticide
>>> got robot car your job will disappear
>>> it's called the politics of a brand new year
>>> some say that's progress i say that's cruel
>>>
>>> --midnight oil
>>>
>> ----------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>>
>>>> Cheryl,
>>>> 1.  Reckon it still is "Is he a Soul Man" on the
>> original CD
>>>> That 2nd one is indistinct despite repeated
>> playings . I always thought to
>>>> my old ears it might be "Three strikes
>> surr...ender"
>>>> 3. Definitely "sounds like an ending"
>>>> Lew and Anna
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From:
>> powderworks-bounces at cs-lists.cs.colorado.edu
>>>>
>>
> [mailto:powderworks-bounces at cs-lists.cs.colorado.edu]On
>> Behalf Of Jeff
>>>> and Jane Scott
>>>> Sent: Sunday, 11 April 2004 9:37 AM
>>>> To: Cheryl H; Powderworks
>>>> Subject: RE: [Powderworks] lyrics help?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> g'day Cheryl
>>>>
>>>> Here's my take on them (maybe right, maybe not!)
>>>>
>>>> First one I always thought was "Is he a soul
>> man", but the sound on the
>>>> new Goat Island DVD is very clear, and I now
>> think it's "Is he a song
>>>> man"
>>>>
>>>> Second one I have as "Three strikes to every
>> god", but that's the one
>>>> I'm least sure of.
>>>>
>>>> Third one: "Sounds like an ending".  I'm sure of
>> that one.  Also on the
>>>> demo version of the song, the next line is
>> followed with "Could be a
>>>> beginning" (which became "minutes to midnight"
>> by the time it was
>>>> recorded)
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> jeff...
>>>>
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>>>>
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>>
>> All About Eve
>>
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