Read about It

Read about It

Song infobox
Name = Read about It


Artist = Midnight Oil
Album = 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Genre = Rock
Label = Columbia Records
Released = 1982
Producer = Midnight Oil, Nick Launay
track_no = 4
Length = 3:52
Tracks =
# Outside World
# Only the Strong
# Short Memory
# Read about It
# Scream in Blue
# US Forces
# Power and the Passion
# Maralinga
# Tin-legs and Tin Mines
# Somebody's Trying to Tell Me Something
Misc = Extra chronology 2
Artist = Midnight Oil
Type = singles
Last single = "Power and the Passion"
(1982)
This single = "Read about It"
(1982)
Next single = "US Forces"
(1983)

"Read about It" is a popular song by Midnight Oil from their 1982 studio album, "10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1". It was the second single from the album. It was a favorite with the band and with fans, appearing at least once on every tour since its release and appearing at the WaveAid concert. Very few other Midnight Oil songs have appeared so often (only "Power and the Passion," "Beds Are Burning," "The Dead Heart," and "Say Your Prayers" are "known" to have been performed so often).

ong structure

This song and "Short Memory" are the same length and follow in quick succession. By contrast, however, to the somewhat slow, keyboard-led "Short Memory," "Read about It" is abrasively cathartic. Live performances were sometimes even more intense than the original, and "may" be one of the reasons the band sometimes had to be administered oxygen on stage. This more than likely explains the short gap found near the end.

Lyrics

The song targets printed media in particular. (note: These lyrics are transcribed from live version on "Oils on the Water.)

: "You won't read about it": "Read about it": "Just another ridiculous deal": "Ain't no doubt about it"

: "Nothing ever happens": "Nothing really matters": "No one ever tells me": "What am I to know": "So what am I to know?"

Beyond this, it also strikes at class structures with most of its lyrics outside the chorus.

: "The rich get richer": "The poor get the picture": "The bombs never hit you": "When you're down so low"

: "The bosses want decisions": "The workers need ambitions": "There won't be no collisions": "When they move so slow"

Compilations

The song's original studio version was featured on "Flat Chat".

Live versions

Two live versions have been issued. The earlier and noticeably more intense, from early 1985 ("Red Sails in the Sunset" tour) is found on the "Best of Both Worlds" CD/2DVD package. The more recent, from 1990 ("Blue Sky Mining" tour) was not taken at such a ridiculously fast pace and is found on the "Scream in Blue" live retrospective.


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