Classic Songs: ‘The Power and the Passion’ by Midnight Oil (A Rob Hirst tribute).

Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2023, Midnight Oil drummer Rob Hirst, aged 70, passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones last week. The news of the death of Hirst, especially hit hard (no pun intended) amongst loyal fans of the band. As a founding member of the Australian rock band Midnight Oil, Hirst will forever be remembered as the driving engine and backbone of the band’s politically-charged music. For over four decades, Hirst blazed a path for Australian drummers with his powerful tribal beat. He was relentlessly inventive incorporating unconventional features into his live act, which included 44-gallon drums and corrugated iron. His most celebrated moment live has often been cited as his “Power And The Passion” water-tank drum solos. Hirst’s go-to drum kit was his beloved 1979 black Ludwig drum kit which he played on every Midnight Oil’s tour since 1979. Interestingly, Hirst often performed standing up during gigs to add extra venom to his hard hitting signature style. Some fans over the years have been so awe struck by Hirst drumming that they have compared him to an Octopus with giant tentacles reaching out in all directions over his drum kit with super human speed. While you might associated Midnight Oil with the enigmatic frontman Peter Garrett, Hirst was equally the driving force behind the scenes. His songwriting credits include The Power and the Passion, Beds Are Burning, Forgotten Years, Blue Sky Mine, Read About It, Short Memory and many others.

The world is all the richer for having had Hirst. He has left an enduring, positive impact on the world especially as an environmentalist and humanitarian. Moreover his humour and  kindness was second to none.  

Midnight Oil have always had a tremendous sense of belief in their music, which was rooted in their fierce commitment to social justice, environmentalism and Australian indigenous rights. They first forged their exciting brand of punk and pub rock in 1976, and went on to release 13 studio albums with their final album, Resist, concluding their forty-six year young career in 2022. Key works include Diesel and Dust (1987) and Blue Sky Mining (1990), with the former often cited as arguably the greatest Australian album of all time. On Rolling Stone’s list of 200 Greatest Australian Albums of All Time, it sit at #5 behind Cold Chisel’s East (1980), John Farnham’s Whispering Jack (1986), INXS’ Kick (1987) and AC/DC’s Back In Black (1980) at #1. But here is where the contradiction lies in Rolling Stone’s list. Diesel and Dust which features the iconic single Bed Are Burning, appears at #13 on Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Albums of The Eighties, placing it the highest ranked Australian album. 

While you could argue that Diesel and Dust was Midnight Oil’s international breakthrough album, their initial domestic commercial quantum leap in Australia was their politically-charged 1982 album 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1. Looking back the album has been described as a juggernaut, “a cultural monster” which changed everything at the time in Australian music. Yes, the Oils to their credit came out swinging with a sonically adventurous rock ’n’ roll album like no other. That said, imagine a boxer whose standing in front of his opponent. In this scenario, the boxer is repeatedly jabbing his opponent with his right hand. It’s the opening move, a lot like the first single US Forces (a scathing critique of US foreign intervention) from 10 to1 is the Oils finding their range. While it might seem like bluster, the jabs are there to distract the opponent, before the boxer suddenly swings widely with his left hook to smash his opponents face. That left hook is the Oils follow up single from 10 to 1 aptly titled The Power and the Passion. 

As one of the band’s most famous songs, it holds a special place in the band’s history being performed on every Midnight Oil tour since its release. The lyrics zero in on the discrepancy and inequality between those living in heavenly, euphoric bliss and those falling between the cracks. Moreover, there is nothing subtle about the Oils scathing critique of Australia’s apathy towards issues like its secret joint US intelligence operation carried out at Pine Gap, Americanisation and corporatisation  (“in every home a Big Mac’) and the dismissal of former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam. If anything, what the Oils are urging us to do is to “take the hardest line”. It is best summed up late in the song with the peaceful call to arms with its famous line borrowed from Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata who once said, “It’s better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.”

It fair to say the song’s message and references to Australian symbols and places is a commendable feature of its lyrics. But these song highlights wouldn’t work anywhere near as well without its brilliant chugging beat. In a conversation with singer songwriter Sarah Blasko in 2016, Oils guitarist Jim Moginie once said, “I had this little guitar riff and Rob (Hirst) had this chorus, ‘the power and the passion’ – he’s a great lyricist, Rob. Pete kind of rapped over the riff for the verses. We put it together in a pretty organic way, which is more or less how we did most of our things.” Mogine would go on to add, “But I think because of the dance beat and the general happiness of the song – the music really works against the heaviness of the lyric…. I think, like a lot of things the Oils did, the music was the Trojan horse for the message.”

The song’s sonic brilliance is easy to hear with the band all playing their part. The dual guitar partnership of Martin Rotsey and Jim Moginie, an integral part of their fuller sound, does not disappoint. Neither does the ever reliable Peter Gifford who establishes a workmanlike groove with his bass. The instrumentals are rounded out importantly with Moginie doubling up on keyboards and Rob Hirst incorporating an early electronic drum machine, all which went a long way to expanding the Oils sound, which began to take root in the early 80s with the new wave and post-punk movement. Last but not least, its impossible to escape the iconic frantic, shrilling brass section of horns and sax and Hirst’s explosive performance behind the drum kit (the only drum solo the band ever recorded).

With Rob Hirst passing, The Power and the Passion is an appropriate tribute to the drum whiz. His drum performance is memorable and remarkable, especially given the background story in how it was recorded in 1982. At the time Midnight Oil was experiencing a “mini-crisis” driven by exhaustion, burnout and their frustration with the music industry. It all coincided with the recording of their album 10 to 1. Hirst, admittedly once said, he was having a “mini-nervous breakdown” during the recording of the new album. The day of the session The Power and the Passion was recorded, he had gone for a run to deal with his soaring anxiety. When he returned back to the studio, he was so pumped up that he smashed out his drum solo in sharp contrast to the simple drum machine mixed for the song. 

Vale Rob Hirst.

Rob Hirst’s career defining drum solo on The Power and the Passion would be played on stage in front of thousands of adoring fans every single time the band went on tour. Please take a look at Midnight Oils live rendition of their iconic song at Sound Relief in 2009 here above. Noteworthy is how Peter Garret singles out both the brass section and Hirst in his introduction. Even though we all know it’s coming, Hirst drum solo when it does arrive (at approximately the 2.50 minute mark) is nothing sort of epic. It’s the sort of drum solo that makes it impossible to stand still and not break out in dramatic fashion with your own air drumming moment.

A remastered audio only version of their song and the official music video are embedded here above. The music video for those unfamiliar with Midnight Oil symbolise the fiery performance style of the band and its lead singer Peter Garrett. Garrett is well known not only for his signature bald head, but his eccentric dance style.