Lyrics & Translation
Delve into 'My Country' by Midnight Oil, a powerful rock anthem that transcends language barriers with its universal themes of patriotism, morality, and social critique. This song offers a compelling way to engage with English through its poignant lyrics, sharp social commentary, and the band's signature passionate delivery. Discover how music can be a potent tool for understanding complex societal issues and refining your English comprehension.
[English]
Was it just a dream, were you so confusedWas it just a giant leap of logic
Was it the time of year
That makes a state of fear
Methods, were their motives for the action
And did I hear you say
My country right or wrong
Did you save your face
Did you breach your faith
Women, there were children at the shelter
Now who can stop the hail
When human senses fail
There was never any warning, no escape
And did I hear you say
My country right or wrong
My country oh so strong
My country right or wrong
My country right or wrong
My country going wrong
My country right or wrong
I hear you say the truth must take a beating
The flag a camouflage for your deceiving
Cause I know, (I know) I know, it's written on your soul
I know we all make mistakes
This is not a case of blurred vision, it's a case of black holes, pocket
holes, soul holes
And did I hear you say
My country right or wrong
My country oh so strong
My country right or wrong
My country right or wrong
My country going wrong
My country right or wrong
My country, my country, my country
Key Vocabulary
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Key Grammar Structures
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Was it just a dream, were you so confused?
➔ Tag Question & Past Simple
➔ The sentence uses a tag question ("were you...") attached to a statement ("Was it just a dream...") to seek confirmation. Both clauses are in the Past Simple tense. The use of 'were' after 'you' is correct for the subjunctive mood in this type of question.
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Was it the time of year That makes a state of fear
➔ Relative Clause & Present Simple
➔ The phrase "That makes a state of fear" is a relative clause modifying "the time of year". It uses the Present Simple ("makes") to describe a general truth or habitual action. The 'That' acts as a relative pronoun.
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Women, there were children at the shelter
➔ Fronting & Past Continuous/Simple
➔ "Women" is fronted for emphasis, drawing attention to the presence of women and children. "there were" is a past tense construction indicating existence. The verb 'were' indicates a state in the past.
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Now who can stop the hail When human senses fail
➔ Rhetorical Question & Conditional Sentence (Type 1)
➔ The first line is a rhetorical question, not expecting an answer. The second line forms a conditional sentence (Type 1: If senses fail, then no one can stop the hail). The 'When' functions as 'If' in this context.
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This is not a case of blurred vision, it's a case of black holes, pocket holes, soul holes
➔ Parallelism & Metaphor
➔ The sentence uses parallelism with the repeated phrase "a case of...", creating a rhythmic effect. "Black holes, pocket holes, soul holes" are metaphors representing deep, inescapable problems or voids.
