Read About It – English Lyrics

• By: Midnight Oil
• Album: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Midnight Oil's "Read About It," a powerful track where intense rock meets potent political commentary. This song offers a fascinating insight into Australian social and political discourse of the early 80s, providing rich vocabulary related to media criticism and global affairs. Its distinct musical style, characterized by shifting time signatures and raw energy, makes it a compelling piece for understanding the band's unique sonic landscape and the lyrical nuances of English protest songs. Engaging with "Read About It" will not only enhance your language skills but also deepen your appreciation for music with a meaningful message.

[English]

(guitar)

(upbeat rock music)

(upbeat rock music)

♪ The rich get richer ♪

♪ The poor get the picture ♪

♪ The bombs never hit you when you're down so low ♪

♪ Some got pollution ♪

♪ Some revolution ♪

♪ There must be some solution but I just don't know ♪

♪ The bosses want decisions ♪

♪ The workers need ambitions ♪

♪ There won't be no collision when they move so slow ♪

♪ Nothing ever happens ♪

♪ Nothing really matters ♪

♪ No one ever tells me, what am I to know ♪

♪ So what am I to know ♪

♪ You wouldn't read about ♪

♪ Read about it ♪

♪ Just another incredible scene ♪

♪ There's no doubt about it ♪

♪ The hammer and sickle ♪

♪ The news is at a trickle ♪

♪ The commissars are fickle but the stockpile grows ♪

♪ Bomber keeps coming ♪

♪ Engines softly humming ♪

♪ The stars and stripes are running for their own big show ♪

♪ Another little flare up ♪

♪ Storm brewed in a tea cup ♪

♪ Imagine any mix up and the lot would go ♪

♪ Nothing ever happens ♪

♪ Nothing ever maters ♪

♪ No one ever tells me so what I am to know ♪

♪ So what am I to know ♪

♪ You wouldn't read about it ♪

♪ Read about it ♪

♪ One unjust, ridiculous steal ♪

♪ Ain't no doubt about it ♪

♪ You wouldn't read about it ♪

♪ Read about it ♪

♪ Just another particular deal ♪

♪ Ain't no doubt about it ♪

(upbeat rock music)

(upbeat rock music)

♪ The rich get richer ♪

♪ The poor get the picture ♪

♪ The bombs never hit you when you're down so low ♪

♪ Some got pollution ♪

♪ Some the evolution ♪

♪ There must be some solution but I just don't know ♪

♪ Ah ha ♪

♪ Ah ha ♪

♪ Ah ha ♪

♪ Ah ha ha ♪

♪ Ah ah ♪

♪ Ah ha ♪

♪ Ah ha ♪

♪ Ah ha ha ♪

♪ Ah ha ha ha ♪

(upbeat rock music)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
rich /rɪtʃ/ A2	adjective - having a lot of money or possessions
poor /pʊər/ A2	adjective - having little money or possessions
bombs /bɒmz/ B1	noun - explosive weapons
pollution /pəˈluːʃn/ B1	noun - substances that make land, water, or air dirty and harmful
revolution /ˌrevəˈluːʃn/ B2	noun - a forcible overthrow of a government or social order
solution /səˈluːʃn/ B1	noun - a means of solving a problem or dealing with a difficult situation
bosses /ˈbɒsɪz/ A2	noun - people who are in charge of employees or workers
workers /ˈwɜːkərz/ A2	noun - people who work, especially manual laborers
collision /kəˈlɪʒn/ B2	noun - a conflict or clash between opposing ideas or groups
hammer /ˈhæmər/ A2	noun - a tool with a heavy metal head used for breaking things
sickle /ˈsɪkl/ B2	noun - a short-handled farming tool with a semicircular blade
commissars /ˈkɒmɪsɑːrz/ C1	noun - Communist party officials, especially in the former Soviet Union
stockpile /ˈstɒkpaɪl/ C1	noun - a large accumulated stock of goods or materials
bomber /ˈbɒmər/ B2	noun - a military aircraft designed to drop bombs
incredible /ɪnˈkredəbl/ B1	adjective - impossible to believe; extraordinary
unjust /ʌnˈdʒʌst/ C1	adjective - not based on or behaving according to what is morally right and fair
ridiculous /rɪˈdɪkjələs/ B2	adjective - deserving or inviting mockery or derision
read /riːd/ A1	verb - to look at and comprehend written words
doubt /daʊt/ B1	noun - a feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction verb - to feel uncertain about something
evolution /ˌiːvəˈluːʃn/ B2	noun - the gradual development of something