At last, a high quality, high resolution, title- and logo-free copy of this clip, which has never been included on any Midnight Oil video compilation. This original Australian version is so much better (and more appropriate to the subject matter of the song) than that "dance band" abomination of the clip made for the USA market, which is shameful in almost every way. Don't watch that one, watch this one. This is from an original PAL source, so it hasn't been through standards conversion either.
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"Truganini" is a song by Australian rock band Midnight Oil, from their album Earth and Sun and Moon. It was inspired by Truganini, a Tasmanian Aborigine.
The song uses a recurring Australian problem (drought) to pose the question "What for?", meaning "why did Europeans bother to colonize this harsh place". The song mentions two prominent indigenous Australians (Truganini and Albert Namatjira) whose lives were altered by European settlement and discusses current day sentiment towards the old country, namely the monarchy.
The single's liner notes included the claim that Truganini was the "sole surviving Tasmanian Aborigine" when she died. This sparked protest by some of the 7,000 people who identify as Tasmanian Aboriginal. Lead singer, Peter Garrett issued an apology.
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