Released February 1990 Recorded 1989 Label Columbia | Format 7", 12", CD single Genre Alternative rock | |
Writer(s) Rob Hirst, Jim Moginie, Peter Garrett, Martin Rotsey, Bones Hillman | ||
"Blue Sky Mine" is a song by Australian rock band Midnight Oil released in 1990 as the first single from their album Blue Sky Mining. It peaked at No. 8 in the ARIA Singles Chart, No. 7 on the RPM Top 100 Singles chart in Canada, No. 25 in the French Top 50, No. 66 in the UK Singles Chart, No. 47 on the Billboard Hot 100, and No. 1 on both the Billboard Album Rock and Modern Rock charts.
The song was inspired by the experiences of workers at the Wittenoom asbestos mines who contracted various asbestos-related diseases. The "blue" refers to blue asbestos, and the "sugar refining company" refers to the Colonial Sugar Refining Company Ltd (CSR), the owner of the mines.
References
Blue Sky Mine Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA