Forgotten Years Lyrics
Midnight Oil
Lyrics
Few of the sins of the father, are visited upon the son
Hearts have been hard, our hands have been clenched in a fist too long
Our sons need never be soldiers, our daughters will never need guns
These are the years between
These are the years that were hard fought and won
Contracts torn at the edges, old signatures stained with tears
Seasons of war and peace, these should not be forgotten years
Still it aches like tetanus, it reeks of politics
How many dreams remain? This is a feeling too strong to contain
The hardest years, the darkest years, the roarin' years, the fallen years
These should not be forgotten years
The hardest years, the wildest years, the desperate and divided years
We will remember, these should not be forgotten years
Our shoreline was never invaded, our country was never in flames
This is the calm we breathe, this is a feeling too strong to contain
Still it aches like tetanus, it reeks of politics
Signatures stained with tears, who can remember
We've got to remember
The hardest years, the darkest years, the roarin' years, the fallen years
These should not be forgotten years
The hardest years, the wildest years, the desperate and divided years
We will remember, these should not be forgotten years
The hardest years, the darkest years, the roarin' years, the fallen years
These should not be forgotten years
The hardest years, the wildest years, the desperate and divided years
We will remember, these should not be forgotten years
The hardest...
Forsaking aching breaking years, the time and tested heartbreak years
These should not be forgotten years
The blinded years, the binded years, the desperate and divided years
These should not be forgotten years, remember
Song & Lyrics Facts
"Forgotten Years" is a song by the Australian rock band Midnight Oil, released in 1990 as the lead single from their album Blue Sky Mining. It was written by Peter Garrett, Rob Hirst and Jim Moginie, with lyrics that were inspired by the struggles of Aboriginal Australians.
The song peaked at number 2 on the ARIA charts and won an APRA Award for Song of the Year in 1991. The song's powerful lyrics describe the plight of Indigenous Australians who have been denied recognition and rights throughout history. The chorus includes the line "all these forgotten years", which has become a rallying cry for those fighting for justice for Australia's First Nations people. The song remains popular today and its lyrics are often quoted in political debates about Indigenous rights.