Southeast Desert Metal Cover 'Beds Are Burning' In Arrente Their First Language

7 July 2022 | 1:08 pm | Staff Writer

"It belongs to them" is now "it belongs to us," and "pay our share" has now become "pay your share".

Northern Territory band Southeast Desert Metal have covered Beds Are Burning by Midnight Oil in Arrernte, their first language.

The Indigenous Land Rights anthem has had new life breathed into it, thanks to the metal band who come from a remote community in the Territory.

The band are attempting to make it this years NAIDOC week anthem, transforming the track into their native tongue. The original track asks colonial Australia to pay the rent to Indigenous Australia as the land belongs to them and to "give it back."

Some of the lyrics have been changed to reflect the perspective that the band are singing from. "It belongs to them" is now "it belongs to us," and "pay our share" has now become "pay your share".

The single comes alongside a music video that references the original "four wheels" through the Desert in "forty-five degrees", showing the band in the back of a Ute as they cruise along Arrente country near their hometown of Santa Teresa.

Lead singer and guitarist Chris Wallace stated that "It would be an honour," to meet Peter Garrett one day and isn't sure what he would make of the cover.

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Southeast Desert Metal have had a busy few years, touring with metal acts Karnivool and Cosmic Psychos as well as working on their third album which is expected to land later this year.