Rob Hirst's family and friends help finish book honouring Midnight Oil songwriter
When he died in January, Midnight Oil's Rob Hirst had been racing to try to finish a book about his career as a songwriter.
The loss of drummer and songwriter Rob Hirst from Australian band Midnight Oil has sparked an outpouring of grief globally, following his death from pancreatic cancer in January. A month after his passing, his daughter Lex Hirst embarked on a challenging yet rewarding mission to complete her father's unfinished book, World is Almost at Peace: A Lifetime of Songwriting for Midnight Oil and More.
Rob had been battling cancer for two years prior to his death, striving to finish the project which detailed his life and songwriting career.
Lex recounted her emotional journey as she delved back into the project a month after her father's passing, noting that she often cried while reading the material, finding solace in capturing her father's voice. The book takes readers through Rob's life as a songwriter, chronologically detailing every completed and recorded song in his discography.
It begins with Rob's early attempts as a lyricist and progresses through his significant contributions to Midnight Oil's socially conscious hits, such as "Beds Are Burning" and "Read About It," to his other projects like Ghostwriters and Backsliders.
The book's narrative arc is particularly interesting, reflecting Rob's shifts from early, less polished songs to his more politicized works with Midnight Oil and his deeply personal compositions as he grappled with his own mortality. This personal connection was a driving force for Rob, as he wanted to complete the book in his final months.
His wife, Lesley Holland, supported him in his endeavor, recognizing the significance of this project as a way for Rob to process his identity as a songwriter, especially as he was no longer able to perform physically.
Lex emphasized their commitment to adhering to Rob's wishes, ensuring the book remained focused on his songwriting rather than his drumming. They filled in the gaps in the manuscript with help from family, friends, and fellow musicians, providing notes and annotations to indicate who wrote specific lines within the songs. The book concludes with Rob's last song, "An Upwelling," which remains unfinished and unrecorded, leaving the door open for future interpretations.
Ultimately, World is Almost at Peace serves as a comprehensive and intimate look into Rob Hirst's career, offering insights into his songwriting process and the profound impact he had on the music world.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
