Editing Midnight Oil (section)

=== Farm: 1972–1976 ===
In 1971 drummer [[Rob Hirst]], bass guitarist Andrew James, and [[keyboard instrument|keyboard player]]/lead guitarist [[Jim Moginie]] were performing together. They adopted the name "Farm" in 1972,<ref name="ARDb" /> and played covers of [[Cream (band)|Cream]], [[Creedence Clearwater Revival]] and [[Led Zeppelin]] songs.<ref name="Howl" /> They placed an advert for a band member;<ref name="RS3" /> [[Peter Garrett]] (ex-Rock Island Line) became their new vocalist and synthesizer player and began introducing [[progressive rock]] elements of [[Focus (band)|Focus]], [[Jethro Tull (band)|Jethro Tull]] and [[Yes (band)|Yes]], as well as their own material.<ref name="McF" /><ref name="Howl" /> Garrett was studying at the [[Australian National University]] in [[Canberra]], so Farm was only a part-time band.<ref name="McF" /><ref name="Howl" /> They played for the northern-Sydney surfing community and, by 1975, were touring the east coast.<ref name="McF" /> In late 1976 Garrett moved to Sydney to complete his law degree.<ref name="McF" /><ref name="Howl" /> Farm then became a full-time group and changed its name to "Midnight Oil" by drawing a name out of a hat, leaving behind "Television", "Sparta", and "Southern Cross".<ref name="Jeff" />

The name "Midnight Oil" was inspired by the [[Jimi Hendrix]] song "[[Burning of the Midnight Lamp]]",<ref name="Howl" /> although the word "oil" appears nowhere in the lyrics. The expression "midnight oil" first appeared in a 1635 poem by [[Francis Quarles]] (1592-1644):<ref>[https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=midnight+oil Online Etymological Dictionary]</ref>
{{Poem quote|title=''Emblems'', 1635|
To heaven's high city I direct my journey, 
Whose spangled suburbs entertain mine eye.
We spend our midday sweat, our '''midnight oil''';
We tire the night in thought, the day in toil.}}