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Men at Work
About Down Under
"Down Under" is a song recorded by Australian rock band Men at Work. It was originally released in 1980 as the B-side to their first local single titled "Keypunch Operator", released before the band signed with Columbia Records. Both early songs were written by the group's co-founders, Colin Hay and Ron Strykert. The early version of "Down Under" has a slightly different tempo and arrangement from the later Columbia release. The most well known version was then released on Columbia in 1981 as the third single from their debut album Business as Usual (1981). The hit song went to number one in their home country of Australia in December 1981, and then topped the New Zealand charts in February 1982. The song topped the Canadian charts in October 1982. In the United States, the song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 on 6 November 1982 at No. 79, and reached No. 1 in January 1983 where it spent four non-consecutive weeks. It eventually sold over two million copies in the US alone. Billboard ranked it at No. 4 for 1983. In the UK, the song topped the charts in January and February 1983, and is the only Men at Work song to make the UK top 20. The song also went to No. 1 in Denmark, Ireland, Italy and Switzerland, and was a top 10 hit in many other countries. "Down Under" is perceived as a patriotic song in Australia; it remains popular and is often played at sporting events. In January 2018, as part of Triple M's "Ozzest 100", the 'most Australian' songs of all time, "Down Under" was ranked number 2.more »
- Year:
- 1982
- 3:45
- 4,271Views
- Playlists:
- #6
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Traveling in a fried-out combieOn a hippie trail, head full of zombieI met a strange lady, she made me nervousShe took me in and gave me breakfastAnd she saidDo you come from a land down under?Where women glow and men plunder?Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?You better run, you better take coverBuying bread from a man in BrusselsHe was six-foot-four and full of musclesI said, "do you speak-a my language?"He just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwichAnd he saidI come from a land down underWhere beer does flow and men chunderCan't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?You better run, you better take cover, yeahLyin' in a den in BombayWith a slack jaw, and not much to sayI said to the man, "are you trying to tempt meBecause I come from the land of plenty?"And he saidDo you come from a land down under? (oh yeah yeah)Where women glow and men plunder?Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?You better run, you better take coverLiving in a land down underWhere women glow and men plunderCan't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?You better run, you better take coverLiving in a land down underWhere women glow and men plunderCan't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?You better run, you better take coverLiving in a land down underWhere women glow and men plunderCan't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?You better run, you better take coverLiving in a land down underWhere women glow and men plunderCan't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?
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Men at Work
Men at Work is an Australian rock band who achieved international success in the 1980s. They are the only Australian artist to have a simultaneous No. 1 album and No. 1 single in the United States (Business as Usual and "Down Under" respectively). They achieved the same distinction of a simultaneous No. 1 album and No. 1 single in the United Kingdom. The group won the 1983 Grammy Award for Best New Artist, and have sold over 30 million albums worldwide.[citation needed] more »
1 fan
Genre »
Rock
Style »
Pop Rock
Sheet Music PDF Playlist
Written by: Colin James Hay, Ronald Graham Strykert
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
11 facts about this song
Release Date"Down Under" was released on October 6, 1981 as a single and it later appeared on Men at Work’s debut album titled “Business as Usual”. |
Chart PerformanceThe song reached the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in the United States and it was also a chart topper in the band's homeland of Australia. |
InspirationColin Hay, the lead vocalist, got the inspiration for “Down Under” while traveling with a group of Australians through South-East Asia, who seemed to be more Australian outside than in their native land. |
Main ThemeThe song gave an ironic reflection of Australian national pride during the '80s, portraying Australian culture through the eyes of a proud working-class man. |
Music VideoThe music video was filmed in two different locations such as the coastal sand dunes at Cronulla in Sydney and a bar in New South Wales, Australia. |
Lawsuit InvolvementIn 2009, the song was involved in a copyright lawsuit for plagiarism, it was claimed that the song's flute riff was copied from the Australian nursery rhyme "Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree". |
SignificanceThe song is considered an unofficial national anthem of Australia. It is commonly played at sporting events and is recognized globally as an emblem of Australian culture. |
Awards"Down Under" received a Grammy award for Best New Artist in 1983 for Men at Work after it became a huge hit worldwide. |
Cultural ImpactIts high-spirited music video featuring Men at Work band members experiencing traditional Australian customs and wildlife, greatly increased its popularity, making it one of the most memorable and significant songs of the '80s. |
Social CommentaryThis song contains social commentary in the lyrics such as "buying bread from a man in Brussels" referring to Australia's economic agreements or "women glowing and men plundering" suggesting the destruction of the Australian environment for profit. |
Re-recordings and CoversThe song has been covered by various artists and bands worldwide, reflecting its timeless appeal. Even the band's lead singer Colin Hay re-recorded an acoustic version of the song for his solo album "Man @ Work" in 2003. |
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