Men at Work » Tracks » Down Under

Men at Work – Down Under (3:40)

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About This Track

“Down Under” (also known as “Land Down Under”) is a pop song recorded by Men at Work for their debut album Business as Usual (1981). The song went to #1 on American, British, and Australian charts.

It was reissued in 1982, and is the only Men at Work song to go to #1 in the United Kingdom, and their only single to make the UK top 20. It has become a popular and patriotic song in Australia.

The lyrics are about an Australian traveller circling the globe, proud of his nationality, and about his interactions with people he meets on his travels who are interested in his home country.

One of the verses refers to Vegemite (an Australian food product) sandwiches, among other things; the particular lyric “He just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich” has become a well-known phrase.

Colin Hay told Songfacts: “The chorus is really about the selling of Australia in many ways, the over-development of the country. It was a song about the loss of spirit in that country. It’s really about the plundering of the country by greedy people. It is ultimately about celebrating the country, but not in a nationalistic way and not in a flag-waving sense. It’s really more than that.”

Slang and drug terms are used in the lyrics:

Travelling in a fried-out Kombi, on a hippy trail, head full of zombie.
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  • TheDarkSide73

    He Just Smiled and Gave Me a Vegemite Sandwich

    13 days ago

  • OrdealByFire

    A classic.

    17 days ago

  • isalovescott

    i met a strange lady, she made me nervous...

    20 days ago

  • Bandit17C

    RIP, Greg Ham.

    21 days ago

  • dartotheren

    You have got to be a pretty great person to be able to write a song as lovely as this!

    22 days ago

  • podgethebastard

    ♥

    last month

  • CidaDuarteF

    l♥ve l♥ve l♥ve

    last month

  • crawlpalmetto

    You'd better take cover :)

    March 2012

  • BlueOclock

    Great song and the album, "Men At Work" is terrific!

    March 2012

  • rockaforlife

    love the lyrics, know it from kangaroo jack and loved it ever since

    March 2012

  • Ironsman

    I met a strange lady, she made me nervous.

    March 2012

  • FearDeimos

    I still love this song and i´ll always do!!!

    February 2012

  • BlueOclock

    OH yeah!

    February 2012

  • lzcool

    Um dos maiores clássicos dos 80's.

    February 2012

  • hotterthanjuly

    An absolute classic.

    February 2012

  • ParadiseCove

    Aaacchhhh.... ! ;O

    February 2012

  • OldAcquaintance

    lying in a den in bombay, with a slack jaw and not much to say.....

    February 2012

  • pharmman52

    still a good song

    January 2012

  • maxlharris

    I said to the man are you trying to tempt me... because I come from the land of plenty. How would the slack jawed guy in Bombay tempt him?

    January 2012

  • EuReKa2929

    GREAT SONG

    January 2012
See all 677 shouts

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