Down Under
Men at Work
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Traveling in a fried-out combie On a hippie trail, head full of zombie I met a strange lady, she made me nervous She took me in and gave me breakfast And she said Do 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 cover Buying bread from a man in Brussels He was six-foot-four and full of muscles I said, "do you speak-a my language?" He just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich And he said I come from a land down under Where beer does flow and men chunder Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder? You better run, you better take cover, yeah Lyin' in a den in Bombay With a slack jaw, and not much to say I said to the man, "are you trying to tempt me Because I come from the land of plenty?" And he said Do 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 cover Living in 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 cover Living in 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 cover Living in 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 cover Living in a land down under Where women glow and men plunder Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?
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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”.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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".
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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.
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Awards"Down Under" received a Grammy award for Best New Artist in 1983 for Men at Work after it became a huge hit worldwide.
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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.
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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.
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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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Citation
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"Down Under Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 17 Feb. 2025. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/31199358/Men+at+Work/Down+Under>.
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