Men at Work won the 1983 Grammy Award for "Best New Artist", beating an impressive set of rivals including Asia, Jennifer Holliday, The Human League, and Stray Cats.. In August 1983, they ware given a Crystal Globe Award for $100 million worth of record business by their U.S label. That same year, in Canada, they were awarded a Juno Award for "International LP of the Year". At the ARIA Music Awards of 1994, they were inducted into the related Hall of Fame.
In terms of songs, their work has remained considerably popular. In May 2001, "Down Under" was listed at No. 4 on the APRA Top 30 Australian songs. In October 2010, 'Business as Usual' was listed in the book of 100 Best Australian Albums. According to Australian musicologist Ian McFarlane, the group's "phenomenal success inextricably created worldwide interest in Australia and Australian music" irrespective "of the band's fairy-tale rise to prominence". He's also said that they "simply opened the floodgates with little more than a clutch of great songs" and were "Australia's most famous group".
Men at Work have sold over 30 million albums worldwide in total. The band's singer-songwriter frontman, Colin Hay, pursued a solo career after it folded. In 1996, Hay and Ham reformed the band with replacement members. With new wave fans enjoying hearing 80s hits again live, the band had several popular tours. Sadly, Ham was found dead in his home in April 2012, and the future of Men at Work remains unclear.
Blue for You
Men at Work Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I close the blinds
'Cause I can't stand to see the light of day
I have no use for pain
But I don't mind the rain
'Cause I can stare outside and hear the sound
Today I looked right down to the ground
I'm blue for you, blue for you
I don't know what to do
[Chorus]
Gotta form a plan of attack
Can't stop to look back I know
You are so far from here
Gotta be strong in my mind
Not encroach on your time I know that
That would be wrong for sure
I must get out and about
Of that I have no doubt
There surely must be new places to go
Sights I've never seen
All with pastures green
'Cause the old ones are making me blue for you
'Cause I'm blue for you, blue for you
I don't know what to do
And I'm blue for you, blue for you
I don't know what to do
Gotta form a plan of attack
Climb back on the track I know
Bid my devil friend good-bye
Hope I'm still in the race
But I don't know what to chase oh no
And you're still so far from here
The sun it still shines in
And I shall close the blinds
'Cause I know I won't see you anymore, see you anymore
And I'm blue for you, blue for you
I don't know what to do
'Cause I'm blue for you, blue for you
I don't know what to do
I don't know
I could take a big jump
The lyrics to Men at Work's song "Blue for You" depict a sense of longing and melancholy. The first verse describes the singer's contrasting reactions to the sun and rain. While they can't bear to see the light of day, they find solace in the sound of the rain. The second verse continues this theme with a vivid image of the singer looking down at the ground, with nothing in between to break their fall. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for feeling lost and without direction.
The chorus introduces the idea of forming a plan of attack, but the singer recognizes that they cannot encroach on someone else's time. They must be strong in their mind and not let their emotions take over. The third verse then explores the idea of escaping from the past and finding new places to explore. The old places only make the singer feel more blue and remind them of their longing.
The final verse brings the song full circle, with the singer closing the blinds once again and acknowledging that they won't be able to see the person they are longing for anymore. The repetition of "I'm blue for you, blue for you" throughout the song emphasizes the depth of the singer's emotion and the sense of being stuck in a cycle of sadness and longing.
Overall, the lyrics capture the complexity of human emotion and the struggle to move on from the past while still acknowledging its impact.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes the sun shines
Occasionally good things happen
And I close the blinds
But I choose to ignore them
'Cause I can't stand to see the light of day
Because the world feels overwhelming
I have no use for pain
I don't want to feel bad
But I don't mind the rain
I don't mind the sadness
'Cause I can stare outside and hear the sound
I can be alone with my thoughts
Today I looked right down to the ground
I feel defeated
With nothing in between to break my fall
There is no one there to help me
I'm blue for you, blue for you
I'm sad because of you
I don't know what to do
I'm lost and I need direction
Gotta form a plan of attack
I need to make a plan
Can't stop to look back I know
I can't dwell on the past
You are so far from here
I can't be with you
Gotta be strong in my mind
I need to be mentally tough
Not encroach on your time I know that
I can't impede on your life
That would be wrong for sure
It wouldn't be fair to you
I must get out and about
I need to go out more
Of that I have no doubt
I'm sure about this
There surely must be new places to go
There's more to life than what I've seen
Sights I've never seen
I need to experience new things
'Cause the old ones are making me blue for you
My memories are making me sad
Gotta form a plan of attack
I need to make a plan
Climb back on the track I know
I need to get back on track
Bid my devil friend good-bye
I need to say goodbye to my problems
Hope I'm still in the race
I hope I can still succeed
But I don't know what to chase oh no
I don't know what I want
And you're still so far from here
You're still not here with me
The sun it still shines in
Life hasn't stopped for me
And I shall close the blinds
But I still don't want to face it
'Cause I know I won't see you anymore, see you anymore
I've accepted that we can't be together
And I'm blue for you, blue for you
I'm still sad about you
I don't know what to do
I'm lost and I need direction
'Cause I'm blue for you, blue for you
I'm sad because of you
I don't know what to do
I'm lost and I need direction
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: COLIN JAMES HAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Samara Haddad
Sometimes the sun shines
And I close the blinds
'Cos I can't stand to see the light of day
I have no use for pain
But I don't mind the rain
'Cos I can stare outside and hear the sound
Today I looked right down to the ground
With nothing in between to break my fall
I'm blue for you, blue for you
I don't know what to do
Gotta form a plan of attack
Can't stop to look back I know
You are so far from here
Gotta be strong in my mind
Not encroach on your time I know that
That would be wrong for sure
I must get out and about
Of that I have no doubt
There surely must be new places to go
Sights I've never seen
All with pastures green
'Cos the old ones are making me blue for you
'Cos I'm blue for you, blue for you
I don't know what to do
And I'm blue for you, blue for you
I don't know what to do
Gotta form a plan of attack
Climb back on the track I know
Bid my devil friend good-bye
Hope I'm still in the race
But I don't know whaat to chase oh no
And you're still so far from here
The sun it still shines in
And I shall close the blinds
'Cos I know I won't see you anymore, see you anymore
And I'm blue for you, blue for you
I don't know what to do
'Cos I'm blue for you, blue for you
I don't know what to do
I don't know
I could take a big jump
Rafael Guevara
One of Men At Work's most underrated songs.
astralgloom
Men At Work is such a great band.
Aspect Dank
Best Band ever. Their songs are timeless.
Alva Stewart
I never get tired of this one, the lyrics invoke a sentimentality. Sung well with slick phrasing, and a unique soulful sensibility.
BettinaBalser
The gem in this album's crown. Just a terrific song with wonderful lyrics.
Samara Haddad
Sometimes the sun shines
And I close the blinds
'Cos I can't stand to see the light of day
I have no use for pain
But I don't mind the rain
'Cos I can stare outside and hear the sound
Today I looked right down to the ground
With nothing in between to break my fall
I'm blue for you, blue for you
I don't know what to do
Gotta form a plan of attack
Can't stop to look back I know
You are so far from here
Gotta be strong in my mind
Not encroach on your time I know that
That would be wrong for sure
I must get out and about
Of that I have no doubt
There surely must be new places to go
Sights I've never seen
All with pastures green
'Cos the old ones are making me blue for you
'Cos I'm blue for you, blue for you
I don't know what to do
And I'm blue for you, blue for you
I don't know what to do
Gotta form a plan of attack
Climb back on the track I know
Bid my devil friend good-bye
Hope I'm still in the race
But I don't know whaat to chase oh no
And you're still so far from here
The sun it still shines in
And I shall close the blinds
'Cos I know I won't see you anymore, see you anymore
And I'm blue for you, blue for you
I don't know what to do
'Cos I'm blue for you, blue for you
I don't know what to do
I don't know
I could take a big jump
Bud BArb
This played just after my cousin died of cancer. She was 12. I still miss her...And I know she's happy where she is.
Darrett Van Winkle
. hmm 8
Yukum
yhu
ii
FLUFFY GAMER
My condolences. Love this song so it is a great song to remember her by.
dyer2cycle
Why was this song not released as a single??? Better than some tracks that were!