Down Under
Men at Work Lyrics


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Traveling in a fried-out Kombi
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 muscle
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

Oh, you come from a land down under? (Ooh, 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 ('cause we are)

Living in a land down under
Where women glow and men plunder
(Can't you hear thunder) 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? (Ooh yeah)
Better run, you better take cover (we are)

Living in a land down under (ooh yeah)
Where women glow and men plunder
Can't you, can't you hear the thunder?
Better run, you better take cover

Living in a land down under (living in a land down under)




Where women glow and men plunder
Can't you, can't you hear the thunder?

Overall Meaning

The Men at Work song 'Down Under' is a song brimming with Australian stereotypes that caught the attention of the world back in the 1980s. The song begins with the singer's journey on a hippie trail in a van, referred to as a ‘Kombi,' as he meets a strange lady who made him nervous and taken him in for breakfast. She asks the famous chorus line 'Do you come from a land down under?' He answers, referring to his home in Australia where 'women glow and men plunder.' The musicality of the song is quite cheerful, but the lyrics center on the Australian identity and culture, as the singer meets people from different parts of the world.


The second verse introduces a larger man from Brussels selling bread and handing over a Vegemite sandwich, often considered quintessentially Australian. The pre-chorus talks about the 'land of plenty,' where the singer hails from, and the chorus repeats. The singer finally reaches Bombay only to be met by a man who asks if he comes from 'a land down under' and tempts him. The song ends with a replay of the chorus where the thunder implies that the Australians are dominating and their opponents should take cover.


Line by Line Meaning

Traveling in a fried-out Kombi On a hippie trail, head full of zombie
We are driving in an old van, exhausted and high, on a journey towards spiritual enlightenment


I met a strange lady, she made me nervous She took me in and gave me breakfast And she said
We encounter a peculiar woman who welcomes us into her home and feeds us


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
The woman asks if we are from the land of Australia, known for its natural beauty and rough men. She warns us of an upcoming storm and tells us to seek shelter


Buying bread from a man in Brussels He was six-foot-four and full of muscle I said, "Do you speak-a my language?" He just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich And he said
We meet a Belgian baker who is physically imposing. We try to communicate with him but he only smiles and gives us a sandwich made with an Australian spread called Vegemite


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
We proudly proclaim our Australian heritage, mentioning the country's love for beer and tendency to vomit after drinking. We again warn of the storm and urge others to seek shelter


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
We are in India, feeling sluggish and uncommunicative. We question a man if he is offering us earthly pleasures because we come from a wealthy country. He responds


Oh, you come from a land down under? (Ooh, 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 ('cause we are)
The man confirms our origin and mocks the image of Australian men who exploit their power over women. He also repeats the warning about the approaching storm and identifies as part of the Australian group


Living in a land down under Where women glow and men plunder (Can't you hear thunder) can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder? You better run, you better take cover
We restate our living situation in Australia, again highlighting the imbalance between genders. We remind people to listen for the sound of thunder and protect themselves


Living in a land down under Where women glow and men plunder Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder? (Ooh yeah) Better run, you better take cover (we are)
We reinforce the lyrics about living in Australia with the same implication as before. We also add a new emphasis on the importance of seeking shelter during the storm


Living in a land down under (ooh yeah) Where women glow and men plunder Can't you, can't you hear the thunder? Better run, you better take cover
We conclude by acknowledging the repeating nature of our song and again urging people to protect themselves in the face of the storm




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Colin James Hay, Ronald Graham Strykert

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@Lucia-io3dn

The lyrics can be interpreted is a such a profound way. All of these mimic the interaction between Australia's native people and the first colonizers:

"Do you come from a land down under
Where women glow and men plunder?

He was six-foot-four and full of muscle
I said, "Do you speak-a my language?

I said to the man, "Are you trying to tempt me?
Because I come from the land of plenty"

Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?
You better-better run, you better take cover"

As an anthropologist I feel this song so deeply. Kudos!



All comments from YouTube:

@TGTg06

The end of one of the most beautiful eras in the UFC

@gelashvili001

ilia topuria N1 , Glory to new king!

@marshmallow4188

5 years as champion he did one of a job #legend

@Jesus-hy8vr

Heart broken

@Anshhhh_1

😢Volk 😭

@Adam-nr7co

It's okay, Volk will recover his belt in a rematch soon❤❤

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@rubeneusebio1505

Alexander “The Great” Volkanovski’s walkout song, what a banger 🔥

@etka6973

😢

@rubeneusebio1505

It hurts me too 😔

@pranakshyapatra3493

Pain

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