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.
Here "fried-out" means overheated, Kombi refers to the Volkswagen Type 2 combination van, and having "a head full of zombie" refers to the use of a type of marijuana. Cultural slang is also used: "women glow and men plunder" which could reference the euphemism of women "glowing" rather than sweating. After the second verse the refrain is "where the beer does flow and men chunder"; "chunder" means vomit.
Cultural significance
The flute part in the song was allegedly based around the tune of "Kookaburra", a well-known Australian children's rhyme. Originally, "Down Under" was released as the B-side to "Keypunch Operator", a rare custom-pressed single by Men at Work; some of the guitar melodies from that version were further developed into flute parts on the later release.
The music video was filmed in a number of places, including Lake Mackenzie on Fraser Island. The video also features several litre-size cans of what appear to be Foster's Lager (although the brand is removed), a beer drunk mainly outside Australia while being marketed as Australian.
The song is a perennial favourite on Australian radio and television, and topped the charts in the U.S. and UK simultaneously in early 1983. It was later used as a theme song by the crew of Australia II in their successful bid to win the America's Cup in 1983. Men at Work played this song in the closing ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympics, alongside other Australian artists. It was also often played after Australian athletes had received medals during competition, as they walked around the venue on a parade lap after the medal ceremony.
In May 2001, Australasian Performing Rights Association (APRA) celebrated its 75th anniversary by naming the Best Australian Songs of all time, as decided by a 100 strong industry panel, "Down Under" was ranked as the fourth song on the list.
In October 2006, Triple M had the Essential 2006 Countdown of the most popular songs of all time, voted by the listeners. "Down Under" was the number 3 voted/ranked song.
The song was ranked #96 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 1980s in October 2006.
The song has been used as the entrance music for various professional Australian sportsmen, including darts player Simon Whitlock, cruiserweight boxer Danny Green (for his fight against Roy Jones, Jr. on 2 December 2009) and snooker player Neil Robertson.
The song was played extensively during the September 2009 One-Day International cricket series between England and Australia, which Australia took by six matches to one.
Down Under
Men at Work Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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?
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?
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
@BrayGod05
¿ɹǝpunɥʇ ǝɥʇ ɹɐǝɥ noʎ ʇ,uɐɔ 'ɹɐǝɥ noʎ ʇ,uɐɔ
ɹǝpunld uǝɯ puɐ ʍolƃ uǝɯoʍ ǝɹǝɥʍ
ɹǝpun uʍop puɐl ɐ uı ƃuıʌıl
ɹǝʌoɔ ǝʞɐʇ ɹǝʇʇǝq noʎ 'unɹ ɹǝʇʇǝq noʎ
¿ɹǝpunɥʇ ǝɥʇ ɹɐǝɥ noʎ ʇ,uɐɔ 'ɹɐǝɥ noʎ ʇ,uɐɔ
ɹǝpunld uǝɯ puɐ ʍolƃ uǝɯoʍ ǝɹǝɥʍ
ɹǝpun uʍop puɐl ɐ uı ƃuıʌıl
ɹǝʌoɔ ǝʞɐʇ ɹǝʇʇǝq noʎ 'unɹ ɹǝʇʇǝq noʎ
¿ɹǝpunɥʇ ǝɥʇ ɹɐǝɥ noʎ ʇ,uɐɔ 'ɹɐǝɥ noʎ ʇ,uɐɔ
ɹǝpunld uǝɯ puɐ ʍolƃ uǝɯoʍ ǝɹǝɥʍ
ɹǝpun uʍop puɐl ɐ uı ƃuıʌıl
ɹǝʌoɔ ǝʞɐʇ ɹǝʇʇǝq noʎ 'unɹ ɹǝʇʇǝq noʎ
¿ɹǝpunɥʇ ǝɥʇ ɹɐǝɥ noʎ ʇ,uɐɔ 'ɹɐǝɥ noʎ ʇ,uɐɔ
ɹǝpunld uǝɯ puɐ ʍolƃ uǝɯoʍ ǝɹǝɥʍ
ɹǝpun uʍop puɐl ɐ uı ƃuıʌıl
ɹǝʌoɔ ǝʞɐʇ ɹǝʇʇǝq noʎ 'unɹ ɹǝʇʇǝq noʎ
¿ɹǝpunɥʇ ǝɥʇ ɹɐǝɥ noʎ ʇ,uɐɔ 'ɹɐǝɥ noʎ ʇ,uɐɔ
¿ɹǝpunld uǝɯ puɐ ʍolƃ uǝɯoʍ ǝɹǝɥʍ
(ɥɐǝʎ ɥɐǝʎ ɥo) ¿ɹǝpun uʍop puɐl ɐ ɯoɹɟ ǝɯoɔ noʎ op
pıɐs ǝɥ puɐ
,,¿ʎʇuǝld ɟo puɐl ǝɥʇ ɯoɹɟ ǝɯoɔ ı ǝsnɐɔǝq
ǝɯ ʇdɯǝʇ oʇ ƃuıʎɹʇ noʎ ǝɹɐ,, 'uɐɯ ǝɥʇ oʇ pıɐs ı
ʎɐs oʇ ɥɔnɯ ʇou puɐ 'ʍɐɾ ʞɔɐls ɐ ɥʇıʍ
ʎɐqɯoq uı uǝp ɐ uı ,uıʎl
ɥɐǝʎ 'ɹǝʌoɔ ǝʞɐʇ ɹǝʇʇǝq noʎ 'unɹ ɹǝʇʇǝq noʎ
¿ɹǝpunɥʇ ǝɥʇ ɹɐǝɥ noʎ ʇ,uɐɔ 'ɹɐǝɥ noʎ ʇ,uɐɔ
ɹǝpunɥɔ uǝɯ puɐ ʍolɟ sǝop ɹǝǝq ǝɹǝɥʍ
ɹǝpun uʍop puɐl ɐ ɯoɹɟ ǝɯoɔ ı
pıɐs ǝɥ puɐ
ɥɔıʍpuɐs ǝʇıɯǝƃǝʌ ɐ ǝɯ ǝʌɐƃ puɐ pǝlıɯs ʇsnɾ ǝɥ
,,¿ǝƃɐnƃuɐl ʎɯ ɐ-ʞɐǝds noʎ op,, 'pıɐs ı
sǝlɔsnɯ ɟo llnɟ puɐ ɹnoɟ-ʇooɟ-xıs sɐʍ ǝɥ
slǝssnɹq uı uɐɯ ɐ ɯoɹɟ pɐǝɹq ƃuıʎnq
ɹǝʌoɔ ǝʞɐʇ ɹǝʇʇǝq noʎ 'unɹ ɹǝʇʇǝq noʎ
¿ɹǝpunɥʇ ǝɥʇ ɹɐǝɥ noʎ ʇ,uɐɔ 'ɹɐǝɥ noʎ ʇ,uɐɔ
¿ɹǝpunld uǝɯ puɐ ʍolƃ uǝɯoʍ ǝɹǝɥʍ
¿ɹǝpun uʍop puɐl ɐ ɯoɹɟ ǝɯoɔ noʎ op
pıɐs ǝɥs puɐ
ʇsɐɟʞɐǝɹq ǝɯ ǝʌɐƃ puɐ uı ǝɯ ʞooʇ ǝɥs
snoʌɹǝu ǝɯ ǝpɐɯ ǝɥs 'ʎpɐl ǝƃuɐɹʇs ɐ ʇǝɯ ı
ǝıqɯoz ɟo llnɟ pɐǝɥ 'lıɐɹʇ ǝıddıɥ ɐ uo
ǝıqɯoɔ ʇno-pǝıɹɟ ɐ uı ƃuılǝʌɐɹʇ
@Yadobler
/'san(d)wɪdʒ/
/'laŋɡwɪdʒ/
pronunciation:
1) both ends with "wɪdʒ (weedg)" sound, if you pronounce sandwich with the UK pronunciation according to cambridge dictionary
stress:
(SAND-wich, LANG-uage)
2) both are unstressed the rhyming syllable;
3) both have stressed syllable right before the rhyming syllable, resulting in the Stressed->unstressed syllable transition (e.g. Leave (/liːv/) / Believe (/bɪˈliːv/) have same syllable (liːv) but "leave" vs "be-LIEVE" is not the same "change in stress" (leave is unstressed, be'lieve stress occurs on the second syllable)
they pass the 3 tests that defines a "perfect" rhyme.
(in this case, Perfect Feminine/Double rhyme, since the rhyming pattern is unstressed->stressed, 2 syllables, ending with wɪdʒ)
I think this is one of the best rhymes, it's infuriating on paper when you look at them, but when sung, they rhyme, and not just a sloppy job of -ing or forcing rhymes like one/thumb or halfrhymes like "yesterday/play" what a beauty.....
../spiːk'amʌɪ ˈlaŋɡwɪdʒ/
/ˈvɛdʒɪmʌɪt 'sandwɪdʒ/
@warhawk638
Legend says that this song plays whenever Australians meet each other abroad.
@editingman95
Legend says that this song plays while New Goblin hits his head onto pole after getting knocked out by Peter's web
@tenfootpole8214
🤣🤣🤣😎
@tenfootpole8214
😎😎 Its true
@backyardboys0
I’m Aussie and that’s true
@scottjohnnyhelgemoaune2951
Is it possible to change nationality to Australia?
@yayeet7256
I showed this to my friend
Now he's my mate
@jackyjackymack1033
You should be in jail for this lame wordplay mate
@yayeet7256
jackyjacky mack k
@mhzz4997
seis é veio