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.
Maria
Men at Work Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She loved her homeland
Maria was from a poor family
For their girl they had greater plans
Across the sea not yet twenty
Sailed our Maria, a man to see
Perhaps marry dreams our Maria
Maria made plans for the future
Sh had sons to her man
Maria grew sad as the years passed
She did not understand
You must believe me
Though its not easy, trust in me
My life's been wasted
There's nothing sacred I can see
Though we're together
It seems we've never known the way
These lives we started
Now broken hearted everyday
Maria works in the factory
She makes shoes for the man
Maria lives for her family
Now she does what she can.
Hold on to me
Hold on to me Maria
For this was to be
A tragedy for our Maria
Oh Maria don't you cry
Oh Maria dry your eyes
The song "Maria" by Men at Work tells the story of a woman named Maria who was born in the countryside in a poor family. Despite her situation, Maria loved her homeland and dreamed of a better life. When she was not yet twenty, she sailed across the sea to be with a man she loved, hoping to fulfill her dreams of marriage and a family. However, as the years passed by, Maria grew increasingly disillusioned as her life did not turn out as she imagined. She had children with her man and worked in a shoe factory to provide for her family, but she became increasingly unhappy and felt like her life was wasted.
The lyrics describe Maria's struggles with the life she was dealt with, as she tried to make the best of it by providing for her family. It is a poignant tale of a woman who risks everything to fulfill her dreams, only to be left with a life that she finds unfulfilling. The chorus of the song, "Hold on to me Maria, for this was to be a tragedy for our Maria," emphasizes the heartbreak of Maria's situation and the pain that comes with unfulfilled dreams.
Line by Line Meaning
Maria was born in the country
Maria was born in a rural area.
She loved her homeland
Maria had a deep affection for her country.
Maria was from a poor family
Maria came from an impoverished household.
For their girl they had greater plans
Maria's parents had high hopes and dreams for her.
Across the sea not yet twenty
When she was not quite twenty years of age, Maria sailed across the ocean.
Sailed our Maria, a man to see
Maria took a voyage to visit a man.
Perhaps marry dreams our Maria
It's possible that Maria had intentions of marrying this man she had gone to visit.
This was to be eventually for our Maria
For Maria, marriage was in the future.
Maria made plans for the future
Maria had plans for what was ahead.
Sh had sons to her man
Maria had children with her husband.
Maria grew sad as the years passed
Maria became unhappy as time went on.
She did not understand
Maria was confused and unsure.
You must believe me
The singer is urging Maria to have faith in what they say.
Though its not easy, trust in me
Despite it being difficult, the singer wants Maria to trust them.
My life's been wasted
The singer feels like their life has been a waste.
There's nothing sacred I can see
The artist doesn't see anything special or meaningful in their life.
Though we're together
Even though they're together, the artist feels disconnected.
It seems we've never known the way
They've gone through life blindly, unsure of what to do.
These lives we started
The lives they've built together.
Now broken hearted everyday
Now they're both sad and hurt every day.
Maria works in the factory
Maria's occupation is factory work.
She makes shoes for the man
Maria's job is to manufacture shoes for someone else.
Maria lives for her family
Maria prioritizes her loved ones above everything else.
Now she does what she can.
Maria does her best with what she has.
Hold on to me
The singer is asking Maria to hold onto them.
Hold on to me Maria
The singer specifically urges Maria to hold onto them.
For this was to be
This was what was meant to happen.
A tragedy for our Maria
Unfortunately, this situation is now a tragedy for Maria.
Oh Maria don't you cry
The artist is consoling Maria not to cry.
Oh Maria dry your eyes
The singer is encouraging Maria to stop crying.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: COLIN JAMES HAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@andreasalguero4802
Maria was born in the country
She loved her homeland
Maria was from a poor family
For their girl they had greater plans
Across the sea not yet twenty
Sailed our Maria, a man to see
Perhaps marry dreams our Maria
This was to be eventually for our Maria
Maria made plans for the future
Sh had sons to her man
Maria grew sad as the years passed
She did not understand
You must believe me
Though its not easy, trust in me
My life's been wasted
There's nothing sacred I can see
Though we're together
It seems we've never known the way
These lives we started
Now broken hearted everyday
Maria works in the factory
She makes shoes for the man
Maria lives for her family
Now she does what she can.
Hold on to me
Hold on to me Maria
For this was to be
A tragedy for our Maria
Oh Maria don't you cry
Oh Maria dry your eyes
@a2713benger
probably the most under rated band on the planet....love their music .....
@methodicalmysticbutterflyi2669
It's a beautiful song.
@JDCUSA
“Underrated” is too often overused and I usually get annoyed when I see the label “underrated” attached to a very successful band. However in the case of Men at Work, though an extremely successful recording artist, with over 30 million records sold worldwide, significant radio airplay while touring the world, they are so good, I can agree that compared to other less talented bands from the 1980s with more commercial success, in that respect Men at Work is “underrated.” I love them so much.
@CBarkho1
The girl who played Maria is my older sister. So proud she had this opportunity to work with one of Australia's greatest bands.
@supersharpie961
Thats pretty cool
@YouCantHoldOnTooLong
How old was she when she played Maria in this video and where is she from originally?
~Dutch
@CBarkho1
YouCantHoldOnTooLong she was 18 when she did this :)
(sorry, it took me forever to reply)
@antonis2211
YouCantHoldOnTooLong I have a weird feeling she is from Greece originally...
@CBarkho1
Your feeling is correct, lol
@bmoreguy72
Beautiful ballad ... such an underrated song. Great work, men.