Men at Work are an ARIA Music Award winning and Grammy winning rock band th… Read Full Bio ↴Men at Work are an ARIA Music Award winning and Grammy winning rock band that formed in Melbourne, Australia in 1979. Considered a popular part of the new wave movement in Australia, the band's best known line-up consisted of Colin Hay (vocals, guitar), Ron Strykert (guitar, vocals), John Rees (bass), Greg Ham (saxophone, flute, keyboards), and Jerry Speiser (drums). They are best known their worldwide hit singles "Who Can It Be Now?", "Down Under", and "Overkill". Their initial line-up had many successful tours and released three albums, 'Business as Usual' (1981), 'Cargo' (1983), and 'Two Hearts' (1985), before disbanding in 1985.

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.

Stay at Home
Men at Work Lyrics

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Outside these, four walls lies, anarchy babe
Unnatural acts and sights abound
Glass glaring, eyes staring, young pairing, maybe
What does the world care if I'm not around

'Cause, I think I'd rather stay at home
With people I know
I could watch the whole thing on TV

And the neighbors never know

The bright lights, are like traps, for the unwary
You need a guard just to walk at night
Fights flaring, bombs scaring, pants tearing, maybe
How can you say it will be alright

And, I think I'd rather stay at home
And my face not show
I could watch the whole thing on TV
And the neighbors never know, they'd never know

'Cause, I think I'd rather stay at home
Where cold winds don't blow
I could watch the whole thing on TV
And the neighbors never know, they'd never know

Outside these, four shores lie, countries of strangers
They have water that you shouldn't drink
Bad driving, crime thriving, life's full of dangers
It's not that I'm frightened to walk on the brink.

But I think I'd rather stay at home
With people I know
I could watch the whole thing on TV
And the neighbors never know, they'd never know

Think I'd rather stay at home
Where the bad guys never go, they never go
Stay at home
With people you know, people you know

Think I'd rather stay at home
Where the pimples never show, they never show

Stay at home
Stay at home

Overall Meaning

The song "Stay at Home" by Men at Work reflects on the idea of isolation and avoidance from the chaotic and dangerous world outside. The lyrics are a reflection of the anxiety and fear of the unknown that many people feel when looking beyond the comfort of their home. The song paints a bleak picture of the world outside, where there is anarchy, unnatural acts, and sights abound, and young people pairing up, maybe because of their own fears to go outside. The idea of staying at home is portrayed as a choice, a willful decision to avoid the dangers of the outside world.

The song's chorus talks about the benefits of staying at home, watching the world from a distance, and keeping a safe distance from the dangers outside. By doing so, one can keep their own face from showing and be a part of the world that they see on TV. The song talks about the unwary that get trapped by the bright lights and require a guard to walk around at night, where crime and bombs go off often. By comparison, staying at home is seen as a much safer option, free from the dangers of the world, where cold winds don't blow, and bad guys never go.

Overall, Men at Work's "Stay at Home" portrays the desire to retreat to a place of safety and familiarity, a place where the neighbors never ask to leave and the troubles of the outside world recede. It's a song that resonates with people who may be afraid of the unknown, who may have anxiety or agoraphobia, or those who seek refuge during difficult times.

Line by Line Meaning

Outside these, four walls lies, anarchy babe
The world outside is chaotic

Unnatural acts and sights abound
There are strange things happening all around

Glass glaring, eyes staring, young pairing, maybe
People are watching and judging others

What does the world care if I'm not around
No one will really care if I stay home

'Cause, I think I'd rather stay at home
I prefer to stay home

With people I know
To be around people I'm familiar with

I could watch the whole thing on TV
I can witness what's happening on TV

And the neighbors never know
My neighbors won't realize I'm not out

The bright lights, are like traps, for the unwary
City lights can be deceiving

You need a guard just to walk at night
It's not safe to be out after dark

Fights flaring, bombs scaring, pants tearing, maybe
There are terrible things happening