Down Under (song)
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| "Down Under" | |||||
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Down Under by Men at Work
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| Single by Men at Work from the album Business as Usual |
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| A-side | Down Under | ||||
| B-side | Crazy | ||||
| Released | 1981 | ||||
| Format | 7" | ||||
| Genre | Pop | ||||
| Length | 3:42 | ||||
| Label | CBS | ||||
| Writer | Colin Hay, Ron Strykert | ||||
| Men at Work singles chronology | |||||
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"Down Under" is the title of a New Wave song of the reggae flavour, written by Colin Hay and Ron Strykert, recorded in 1981 by the Australian rock group Men at Work and featured on their debut album Business as Usual. This song went to #1 on Australian as well as international charts, including the UK and America. It was reissued in 1982 and is the first and only 'Men at Work' song to get to number 1 in the UK.
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.[1] One of the verses refers to Vegemite sandwiches, among other things, and this particular lyric has become a well-known phrase. The flute part in the song is 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 song is a perennial favorite on Australian radio and television, and became well-known outside Australia after it was used as a theme song by the crew of Australia II in their successful bid to win the America's Cup in 1983. It wasn't the first Australian single to gain popularity in the USA, as Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport was #3 in the USA in 1963. 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.[citation needed]
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Another version of the song was released in 1999 by the punk rock band Pennywise, as a bonus track on the album Straight Ahead. While Pennywise is an American band, it frequently tours Australia, and often plays the song at live shows as a tribute to its many Australian fans.
A version of this song is on the Kangaroo Jack soundtrack. The song was also used in advertisements for the Disney/Pixar movie Finding Nemo, though it never appears in the film itself.
The punk rock band Funeral Dress also had a version of the song on its album A Way of Life.
Colin Hay had his version as well as an acoustic version on his album Man at Work.
During the 1980's Yossi and Avi Piamenta recorded traditional Jewish wedding lyrics to the tune of the song.[2]
- "Down Under" - 3:44
- "Crazy" - 2:34
- "Down Under" - 3:44
- "Helpless Automation" - 3:23
| Preceded by "Maneater" by Hall & Oates |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single January 15, 1983- January 29, 1983 |
Succeeded by "Africa" by Toto |
| Preceded by "Africa" by Toto |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single February 12, 1983 |
Succeeded by "Baby, Come to Me" by Patti Austin and James Ingram |
| Preceded by "You Can't Hurry Love" by Phil Collins |
UK number one single January 23, 1983 |
Succeeded by "Too Shy" by Kajagoogoo |
Categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements since October 2007 | Australian patriotic songs | Australian rock songs | 1982 songs | 1983 singles | Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles | Number-one singles in Australia | Number-one singles in the United Kingdom | Number-one singles in New Zealand | Number-one singles in Switzerland | Oricon International Singles Chart number-one singles