Down Under (song)

"Down Under" is the title of a New Wave song of the reggae flavour, written in 1982 by the Australian rock group Men at Work, from their album Business as Usual.

It has become a popular patriotic song and video by virtue of the popular interpretation of the lyrics, about an Australian traveller circling the globe, proud of his nationality and attracting the interest of others because of that. 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.

The song is a perennial favourite 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 be popular in the US, as Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport was #3 in US 1963, but this song went all the way to #1 in the US and UK.

A cover version was released in 1999 by the punk rock band Pennywise, as a bonus track on their album Straight Ahead. While Pennywise are an American band, they frequently tour Australia, and often play the song at live shows as a tribute to their many Australian fans.

A version of this song is on the Kangaroo Jack soundtrack. The song was also used in the ads for the Disney/Pixar movie Finding Nemo, though it never appears in the film itself.

The punk rock band Funeral Dress also covered their song on their album A Way of Life.

In October 2006, Triple M had the Essential 2006 Countdown of the most popular 2006 songs voted by the listeners. The number 1 voted/ranked song was Down Under.

External links

• Offical Site
• Sony BMG - Men At Work

Categories

Find

Find