The Tale Of Men At Work's #1 Hit "Down Under"

By | June 15, 2022

test article image
Men At Work collecting their Grammy for Award for Best New Artist in 1983. Getty

The Australian band, Men At Work, made waves in 1982 with their international sensation, “Down Under.” Written by lead singer Colin Hay, the rollicking hit ranked #1 for two weeks in both the United States and the UK while dominating the top spot in “a land down under” for well over a month. The very chant-able melody also became the nation’s anthem during that year’s America’s cup when Australia beat America for the first time dating back to 1851.

The song’s roots owe thanks to half-filled bottles and Bruce the Shark from Finding Nemo. Unfortunately, the massive sensation also drew the band into controversy, thanks to a 2009 lawsuit stemming from allegations of copyright infringement. Here’s the history of Men At Work’s “Down Under”

test article image
The bottles that helped inspire a sensation. knowyourmeme

Deep Meaning

Despite the references to strong weed, polarizing foodstuffs, and drinking so much you vomit, “Down Under” came from a heartfelt place. As Hay told Songfacts:

“The chorus is really about the selling of Australia in many ways, the overdevelopment 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.”

Bottles And Bruce

Incredibly, Hay’s sincere intentions were built on a little riff. “Originally, the idea came from a little bass riff that Ron Strykert, the guitar player for Men at Work, had recorded on a little home cassette demo. It was just a little bass riff with some percussion that he played on bottles that were filled with water to varying degrees to get different notes. It was a very intriguing little groove.”

Bruce the Shark, on the other hand, hails from Australian entertainer Barry Humphries who greatly influenced Hay. "He's a master of comedy and he had a lot of expressions that we grew up listening to and emulating. The verses were very much inspired by a character he had called Barry McKenzie, who was a beer-swilling Australian who traveled to England, a very larger-than-life character.