Thursday, November 25, 2010

This Song Went to #1 on American, British, AND Australian Charts in 1981!

Happy Thanksgiving Eve Cats and Kittens!
At the buzzer and my head a long way from hitting the pillow ... 
today's
Ocho-rific
Song o the Day...

Land Down Under - Men at Work - 1981
::from SongMeanings.net::Traveling in a fried-out combie
On a hippie trail, head full of zombie
I met a strange lady, she made me nervous
She took me in and gave me breakfast
And she said,

"Do you come from a land down under?
Where women glow and men plunder?
Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?
You better run, you better take cover."

Buying bread from a man in Brussels
He was six foot four and full of muscles
I said, "Do you speak-a my language?"
He just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich
And he said,

"I come from a land down under
Where beer does flow and men chunder
Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?
You better run, you better take cover."

Lying in a den in Bombay
With a slack jaw, and not much to say
I said to the man, "Are you trying to tempt me
Because I come from the land of plenty?"
And he said,

"Oh! Do you come from a land down under? (oh yeah yeah)
Where women glow and men plunder?
Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?
You better run, you better take cover."
::WIKI "FACTS"::
"Down Under" (also known as "Land Down Under") is a pop song recorded by Men at Work for their

debut album Business as Usual (1981). The song went to #1 on American,[1] British, and Australian charts.


The lyrics are about an Australian traveler circling the globe, proud of his nationality, and about his interactions with people he meets on his travels who are interested in his home country.
One of the verses refers to Vegemite sandwiches, among other things, and this particular lyric ("He just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich") has become a well-known phrase.[3]
Colin Hay told Songfacts: "The chorus is really about the selling of Australia in many ways, the over-development 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."[4]
Slang and drug terms are used in the lyrics:
Travelling in a fried-out Kombi, on a hippy trail, head full of zombie.
Here "fried-out" means overheated,[5] Kombi refers to the Volkswagen Type 2 combination van,[3][5] and having "a head full of zombie" refers to the use of a type of marijuana.[3][5] Cultural slang is also used: "women glow and men chunder" means women sweat and men vomit.[3]

::Extra Goodies from SongFacts.com::

On January 15th, 1982 "Down Under" reached No. 1 for three weeks; then "Africa" by Toto became No. 1 for one week, but "Down Under" reclaimed No. 1 for another week!!!
- Barry, Sauquoit, NY

This became an unofficial national anthem when Australia won the America's Cup in 1983, an event the United States had never lost. The then Prime Minister of Australia, Bob Hawke, was so delighted with Australia's win, he gave the whole country the day off and announced on the news that any boss who fired an employee for taking the day off "is a bum!" (thanks, Jude - Melbourne, Australia)

The quirky video became a huge hit on MTV. The network had been on the air for only a year, and they didn't have many videos to choose from. Men at Work didn't know much about MTV, but British and Australian bands had been making videos for some time. The band made videos that fit their personality, often improvising scenes and using their friends for help. The guy who stands up and offers the Vegemite sandwich is the band's drummer, Jerry Speiser. He wasn't really "6 foot 4 and full of muscles," he had to stand on something to get extra height. He also wore a wig.
Until next time...
Have a Grand and Groovy Day!!
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