Australia has always had sort of a romantic appeal to me (and I’d love to be there right now, considering it’s summer), and I have Men at Work to thank for it. The delightfully goofy band won my six year old heart, first with “Who Can it Be Now” and then with “Down Under”. How can you resist the story of a man who meets a woman who made him breakfast when you’re a little kid? All it would have taken for a kidnapper to have lured me away back then was the promise of pancakes.
Of course, there’s more than just the first verse. There’s the addictive flute-sounding hook. There’s a remarkably catchy chorus, which sticks in the head even though you have no idea what Men at Work are talking about unless you’re Australian or know one. There’s Colin Hay’s delightfully droll delivery. Put it all together? Certified classic. The song’s lived through a Best New Artist Grammy, commercials for the Australian tourist board, “Crocodile Dundee” and an acoustic performance on “Scrubs” and is still a joy to listen to and sing along with.
And of course, there’s the “vegemite sandwich” line. Have you ever SEEN what Vegemite looks like? Green barf. Australians eat this. They’re better people than I’ll ever be.