This song was considered to be Australia's unofficial National Anthem in the 1980s/90s especially as Australia won the America's Cup in the early 1980s...I love the way it portrays how Australians are found in all other countries around the world.
Men at Work came out of nowhere in 1981 with not mush fanfare but surprised everyone including critics with songs such as WHO CAN THAT BE NOW and DOWN UNDER and winning a Grammy for best new artist in 1983. They sold over 30 million albums worldwide.
Down by the sea.. My memories of despicable behaviour on the beach at night with a former girlfriend.. Oh to be young and below the age of prosecution again.... Wait, that sounds like I was forcing a girl.. I meant that we were both too young and I can state that no force was involved.. Quite the contrary.
When I first heard this song, I was about 20 and living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; where there is a huge community of people from Jamaica and those who listen to calypso music. So when I first heard this song, I was certain that the lead vocal was sung by a black man. I was absolutely stunned to learn otherwise. In fact, the entire arrangement sounds very Jamaican and very calypso. I never would have imagined that it was a group of white guys who composed, arranged, and recorded this.
All these years later, this song is still great. I've been to Australia twice. Wonderful country, wonderful people. The video is hysterical. Loads of Aussie references - vegemite sandwich is just one of dozens in this song.
You have no idea how much the line “he just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich” is like a secret handshake for people down under. This song was so huge it became less of a secret - I mean many American celebrities have since turned their nose after trying vegemite. My guess is most of those moments wouldn’t have happened without this song. Nevermind though, to truly appreciate vegemite you literally have to have grown up with it.
Saw these guys September 18, 1982 in Indianapolis, IN. They were the warmup band for Fleetwood Mac. The crowd was so keyed up for Fleetwood Mac that they boo'd constantly during Men At Work's set and they finally had enough and just walked off in the middle.
I love this song. It has one of the best "hooks" ever. It got a ton of air time on radio back in the day. They have another catchy song " Who Can It Be Now " that is a tasty tune.
Great song. I bought the actual vinyl LP when it came out. Australia had just won the America's Cup sailing race over the US, Olivia Newton-John's Let's Get Physical topped the charts and it seems like everything Aussie was all the rage in the early '80s.
Lead singer Colin Hay, is one of the most astute performers and songwriters around, just releasing yet another album. Apart from being one hell of a nice and interesting storytellers, he seems to get better in older age. Try 'Waiting for My Real Life to Begin" "I Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You" for starters.
You guys need to check out Cold Chisel - another Australian band. Their cover of Wild Thing, Bow River or When the War is Over. Only react to their live performances. JUST EPIC!!
Hope you guys react to Huey Lewis and The News songs like "The Heart of Rock & Roll", "Bad is Bad", "Power of Love", "Working for a Livin' ", "Heart and Soul", "Walking on a Thin Line", "I Want a New Drug", "It's Alright", "Harmonica Solo", "Hip To Be Square", "Do You Believe in Love?", "It Hit Me Like a Hammer".
Check out their song "Overkill". It's Fantabulous and its got SAX! 😁😉 Colin Hay, the lead singer, has an Awesome voice. Greg Ham (Flutist, Sax) was such a talented artist. RIP Greg! 🙏❤
Greg Haim played flute in this one, and sax 🎷 in Who Can It Be Now. Sadly, he was accused of plagerism in this track and about 10 years back, committed suicide.
@@notanotherenigma7759 Thank you so Brother! I'd no idea why Greg passed. Love Colin so, how clever, talented a fellow! Mr. Haim was also so incredibly talented! Fabulous Band Indeed. Men at Work! This old Boys Favorite Forever!
@@notanotherenigma7759 I personally think incorporating and quoting a traditional melody into Down Under was genius. Wether it was a conscious or unconscious decision, the melody just strengthens the whole concept. If they were consciously aware at the time that they were using the Kookaburra melody, then it is a shame that they were not advised to clear the publishing. The writer /publisher (if they were still alive in 1981?) might have licenced the melody for an agreeable fee. Men At Works own publishing company should have taken care of that. The real shitty thing is that it was not the writer of Kookaburra who sued them but just a greedy penny pinching publishing company who had purchased the publishing after the writer had long died. What I don't understand is that I have heard that sample artists(hip hop, electronica producers etc) are aloud to sample something like 2 measures/bars of a tune without having to worry about copyright infringement and yet this only uses two measures of the kookaburra song, not in succession either. The kookaburra melody is only used as a bookend answering phrase to Greg's original opening flute theme. From what I understand the publishing company spent millions suing Men At Work but we're only awarded $100,000 dollars, 5% of royalties retroactive to 2002 or something like that. Either way, it's tragic that Greg Ham felt bad about it. Look at how much music Jimmy Page and Led Zeppelin stole. I don't think Jimmy page stopped for a minute to even think about it.
Greg committing suicide is debatable. It was reported he had a heart attack, so I think it depends on who you talk to. Either way, he was an awesome artist!! RIP Greg.
It is a good song but they overplayed it so much back in the day on MTV and the radio, along with Who Can It Be Now, that I heard it enough then to last me a lifetime. I don’t go out of my way to listen it now though the video is kind of fun and nostalgic.
If you want to hear some more great Aussie music, Great Southern Land by Icehouse or John Farnham, The Voice. Pick either. Just BTW the flute tune is Kookaburra Sits In The Old Gumtree. Old Aussie song. I have many more😁 Aussies are a very proud people
Yeah. Down Under used a tune from an iconic nursery rhyme song called "Kookaburra" aka "Kookaburra Sits In The Old Gum Tree". The band lost and had to pay some back-dated royalties to the plaintiff party.
Australians are not racist and look after the ingenious people very well. 30 billion dollares are given every yr to them, and they are 1% of the population.Unfortunately, the majority of the money goes to a few indigenous people who do not care for them own people .Corruption is ripe within their trides.Indigenous have free health ,housing, and many other benefits.
Men At Work - Overkill (Video Version) th-cam.com/video/RY7S6EgSlCI/w-d-xo.html & Colin Hay's th-cam.com/video/PvukKx68_yM/w-d-xo.html Waiting for my real life to begin Live HQ 2010 some of my favorites of him
One more song that no one mentioned by Men At Work that got good air play here is - Be Good Johnnie! - th-cam.com/video/74dvJVwGA6Y/w-d-xo.htmlsi=uW_FLEqFFeR0AFZ0 - This is fire for sure
How silly to watch three grown men shake their heads to someone else's song. How the hell is this supposed to add anything to the music? Come on guys, can't you find something a little more meaningful to do?
Give Canadian folk singer Stan Rogers a try. Apart from being a great song writer he died honorably saving others from a commercial plane crash he was in himself as a passenger.
This song was considered to be Australia's unofficial National Anthem in the 1980s/90s especially as Australia won the America's Cup in the early 1980s...I love the way it portrays how Australians are found in all other countries around the world.
It STILL is considered
Yep,the America’s Cup which only meant something to Australians.
i thought it was 'tie me kangaroo down sport' by rolf harris
You're missing a lot by not watching the official video. It is hilarious and really adds to the song.
In the early 80s, Men At Work were HUGE. Good song. Great reaction.
Men at Work came out of nowhere in 1981 with not mush fanfare but surprised everyone including critics with songs such as WHO CAN THAT BE NOW and DOWN UNDER and winning a Grammy for best new artist in 1983. They sold over 30 million albums worldwide.
I remember how this was all over MTV.. Good times!!
We love our Vegemite..g'day from Canberra, Australia.🇦🇺
Hello from UK.. You're welcome..
Men At Work ..”Be Good Johnny” another classic
Down by the sea.. My memories of despicable behaviour on the beach at night with a former girlfriend.. Oh to be young and below the age of prosecution again.... Wait, that sounds like I was forcing a girl.. I meant that we were both too young and I can state that no force was involved.. Quite the contrary.
This song came out 24 years before i was born and yet Ive still heard it so many times everywhere as an Australian lmao
Right, you, out now...
Men at work: Who can it be now.
🇦🇺
Me.. It can be me...
When I first heard this song, I was about 20 and living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; where there is a huge community of people from Jamaica and those who listen to calypso music.
So when I first heard this song, I was certain that the lead vocal was sung by a black man. I was absolutely stunned to learn otherwise. In fact, the entire arrangement sounds very Jamaican and very calypso. I never would have imagined that it was a group of white guys who composed, arranged, and recorded this.
It's not Calypso.
The flute is” kookaburra sits on the old gumtree”
Great song... I remember when this was all over the radio.
43yrs salute mate🤝
Flute playing kookaburra sits in the old gumtree.
this tune is irresistable!!
I really like "Overkill"...
All these years later, this song is still great. I've been to Australia twice. Wonderful country, wonderful people. The video is hysterical. Loads of Aussie references - vegemite sandwich is just one of dozens in this song.
The essential Australian song, reggae beat, written by an American and sung by a Scotsman 🇭🇲
Colin Hay and Ron Strykert were the writers. Neither were American!
The tune in the background was Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree
Men at work I was in 7th grade when they came out , and loved them right away !
probably the best song for the Aussie's, it's a brilliant piece of art. good review lads well done :)
Colin Hay, a real Aussie...
You have no idea how much the line “he just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich” is like a secret handshake for people down under. This song was so huge it became less of a secret - I mean many American celebrities have since turned their nose after trying vegemite. My guess is most of those moments wouldn’t have happened without this song. Nevermind though, to truly appreciate vegemite you literally have to have grown up with it.
I believe it's similar to marmite, here in England.
I don’t think so
I tried it when I visited, and yes, I had the normal non-Aussie reaction to it. XD
good Aussie Music, thanks guys, cheers from Melbourne Australia
Magical song! Never get tired of this catchy tune.
Whenever i hear this song it makes me so so proud to be an Australian! 🇦🇺🦘
I married an Australian ; )
@@ErichH68 lucky you 👍
@@Sloppyjoe7390 most definitely : )))
Buying bread from a man is Brussels,he was 6 foot tall and full of muscle. Classic line.
Try "Overkill", plus, try Choir, Choir Choir, who had Colin in and the entire crowd sang back up for the acoustic performance, was amazing!
I believe they call it walkabout music. Pure fire
Nope, sorry not at all.
Done walkabout alot & this song was in the playlist, all Aussie playlist too
Absolutely not. At least not in Australia.
I stand corrected
Saw these guys September 18, 1982 in Indianapolis, IN. They were the warmup band for Fleetwood Mac. The crowd was so keyed up for Fleetwood Mac that they boo'd constantly during Men At Work's set and they finally had enough and just walked off in the middle.
As somebody from Saltcoats,Scotland ( Colin Hay)would do. They were lucky he didn’t set about some of them.lol.
Love your reactions. From an Aussie fan!
I love this song. It has one of the best "hooks" ever. It got a ton of air time on radio back in the day. They have another catchy song " Who Can It Be Now " that is a tasty tune.
Lynda from rural Maine, love this song, I remember when my town first got cable in 1984, We had M TV. Thanks for the memories guys.
Great reaction.
This song was right in my teen listening wheelhouse.
Brilliant writing, performance, and production.
Yall should do “Down by the sea” or “who can it be now”
Plot twist: The Indian guy wobbling his head was actually doing his everyday stuff 😂
Great song. I bought the actual vinyl LP when it came out. Australia had just won the America's Cup sailing race over the US, Olivia Newton-John's Let's Get Physical topped the charts and it seems like everything Aussie was all the rage in the early '80s.
They were a great aussie band,ac/dc another aussie band known as akka dakka. Been there family live there.amazing legacy
Lead singer Colin Hay, is one of the most astute performers and songwriters around, just releasing yet another album. Apart from being one hell of a nice and interesting storytellers, he seems to get better in older age. Try 'Waiting for My Real Life to Begin" "I Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You" for starters.
His solo version of Overkill is amazing, as was his guest appearance on Scrubs…..super funny guy in person too.
@@laurakali6522 Colin Hay was also awesome on "The Resident". He sang his song "You Saved Me From Myself". I Love that song too.
You guys need to check out Cold Chisel - another Australian band. Their cover of Wild Thing, Bow River or When the War is Over. Only react to their live performances. JUST EPIC!!
I know fors sure im the only 16 year old at my school that messes with 70's and 80's music this hard, thanks for this reaction yall
@Wayne Anthony Holmes okay?
This song gives my aussie heart elation
Hope you guys react to Huey Lewis and The News songs like "The Heart of Rock & Roll", "Bad is Bad", "Power of Love", "Working for a Livin' ", "Heart and Soul", "Walking on a Thin Line", "I Want a New Drug", "It's Alright", "Harmonica Solo", "Hip To Be Square", "Do You Believe in Love?", "It Hit Me Like a Hammer".
Check out their song "Overkill". It's Fantabulous and its got SAX! 😁😉 Colin Hay, the lead singer, has an Awesome voice.
Greg Ham (Flutist, Sax) was such a talented artist. RIP Greg! 🙏❤
Overkill is a stunning song.. Hay plays it so well and Ham was such an amazing musician. Sad that our icons leave us ..
Watch the clip. It’s a flute. I had Vegemite sandwich for school lunch. We take out own here.
I can only say that this is the best Australian album by a Scottish man..
"It's a Mistake", ""Who Can it be Now?".
Really do like this song. On my play list too. Got to see the video ✌️
I wish you guys had watched the original music video. It's hilarious and makes more sense with the lyrics.
Greg Haim played flute in this one, and sax 🎷 in Who Can It Be Now. Sadly, he was accused of plagerism in this track and about 10 years back, committed suicide.
Had no idea until this moment Greg committed suicide. So sad.
@@williamwarlick3497 yes, they said the flute riff was stolen from that old song "Kookaburra sits in the old him tree"
@@notanotherenigma7759 Thank you so Brother! I'd no idea why Greg passed.
Love Colin so, how clever, talented a fellow!
Mr. Haim was also so incredibly talented!
Fabulous Band Indeed.
Men at Work!
This old Boys Favorite Forever!
@@notanotherenigma7759 I personally think incorporating and quoting a traditional melody into Down Under was genius. Wether it was a conscious or unconscious decision, the melody just strengthens the whole concept.
If they were consciously aware at the time that they were using the Kookaburra melody, then it is a shame that they were not advised to clear the publishing. The writer /publisher (if they were still alive in 1981?) might have licenced the melody for an agreeable fee. Men At Works own publishing company should have taken care of that.
The real shitty thing is that it was not the writer of Kookaburra who sued them but just a greedy penny pinching publishing company who had purchased the publishing after the writer had long died.
What I don't understand is that I have heard that sample artists(hip hop, electronica producers etc) are aloud to sample something like 2 measures/bars of a tune without having to worry about copyright infringement and yet this only uses two measures of the kookaburra song, not in succession either. The kookaburra melody is only used as a bookend answering phrase to Greg's original opening flute theme.
From what I understand the publishing company spent millions suing Men At Work but we're only awarded $100,000 dollars, 5% of royalties retroactive to 2002 or something like that.
Either way, it's tragic that Greg Ham felt bad about it. Look at how much music Jimmy Page and Led Zeppelin stole. I don't think Jimmy page stopped for a minute to even think about it.
Greg committing suicide is debatable. It was reported he had a heart attack, so I think it depends on who you talk to. Either way, he was an awesome artist!! RIP Greg.
MEN AT WORK - OVERKILL
Another amazing song please 🙏
Ah , you need the film clip boys , explains everything and you have a great laugh as well .
It is a good song but they overplayed it so much back in the day on MTV and the radio, along with Who Can It Be Now, that I heard it enough then to last me a lifetime. I don’t go out of my way to listen it now though the video is kind of fun and nostalgic.
Sorry for skipping ahead to the reaction but I do appreciate the time stamp. Subbed
For another great Aussie band of the same era try Mental as Anything - "The Nips are Getting Better" or "If You Leave Me Can I Come Too" for a start.
There was also The Little River Band, Spout Enz and Midnight Oil, all popular Aussie bands of the '80s.
You should do Colin Hay's "Are You Looking at Me?".
A classic ✌❤
my top 5 debut albums of ALL time
It's a flute and if you want to hear a rockin' flute, listen to Jethro Tull, Locomotive Breath.
New to the channel I have to catch up
More April Wine please
That is actually a flute
Under rated Aussie band, The Church, good song to start with is Unguarded Moment
They were never underrated. Dont know where you got that from.
Great song.
If you want to hear some more great Aussie music, Great Southern Land by Icehouse or John Farnham, The Voice. Pick either.
Just BTW the flute tune is Kookaburra Sits In The Old Gumtree. Old Aussie song.
I have many more😁
Aussies are a very proud people
I second Great Southern Land, and The Voice. Both are as good as each other.
Listen to Kookaburra and tell me where you hear a similarity.
@@EbenezerFink06 its a well known fact. I could hear as a small child, if you can't perhaps your ear isn't as good as you think.
And the singer David Hay isnt even Austrailian, he was born n raised in Ayrshire Scotland then emigrated to down under as a teen i believe
Colin, he's Colin Hay
A combi (is a name for a van)...head full of "zombie" (marijuana).
On ya, Cobber!
Safari equals Africa, walkabout equals Australia. Hope flute is brass.
So good😀👍❤️✌️🌼
I think they had trouble with the flute in the song for playing Kookuburoo (spelling?) from a tv show.
Hi! Do you mean Kookaburra? It's one of our birds! Makes a VERY loud noise!
Yeah. Down Under used a tune from an iconic nursery rhyme song called "Kookaburra" aka "Kookaburra Sits In The Old Gum Tree". The band lost and had to pay some back-dated royalties to the plaintiff party.
You could do Boys Light Up by Australian Crawl
I think Overkill is easily their best song.
Watch the official video it is brilliant 😂
Super song by Mr. COLIN HAY
Australians are not racist and look after the ingenious people very well. 30 billion dollares are given every yr to them, and they are 1% of the population.Unfortunately, the majority of the money goes to a few indigenous people who do not care for them own
people .Corruption is ripe within their trides.Indigenous have free health ,housing, and many other benefits.
I recommend listening to Sounds Of Then by GANGgajang. They're an Australian rock band.
Men At Work - Overkill (Video Version) th-cam.com/video/RY7S6EgSlCI/w-d-xo.html & Colin Hay's th-cam.com/video/PvukKx68_yM/w-d-xo.html Waiting for my real life to begin Live HQ 2010 some of my favorites of him
Hey guys can u please react to moses mayfield ?
Donw Under forever...
One more song that no one mentioned by Men At Work that got good air play here is - Be Good Johnnie! - th-cam.com/video/74dvJVwGA6Y/w-d-xo.htmlsi=uW_FLEqFFeR0AFZ0 - This is fire for sure
must react to "cuando la luz oscurece - rata blanca [letra] 🍻🇦🇷🎶
0:20 what? samach it again?
Unfortunately the lead singer has passed away years ago.
Colin Hay is still alive
Bruh you just gave a heart attack. I think it's his bandmate you talking about.
Not true. He's alive
Sorry, his name is Colin Hay not David like i said. My bad
As an Australian, this song makes me cringe. Sorry, too many cliches.
acdc are way more popular than this song
How silly to watch three grown men shake their heads to someone else's song. How the hell is this supposed to add anything to the music? Come on guys, can't you find something a little more meaningful to do?
You guys looked like boggle heads or dash hounds 😄 I like that you did research before listening to it 👍
Colin is actually from Scotland!
Bloody Aussies good song up the English
Early 80's. Where everyone was playing reggae.
Neither did I, "ever used to think of Australia" when I heard this song before, but....I DO NOW!! 😁
Give Canadian folk singer Stan Rogers a try. Apart from being a great song writer he died honorably saving others from a commercial plane crash he was in himself as a passenger.