This song became the battle anthem in 1983 when Australia II won the Americas Cup. The first country to do such in 132 years. Aussies love this song along with Eagle Rock by Daddy Cool.
Yes remember driving to work in 1983 when simultaneously every radio station played this song the moment the yacht Australia ll crossed the line to win the Americas Cup that year. This was a one in 132 year event .
was meant to be played on the yacht when crossing, but they used something else instead, but us being us, nobody would be able to tell you the song used, we all preferred this lol
While banned to do during about my 3rd year, there was a bit of a tradition at ADFA in the VERY early '90s in The Bin in Civic, ACT, on the dance floor on the ground level, when Eagle Rock came on, all the cordies would drop their dacks, dance with them around their ankles during that song. I did this many times, I have literally NO idea where the tradition came from, but it 100% happened until we were told we would be charged if we did it anymore.
Guys, I’m from Germany, that song is an 80s CLASSIC!!! 😂 It was a hit worldwide, not only in Australia. Even if you didn’t know the name of the band or the song you would have known this song, it was that famous.
I met a lot of Germans over the years in Oz and have heard it is a staple on most dance floors, even heard some mad 90s techno versions they had on tapes lol
I was in America in 1983 wearing a ‘I come from the land down under’ sweatshirt on the NY subway when everyone started congratulating me. It was the day Australia won the America’s cup. I saw the boat at Rhode Island. Quite a memory!
I had a roommate in college who was from Australia and whose dad just happened to work for a record company... She went home over Chistmas break and came back with this album before it was even released in the U.S... was pretty cool!
@@CurseTheDarkness Yes I think that's right and people were not happy. Who the hell owns Kookaburra sits in an old gum tree. Doesn't that belong to 27million of us
Well Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder loves Throw Your Arms Around Me & did a cover. The vid on RUclips of Eddie Vedder singing that with Mark Seymour, i think at a Perth Pearl Jam concert is brilliant
I was bumming around Europe at the time. It was just about on repeat on every jukebox in bars where aussies congregated from the Greek Islands to Belgium.
The lead singer, Colin Hay, was born in Scotland and moved to Australia when he was 14. Still going strong as a solo artist and was also part of Ringo Starrs "All Starr Band." His guitar playing and vocals are exceptional.
This was played when we won the Americas Cup back in 1983. I remember it like it was yesterday. It was my very last day of Year 12 in high school 👍❤️🇦🇺
Hahaha! I was teaching in 1983 and one staff member kept getting rubbished for being a loser because of her accent. She kept telling everyone “but l am Canadian! I am as happy as you are!”
When Australia won the Americas Cup in 1983, this song was blasted out as their boat left the docks every morning, flying a huge boxing kangaroo flag, it was a magical time to be an Aussie!
My husband slept but I couldn't tear my eyes from watching that incredible race on TV until the very early hours of the morning, so darn exciting. This song was heard often in replays of the race and afterwards. Best anthem ever!
They were definitely influence by The Police with mixing rock and reggae sounds but this song was quite unique sounding with the flute having a major part which is rare in rock songs.
@@jotegg1276 ❤and The Moody Blues (Ray Thomas - flautist - R.I.P) By the way, Barbells, Bondi Beach is pronounced Bond-eye Beach. (_Not_ "Bondy" Beach!) ❤😊
This song got to number one on the US Billboard Top 100 and ranked number four for 1983 in US. I heard it playing on the radio in a shop in San Francisco when I was there.
Another Aussie band you should check out is INXS (pronounced "In Excess") -- "New Sensation," "Need You Tonight/Mediate" video,"Disappear," "Devil Inside," "Never Tear Us Apart," "Guns in the Sky" and "Suicide Blonde." Watch the official music videos. You'll enjoy them! They're mainly an 80s band, they also have many other songs - maybe other people can comment.
@@stevemurrell6167 Yes! Note- this was their 1st US single - in 1982- I believe it was - so 1st video on MTV as well. Great song - along with "Don't Change."
@@mcasualjacques Hay is still great solo. I think Colin was from Scotland originally but Australia is pretty good about taking care of those of us who showed up later on.
@@RanchHanded ah phew i thought Colin was from NZ ( i pretend that Australians are tired of people thinking NZ and Australia are the same and a few miles off the coast. )
Little River Band is my favorite Aussie band. You need to check them out. They have so many big hits. My personal favorite is "Reminiscing". Vegemite is some kind of savory sandwich spread. I've never seen it sold in the US. I looked it up and it said it was leftover brewers yeast mixed with veggies and spices. I don't think it would be to my taste. lol
The Vegemite is the food mentioned, “he just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich “ ..😊😊 as a true blue Aussie I do eat my Vegemite every day. I eat it on toast with lots of butter and just a little Vegemite. It’s a salty spread, rich in vitamin B and comes from yeast that is used in brewing beer.
Men At Work burst on the scene in the early 1980s with their unique sound. Colin Hay had an interesting voice and delivery. My favourite tunes by them are Who Can It Be Now and It's A Mistake.
Someone might have already mentioned this but the writers and record company were eventually sued for copyright issues. ~~From elsewhere online:~~ * In June 2009, 28 years after the release of the recording, Larrikin Music sued Men at Work for copyright infringement, alleging that part of the flute riff of "Down Under" was copied from "Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gumtree". * The Federal Court of Australia ruled that Men at Work's famous song "Down Under" infringes the copyright in the 1934 children's round "Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree" (4 February 2010). * Today, Jacobson ordered Men at Work's recording company, EMI Songs Australia, and Down Under songwriters Colin Hay and Ron Strykert, to pay 5% of royalties earned from the song since 2002 and from its future earnings. A statute of limitations restricted Larrikin from seeking royalties earned before 2002. (6 July 2010) This has to be the most trivial copyright infringement ever. There's a slight similarity to the original rhyme but (a) it's not entirely akin to the original (b) it's in a completely different type of key (in fact, it's in a mode, not a key) (c) it's a noticeable part of the music but only makes up a small segment of the song (d) it is not used for the main melody of either verse or chorus, only for an instrumental portion- not the main part of the song. On top of that, most older songs, even if written, were handed down to generations beyond their own by oral tradition. Through time and human error, it would have changed over time. It's unlikely that the original song 'Kookaburra Sits in an Old Gum Tree'- a children's song to be sung as a canon/round- was originally written in the exact same form as most people know it now. Even if it does exist in manuscript, it's not likely that those who learn the song (without the knowledge of how to read the music or if it exists in written form) will have learnt it 'correctly.' I've worked over 30 years in teaching and analysing music plus 13 years prior to that in learning music with a focus of musicological analysis and composing (classical trained). I'm usually pretty strong when it comes to copyright issues but I think this ruling got it all wrong.
Yeah, blame the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for that. They broadcast a music quiz program named ‘Spicks and Specks’, after the early Bee Gees song. In one particular episode the crew noted the presence of the Kookaburra riff in Down Under, and hilarity ensued from there. If Adam Hills had just kept his mouth shut, this Oz Rock classic may still be in airplay rotation - and Greg Ham may not have ended himself in the washup from all this.
Vegemite is a yeast extract with a salty taste. Most newbies spread it on way too thickly, but when spread sparsely on toast or fresh crusty bread is delicious and a staple for many Australian breakfasts.
I was 15 when this song came out - down here we listened to it 2-5 times a day - it is now ingrained into our brains - when it comes on we jump up and listen and move immediately
@69 I totally agree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I want them to review Icehouse... seen them a few times years ago... always was 100% fan... since 1980's... that man is one hell of a Muso...
Australia is unique in that the bands and singers have a small audience to capture, and they had to do it in pubs. That means they had to appeal to everyone so they either mixed genres in the songs, or at least across their sets. If you weren't keen on one song on the night, you used that time to go and grab a drink and by the time you came back 'your' music was playing again. If you didn't like the start of a song, you could probably still hum the tune or sing the chorus, if not ignore it and tune back in again in a couple of minutes.
I used to see them play in a small bar in a tiny pub (The Cricketers Arms) in Punt Road Richmond - in those days they hadn't cut an album yet - but did have a 'borrowed' well beaten Men At Work road sign as a back drop. My favourite songs back then were 'Keypunch Operator' and one about Fitzroy Street I can't remember the name of.
This was a MASSIVE hit in the 80's!! This song has been my TOP number one favorite song for decades! I still can't get enough of this song. This is my happy song I play when feeling down and depressed. This is an absolute epic classic. Thanks for playing it!
A very cool song from the 80's. Australia gave us some really great bands AC/DC, INXS, Little River Band, Bee Gees, The Church, Crowded Houses, Midnight Oil, among others
@@samueljames17 Born there but The family then moved to Redcliffe, in the Moreton Bay Region, Queensland, Australia, later to Cribb Island. After achieving their first chart successes in Australia as the Bee Gees, they returned to the UK in January 1967.
Official video is brilliant and funny as previously mentioned. By the way, it's not pronounced bondy beach, it's pronounced bond-eye beach. Your relatives in Perth are blessed with a very beautiful place to live. I spent 7 weeks over there and don't worry about the critters, you soon learn where NOT to put ya hands and feet. ✌❤🇬🇧
This is my guilty pleasure 80's song... just so much fun to listen to👍 Fun fact... the lead singer Colin Hay has excellent modern versions of this song performed acoustically... just excellent.
As already said, this song was massive in the early-mid 80s. The video was played in heavy rotation on MTV and everyone that heard it would sing along. Good times.
Hi I'm from Perth Western Australia and I've enjoyed ur reaction to this classic Aussie song .. don't ever underestimate the beauty of Perth and the state of Western Australia as its the biggest state with much geographic diversity from the south of WA to the North....it won't disappoint so yeah come to Perth Western Australia and much love from Perth ❤❤❤
always loved thisI remember from the 2000 summer games in Aussie at the closing ceremonies i was soo waiting for them to do this and they didnt dissapoint!
@@barsandbarbells2022 Hi, the entire 4+ hours of the Sydney Olympics Opening Ceremony is on youtube. It's easy to find. I'd skimmed through it, & had timestamped for you feature points but my PC had a crash, so lost them all. So when watch it, watch from few minutes after start, to approx @1:22. Then @3:29 with Olivia & John Farnham, then from @3:42 with Vanessa Amorosi. Suggest you to check out Vanessa's hit song 'Absolutely Everybody'. One of the best pop-dance songs, & worked very well when playing at New Years Eve functions and parties. In a comment below, in the comments in replies to Richardscratcher, I've put a lengthy reply (in my 2 comment to @Oakfat) re Downunder. Briefly tho, the version of Downunder you listened to is a rewritten version (music wise, same vocals though couple of changes) of the 1980 Original Version of it, released as B-side to their very first single Keypunch Operator; a year before they recorded their first album. While of course lot of similarity, there's still quite a difference to the album version that is the more uptempo version of Downunder (that became the international Hit Single), with that (1981) version having the flute riff that became a major & long drawn out copyright battle, for a decade and a half, this century. While the 1980 original (& very reggae-ish) version does have some flute (but not continually through the song), it doesn't have the riff from 'Kookaburra' that the copyright challenge/suit was based on, re the 1981 version. I'll post details in a main comment later, re the very first 1980 version of Downunder, but as comments very often get lost or almost disappear thought I'd mention it, where can reply directly to you. The original 1980 version on youtube is titled exactly that: Men At Work - Down Under (original version 1980). By the way, couple people commented Men At Work started in 1980s. They first named themselves as Men At Work in 1977, and 2 of them were already performing as band (that became Men At Work) before that. Downunder (the even more reggae-ish original one) was first played (live) in 1978. Some Stats re Downunder in U.S. : It has sold in excess of 2 million copies (all time) in U.S. Reached Number 1 on Billboard Hot 100 in Jan 1983, with it returning to Number 1 three times in that chart run, in some of the subsequent weeks. In U.S. tho it hasn't had much airplay for past 20 years or so, so not surprising that younger ages there don't know it. In Aus/NZ/UK there's rarely a birthday party function or any other celebration, or pub if they have DJs, where it isn't played. Only place wouldn't hear it is in Nightclubs. Oh wait! There is a Club cover of it, by Luude, with one of the original Men At Work, Colin Hay, doing some of the backing vocals on it. (not sampled vocal, but newly recorded by Colin)
Vegemite is B vitamin malt it’s a spread for toast. Plunder = overwhelm and steal Men make plunder Women glow Men make chunder ( vomiting after too much beer) M
My favorite band in 1979 and into the early 80s. I was 11 years old when I discovered Men at Work and I've loved them ever since. Check out 'Who Can It Be Now', 'Be Good Johnny' and one of my favorites from later Men at Work was 'Overkill'.
Vegemite is the best.. had it this morning on toast with heaps and heaps of butter and just a scraping on top then topped toast with poached egg.. best brekky ever..
😢😢 I hate Vegimite but I like Marmite. However, I mustn't eat much (of either) as I have kidney failure and these spreads are both too salty and would make my kidneys fail even faster.😢😢
G'day G'day, I'd love to see you react to great Southern land by ice house. The video shows a lot of the natural beauty in the many different landscapes Australia has to offer. It will make you want to visit even more. It's a great song too
Jane H commenting ….I was living in England when this came out, but I’m actually from New Zealand, which is below Australia. I loved this song & it always on the radio, so it did very well in England. I think it was a worldwide hit. Chunder means to throw up (vomit). It’s a slang word in Australia.
What I like about you guys is that you actually pay attention to everything you react to and you take a reasonable pause to comment (and comment with common sense - which is rare these days). Well done!
At Summer Camp in CT, had the Camp Director ask all Australian and New Zealand workers come up and sing this song at karaoke... It was great with thirty or so of us on staff all singing together 😊
This was an international hit, not only Australia. They have other major hits, like 'Who Can It Be Now?', 'Overkill', 'Everything I Need ', 'It's a Mistake'
Yes remember driving to work in 1983 when simultaneously every radio station played this song the moment the yacht Australia ll crossed the line to win the Americas Cup that year. This was a one in 132 year event . As it was the battle song used by the team.
The riff the flute plays is taken from "Kookaburra", written in 1932 by Marion Sinclair. The band was sued over this. "Kookaburra sits on the old gum tree, merry merry king of the bush is he..."
@@oakfat5178 Until a few years ago (2015) Happy Birthday was copyright song. It was actually copyright infringement to use, if didn't pay for its use. The eventual ruling in the legal battle (battles), in the final court case ruled Warner/Chappell's copyright only applied to a specific piano arrangement of it. While ok to sing at a party or something, if you uploaded a video (or audio) from it, with the song it WAS copyright infringement. Warner/Chappell didn't create the copyright on it, but inherited it in 1988 during one of their takeovers of other companies. The melody & lyrics in "Happy Birthday to You" first appeared, in print, in 1912. Melody was from a song "Good Morning To All" created by a Kindergarten teacher (who'd created the words) & her sister, the latter being a pianist & composer (who'd created the music). The Summy Company registered a copyright of Happy Birthday in 1935, crediting authors Preston Ware Orem and Mrs. R. R. Forman. So from 1935, to 2016 (when it became copyright free) Happy Birthday was in Copyright. And was believed any recorded version of it was. Of course most people never thought that Happy Birthday would be, since such a "common domain" song, but it wasn't Public Domain. Except for in its early years of existence, as there was no names of authors & composers on it. BUT when published, most written and recorded songs have an automatic copyright on. Tho of course if not actually registered copyright, it can been (& has been heaps) argued re a number of things published. A documentary maker, who had to pay $1500 USD for rights to use Happy Birthday, subsequently instigated a challenge against it being copyrighted, after first lodging a complaint with Warner Chappell and seeking return of her money, as said it was a song in the public domain. Can guess how far that complaint & request got. Several weeks later, filings were lodged with a court to challenge the copyright. As for Downunder, copyright to Kookaburra was sold in 1934, and was part of Conditions Of Entry, in a competition run by Girl Guides Association of Victoria with the rights of the winning song to be sold to raise money for the purchase of a camping ground. (Which is Britannia Park near Yarra Junction). [Continued in Next Comment].
Great song, most Aussies know the lyrics by heart. Took on legendary proportions when used by the yacht Australia 2 during their winning run at the Americas cup race in the 1980's...
@@AlanKenny-y8eThe Bee Gees were born in the Isle Of Man which isn't part of the UK.They moved to Australia and their music career kicked off there, so because the act was formed while living in Australia to me the "Bee Gees" music wise are from down under even though they weren't born there.
There are a lot of Australian references. Another poster spoke about plunder. Chunder is the equivalent of getting drunk and puking. Vegemite is yeast based spread. It has a strong taste and usually you spread a LITTLE of it with something else.
Really loved Men at Work in the 80’s…. Plenty of songs to discover… Who can it be now, Be Good Johnny, Overkill, Everything I Need, Still Life, Down By the Sea…. Enjoy….. Other Bands Cold Chisel, The Angels, Moving Pictures, Rose Tattoo.
I'm always looking forward to when you guys put out a new music reaction. Another great pick and a classic, personally 80s will always be my fave era. Entertaining and fun to watch as usual, keep it up you two. 💜
The actual original music video is a banger!
You miss a lot without the video.
Yes it is. I remember seeing the video on MTV when it was released. I was 18 years old. MTV was still very new.
I have to agree I really love that video.
@@HeidiDenoble Agreed
Watch the original
This song became the battle anthem in 1983 when Australia II won the Americas Cup. The first country to do such in 132 years. Aussies love this song along with Eagle Rock by Daddy Cool.
Yes remember driving to work in 1983 when simultaneously every radio station played this song the moment the yacht Australia ll crossed the line to win the Americas Cup that year. This was a one in 132 year event .
Great day…never forget it. We beat the Yanks
was meant to be played on the yacht when crossing, but they used something else instead, but us being us, nobody would be able to tell you the song used, we all preferred this lol
While banned to do during about my 3rd year, there was a bit of a tradition at ADFA in the VERY early '90s in The Bin in Civic, ACT, on the dance floor on the ground level, when Eagle Rock came on, all the cordies would drop their dacks, dance with them around their ankles during that song. I did this many times, I have literally NO idea where the tradition came from, but it 100% happened until we were told we would be charged if we did it anymore.
Yup, some serious plunder was taken that day 🏆
Guys, I’m from Germany, that song is an 80s CLASSIC!!! 😂
It was a hit worldwide, not only in Australia. Even if you didn’t know the name of the band or the song you would have known this song, it was that famous.
Coincidentally, as an Aussie, the first pub I walked into in Germany started playing Down Under. Blew my mind.
Your clearly a legend, and your name will be added to the honour roll
I met a lot of Germans over the years in Oz and have heard it is a staple on most dance floors, even heard some mad 90s techno versions they had on tapes lol
I was in America in 1983 wearing a ‘I come from the land down under’ sweatshirt on the NY subway when everyone started congratulating me. It was the day Australia won the America’s cup. I saw the boat at Rhode Island. Quite a memory!
I had a roommate in college who was from Australia and whose dad just happened to work for a record company... She went home over Chistmas break and came back with this album before it was even released in the U.S... was pretty cool!
This holds the record for consecutive words spoken by an Aussie, without any cussing.
It would do, except for the fact that Colin Hay is Scottish!!
Fuck mate, what the fuck is cussing?
@@stewartpearson4308 So was is AC/DC so what's your point. My friend is Greek but Australian
@@rikhellum5652 They use the C word when cussing.
@@rikhellum5652 It's the Aussie dialect of English, I think.
The little flute solo bits are actually the tune of an Australian nursery rhyme. Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree.
I think they got sued over that.
Huh, I had never made that connection before.
@@CurseTheDarkness yes i believe they did, sadly that was a catalyst for a band members suicide (his name escapes me) apparently that cut him deep.
@@CurseTheDarkness Yes I think that's right and people were not happy. Who the hell owns Kookaburra sits in an old gum tree. Doesn't that belong to 27million of us
@@mgreenesco9955Greg Ham, the flautist / sax player who laid down the riffs they were sued over.
Who can it be Now, is another great Men at Work song. Love your reactions.
Hunters and Collectors is an awesome band to explore. Holy Grail. Throw Your Arms Around Me. When The River Runs Dry.
Oooo yes!!! I second this vote
And Ganggajang!!! - this is Australia. I used to always play their album when on the way to the Sunny or Gold coast. Fricken brilliant.
Well Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder loves Throw Your Arms Around Me & did a cover. The vid on RUclips of Eddie Vedder singing that with Mark Seymour, i think at a Perth Pearl Jam concert is brilliant
“Plunder” means to steal, and is a reference to Australia's history as a penal colony.
The word can also mean "to fail", especially in some horrible way.
"Chunder" means to vomit, and is a reference to Australia's a bunch of drunks :)
You are wrong. The word to fail in some horrible way is Blunder.@@SimoExMachina2
Plunder is what Pirates do.
I was thinking plunder more in the terms of mining eg.. plunder the earth
The song topped the US billboard chart for 4 consecutive weeks in 1983. So not only did it work in Australia, it sold extremely well in the US.
I was bumming around Europe at the time. It was just about on repeat on every jukebox in bars where aussies congregated from the Greek Islands to Belgium.
it was and still is like a National Anthem for Aussies, it was everywhere when it came out...never tire of hearing it
Yeah - kinda seems like the unofficial national anthem.
@@CurseTheDarkness Waltzing Matilda is generally referred to as the unofficial national anthem, but "Down Under" is 100% Aussie pride
@@dwj8620 Thanks. I listened to it, but it sounds like it was written in a foreign language!
The lead singer, Colin Hay, was born in Scotland and moved to Australia when he was 14. Still going strong as a solo artist and was also part of Ringo Starrs "All Starr Band." His guitar playing and vocals are exceptional.
I always thought he sounded Scottish when he sings it wasn’t until I got older and looked it up and found out he is in fact Scottish 🤣
This was played when we won the Americas Cup back in 1983. I remember it like it was yesterday. It was my very last day of Year 12 in high school 👍❤️🇦🇺
Hell yer I still have my full size boxing kanga from 83....
Hahaha! I was teaching in 1983 and one staff member kept getting rubbished for being a loser because of her accent. She kept telling everyone “but l am Canadian! I am as happy as you are!”
When Australia won the Americas Cup in 1983, this song was blasted out as their boat left the docks every morning, flying a huge boxing kangaroo flag, it was a magical time to be an Aussie!
My husband slept but I couldn't tear my eyes from watching that incredible race on TV until the very early hours of the morning, so darn exciting. This song was heard often in replays of the race and afterwards. Best anthem ever!
This took the airwaves by storm in the 80's. A brand new sound.
They were definitely influence by The Police with mixing rock and reggae sounds but this song was quite unique sounding with the flute having a major part which is rare in rock songs.
Jethro Tull . . . . .
The reggae sound was definitely not new by this time.
@@jotegg1276
❤and The Moody Blues (Ray Thomas - flautist - R.I.P)
By the way, Barbells, Bondi Beach is pronounced Bond-eye Beach.
(_Not_ "Bondy" Beach!) ❤😊
@@brigidsingleton1596 and Bondi Beach is a pretty meh beach, plenty of better beaches in Australia
This song got to number one on the US Billboard Top 100 and ranked number four for 1983 in US. I heard it playing on the radio in a shop in San Francisco when I was there.
Another Aussie band you should check out is INXS (pronounced "In Excess") -- "New Sensation," "Need You Tonight/Mediate" video,"Disappear," "Devil Inside," "Never Tear Us Apart," "Guns in the Sky" and "Suicide Blonde." Watch the official music videos. You'll enjoy them! They're mainly an 80s band, they also have many other songs - maybe other people can comment.
Time Bandits, as well.
.....and I'll add "The One Thing" to that great list.
@@stevemurrell6167 Yes! Note- this was their 1st US single - in 1982- I believe it was - so 1st video on MTV as well. Great song - along with "Don't Change."
Icehouse - Great Southern Land. Anything from INXS a close second.
Live version from Wembley
It is unthinkable that someone has lived their whole life without hearing this. Fun reaction. Thank you guys.
Colin hay is the lead singer of the band. His acoustic rendition of their song overkill is fantastic.
wasnt Colin from New Zealand, or will the Australian Gods smithe me for even suggesting it's a possibility?
@@mcasualjacques Hay is still great solo. I think Colin was from Scotland originally but Australia is pretty good about taking care of those of us who showed up later on.
@@RanchHanded ah phew i thought Colin was from NZ ( i pretend that Australians are tired of people thinking NZ and Australia are the same and a few miles off the coast. )
a 1998 chat-room running joke
no he was British!
Bond eye Beach. You had me laughing so hard!
Hilarious 😂😂😂😂
and Cold Coast?!?
seriously guys, 5 minutes on Google could have saved you looking silly
Bondee 🤣
Named after my mate Bondy
She's talking about the lesser known bondy beach, cool spot
Little River Band is another great Aussie band. It's A Long Way There is my fav. song of theirs. Btw plundering = looting/stealing.
Love LRB, very underrated. It's A Long Way There is also my favorite LRB song
Cool Change is one of my favorite songs
Love LRB.
@@jeanniea3437 Another great one.
Little River Band is my favorite Aussie band. You need to check them out. They have so many big hits. My personal favorite is "Reminiscing". Vegemite is some kind of savory sandwich spread. I've never seen it sold in the US. I looked it up and it said it was leftover brewers yeast mixed with veggies and spices. I don't think it would be to my taste. lol
The Vegemite is the food mentioned, “he just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich “ ..😊😊 as a true blue Aussie I do eat my Vegemite every day. I eat it on toast with lots of butter and just a little Vegemite. It’s a salty spread, rich in vitamin B and comes from yeast that is used in brewing beer.
Drove limo for then on their Cargo tour in the 80s, Colin was funny, when Flock of Seagulls came on the radio he called them "Flock of Haircuts" 😂
Men At Work burst on the scene in the early 1980s with their unique sound. Colin Hay had an interesting voice and delivery. My favourite tunes by them are Who Can It Be Now and It's A Mistake.
Yeah and This song literally exploded once ufc fighter volkanovski used it for his walkouts
Colin Hay's voice on Overkill is amazing
Who Can It Be Now? Another great tune. This band was pretty popular in the U.S. in the 80s.
Someone might have already mentioned this but the writers and record company were eventually sued for copyright issues.
~~From elsewhere online:~~
* In June 2009, 28 years after the release of the recording, Larrikin Music sued Men at Work for copyright infringement, alleging that part of the flute riff of "Down Under" was copied from "Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gumtree".
* The Federal Court of Australia ruled that Men at Work's famous song "Down Under" infringes the copyright in the 1934 children's round "Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree" (4 February 2010).
* Today, Jacobson ordered Men at Work's recording company, EMI Songs Australia, and Down Under songwriters Colin Hay and Ron Strykert, to pay 5% of royalties earned from the song since 2002 and from its future earnings. A statute of limitations restricted Larrikin from seeking royalties earned before 2002. (6 July 2010)
This has to be the most trivial copyright infringement ever. There's a slight similarity to the original rhyme but (a) it's not entirely akin to the original (b) it's in a completely different type of key (in fact, it's in a mode, not a key) (c) it's a noticeable part of the music but only makes up a small segment of the song (d) it is not used for the main melody of either verse or chorus, only for an instrumental portion- not the main part of the song.
On top of that, most older songs, even if written, were handed down to generations beyond their own by oral tradition. Through time and human error, it would have changed over time. It's unlikely that the original song 'Kookaburra Sits in an Old Gum Tree'- a children's song to be sung as a canon/round- was originally written in the exact same form as most people know it now. Even if it does exist in manuscript, it's not likely that those who learn the song (without the knowledge of how to read the music or if it exists in written form) will have learnt it 'correctly.'
I've worked over 30 years in teaching and analysing music plus 13 years prior to that in learning music with a focus of musicological analysis and composing (classical trained). I'm usually pretty strong when it comes to copyright issues but I think this ruling got it all wrong.
How ridiculous. I have heard Down Under thousands of times and Kookuburra sits in an old gum tree, has never come to mind.
I thought the same thing. @@marylizvithoulkas4380
Yeah, blame the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for that. They broadcast a music quiz program named ‘Spicks and Specks’, after the early Bee Gees song. In one particular episode the crew noted the presence of the Kookaburra riff in Down Under, and hilarity ensued from there. If Adam Hills had just kept his mouth shut, this Oz Rock classic may still be in airplay rotation - and Greg Ham may not have ended himself in the washup from all this.
@@strathruncie his second major sin, after not being a unfunny comedian
Vegemite is a yeast extract with a salty taste. Most newbies spread it on way too thickly, but when spread sparsely on toast or fresh crusty bread is delicious and a staple for many Australian breakfasts.
I tried it once, It was like gasoline flavored toothpaste to me.
Billy Conolly's female friend reckons Vegemite tastes "as if you lick a cat under
it's tail"... Billy: How does she KNOW???
And always spread butter on the toast first. Butter smooths out the sharp salty taste from the Vegemite.
Your spread is weak. ruclips.net/video/ueutXTAvtzQ/видео.html
Vegimite is the Australian variant of Marmite
Screaming Jets and The Baby Animals are both freaking awesome!!!!!!
You'll have to do "Beds are Burning" by Midnight Oil. Another huge hit from Australia.
*Clarification: huge international hit by an Australian band
then maybe Back in Black by AC/DC
Hear, hear and especially the live version. So much energy.
Leftie bullcrap song
THEY SUCK !!!!! All they want to do is divide the country racially !!
Coming soon!
I was 15 when this song came out - down here we listened to it 2-5 times a day - it is now ingrained into our brains - when it comes on we jump up and listen and move immediately
I don’t know about in Australia, but to the rest of the world this is the official Australia anthem
The second inofficial Australia Anthem for the rest of the world is Great Southern Land (from Icehouse).
@69 I totally agree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I want them to review Icehouse... seen them a few times years ago... always was 100% fan... since 1980's... that man is one hell of a Muso...
Sure is mate .
We have heaps of "anthems" lol
@@ShadowAussieyep we do- Khe Sanh, We are Australian, You’re the Voice..
This song took me back to the days of my youth when we were proud to be Aussies travelling overseas.
One of the best 80's songs. Different and unique sound! I LOVE IT! GREAT REACTION, GUYS! Grettings from Spain! 😃🙂
I don’t know about that, 80s r filled with many great songs. Not sure it would even make the top 100.
My very first concert ever. I was like 11. Still got the ticket stub. Red Rider opened for em. Core memory engaged.
This song was playing on the radio where the nurses worked the day my son was born. I'll never forget this song and the feelings it brings to me
Australia is unique in that the bands and singers have a small audience to capture, and they had to do it in pubs.
That means they had to appeal to everyone so they either mixed genres in the songs, or at least across their sets.
If you weren't keen on one song on the night, you used that time to go and grab a drink and by the time you came back 'your' music was playing again. If you didn't like the start of a song, you could probably still hum the tune or sing the chorus, if not ignore it and tune back in again in a couple of minutes.
I used to see them play in a small bar in a tiny pub (The Cricketers Arms) in Punt Road Richmond - in those days they hadn't cut an album yet - but did have a 'borrowed' well beaten Men At Work road sign as a back drop. My favourite songs back then were 'Keypunch Operator' and one about Fitzroy Street I can't remember the name of.
Check out "Who can it be now" and "It's a mistake". More songs from them. a Vegemite sandwich
Be good Johnny is my favourite.
Vegemite & cheese sandwiches is my favorite & Vegemite & cheese on toast for breakfast is good also ,i like it way way better than marmite .
This was a MASSIVE hit in the 80's!! This song has been my TOP number one favorite song for decades! I still can't get enough of this song. This is my happy song I play when feeling down and depressed. This is an absolute epic classic. Thanks for playing it!
A very cool song from the 80's. Australia gave us some really great bands
AC/DC, INXS, Little River Band, Bee Gees, The Church, Crowded Houses, Midnight Oil, among others
Bee gees are British
@@utubnagain missing out the time in Manchester? All off them claim to be English 👐🏻
@@samueljames17 Born there but The family then moved to Redcliffe, in the Moreton Bay Region, Queensland, Australia, later to Cribb Island. After achieving their first chart successes in Australia as the Bee Gees, they returned to the UK in January 1967.
@@metalmark1214 I’m not saying they didn’t go but they are not Australian which is factual
British people, Australian Band
It was a hit in the US as well. It got a lot of radio play. I haven't heard it in years, thanks for reacting to it!
Official video is brilliant and funny as previously mentioned.
By the way, it's not pronounced bondy beach, it's pronounced bond-eye beach.
Your relatives in Perth are blessed with a very beautiful place to live.
I spent 7 weeks over there and don't worry about the critters, you soon learn where NOT to put ya hands and feet.
✌❤🇬🇧
prob better said like "Bon Die" beach
This is my guilty pleasure 80's song... just so much fun to listen to👍
Fun fact... the lead singer Colin Hay has excellent modern versions of this song performed acoustically... just excellent.
As already said, this song was massive in the early-mid 80s. The video was played in heavy rotation on MTV and everyone that heard it would sing along. Good times.
Hi I'm from Perth Western Australia and I've enjoyed ur reaction to this classic Aussie song .. don't ever underestimate the beauty of Perth and the state of Western Australia as its the biggest state with much geographic diversity from the south of WA to the North....it won't disappoint so yeah come to Perth Western Australia and much love from Perth ❤❤❤
always loved thisI remember from the 2000 summer games in Aussie at the closing ceremonies i was soo waiting for them to do this and they didnt dissapoint!
That would've been an awesome show!
@@barsandbarbells2022 Hi, the entire 4+ hours of the Sydney Olympics Opening Ceremony is on youtube. It's easy to find.
I'd skimmed through it, & had timestamped for you feature points but my PC had a crash, so lost them all. So when watch it, watch from few minutes after start, to approx @1:22. Then @3:29 with Olivia & John Farnham, then from @3:42 with Vanessa Amorosi. Suggest you to check out Vanessa's hit song 'Absolutely Everybody'. One of the best pop-dance songs, & worked very well when playing at New Years Eve functions and parties.
In a comment below, in the comments in replies to Richardscratcher, I've put a lengthy reply (in my 2 comment to @Oakfat) re Downunder.
Briefly tho, the version of Downunder you listened to is a rewritten version (music wise, same vocals though couple of changes) of the 1980 Original Version of it, released as B-side to their very first single Keypunch Operator; a year before they recorded their first album.
While of course lot of similarity, there's still quite a difference to the album version that is the more uptempo version of Downunder (that became the international Hit Single),
with that (1981) version having the flute riff that became a major & long drawn out copyright battle, for a decade and a half, this century.
While the 1980 original (& very reggae-ish) version does have some flute (but not continually through the song), it doesn't have the riff from 'Kookaburra' that the copyright challenge/suit was based on, re the 1981 version.
I'll post details in a main comment later, re the very first 1980 version of Downunder, but as comments very often get lost or almost disappear thought I'd mention it, where can reply directly to you. The original 1980 version on youtube is titled exactly that:
Men At Work - Down Under (original version 1980).
By the way, couple people commented Men At Work started in 1980s. They first named themselves as Men At Work in 1977, and 2 of them were already performing as band (that became Men At Work) before that. Downunder (the even more reggae-ish original one) was first played (live) in 1978.
Some Stats re Downunder in U.S. : It has sold in excess of 2 million copies (all time) in U.S.
Reached Number 1 on Billboard Hot 100 in Jan 1983, with it returning to Number 1 three times in that chart run, in some of the subsequent weeks.
In U.S. tho it hasn't had much airplay for past 20 years or so, so not surprising that younger ages there don't know it. In Aus/NZ/UK there's rarely a birthday party function or any other celebration, or pub if they have DJs, where it isn't played.
Only place wouldn't hear it is in Nightclubs. Oh wait! There is a Club cover of it, by Luude, with one of the original Men At Work, Colin Hay, doing some of the backing vocals on it.
(not sampled vocal, but newly recorded by Colin)
Vegemite is B vitamin malt it’s a spread for toast.
Plunder = overwhelm and steal
Men make plunder
Women glow
Men make chunder ( vomiting after too much beer)
M
One of my all time favourite songs, the video is a must watch 🎶
BANGER! 🔥
This is a stone cold Aussie classic. One of the greatest Aussie songs of all time.
If you've lost an Aussie in a crowd, play this.
My favorite band in 1979 and into the early 80s. I was 11 years old when I discovered Men at Work and I've loved them ever since. Check out 'Who Can It Be Now', 'Be Good Johnny' and one of my favorites from later Men at Work was 'Overkill'.
A Yank here, and I loved this song, always felt a kindred for my Aussie brothers, loved AC/DC!!
It was no 1 especially when we won the America's cup
I forgot how good this song is.
Totally unique sound. Reading the lyrics enhanced it's appeal.
Y'all's channel sounds great. Thanks for that.
Huge huge hit when it was released. Heard it everywhere at the time and we couldn’t get enough. Great album, “Business as Usual”
never had Vegemite.
Vegemite is the best.. had it this morning on toast with heaps and heaps of butter and just a scraping on top then topped toast with poached egg.. best brekky ever..
😢😢 I hate Vegimite but I like Marmite. However, I mustn't eat much (of either) as I have kidney failure and these spreads are both too salty and would make my kidneys fail even faster.😢😢
Missing out dude
Must be on really fresh bread or toasted with lots of butter and a vey fine slither of vegimite or the poms have marmite
Love this song it has a happy vibe to it. Have to take this song on long trips when jn the country side. Awesome song!
To me, another iconic Australian song is Sounds of Then (This Is Australia) by Ganggajang. Its where my mind goes to every summer here.
Lived in Australia in the 80s, I bought a lot of oz/nz records back to the UK with me, including sounds of then. Great tune 👌
You have to watch the music videos with these!!! They absolutely add to the magic that is Aussie music!!!
G'day G'day, I'd love to see you react to great Southern land by ice house. The video shows a lot of the natural beauty in the many different landscapes Australia has to offer. It will make you want to visit even more. It's a great song too
Has an otherworldly almost haunting, vibe. Always been a banger. Love Hey Little Girl as well, great tune.
@@johnwhitfield3547 yeah mate , man of colours, there's so many
My favourite men at work song is overkill. Brings a tear to my eye every time I hear it! ❤
Colin Hay was born in Scotland but moved to Australia when he was 14 so he is Scottish/Australian
Jane H commenting ….I was living in England when this came out, but I’m actually from New Zealand, which is below Australia. I loved this song & it always on the radio, so it did very well in England. I think it was a worldwide hit. Chunder means to throw up (vomit). It’s a slang word in Australia.
Guys, this was a massive international hit
What I like about you guys is that you actually pay attention to everything you react to and you take a reasonable pause to comment (and comment with common sense - which is rare these days). Well done!
HIT NUMBER 1 in the USA
Great Aussie band .... Overkill's another banger.
Gen Xer song! Gen Xer here 🔥🤟🇺🇸🚛🇨🇦🚛💯
At Summer Camp in CT, had the Camp Director ask all Australian and New Zealand workers come up and sing this song at karaoke... It was great with thirty or so of us on staff all singing together 😊
This was an international hit, not only Australia. They have other major hits, like 'Who Can It Be Now?', 'Overkill', 'Everything I Need ', 'It's a Mistake'
It's A Mistake was really good
@@csf7773 well remembered, added
Too much fun when this came out, sanks! Great tune, my favourites are It's a mistake, and Dr. Hekyl and Mr. Jive.
The flute is playing the Australian children’s staple classic Kookaburra Sits In The Old Gum Tree.
Allegedly
Relatively new to your channel. Y’all are good. One of my favorite songs from Men at Work
It was a #1 in the US and I think the album went #1 too
This aussie classic has been on our airwaves for many many years and every time its a RIPPER lets Go Australia lets Go nz🇭🇲☝️🇳🇿🤘
Best song ever in 1983 when we stole your cup 😂😂😂😂😂
Yes remember driving to work in 1983 when simultaneously every radio station played this song the moment the yacht Australia ll crossed the line to win the Americas Cup that year. This was a one in 132 year event . As it was the battle song used by the team.
The riff the flute plays is taken from "Kookaburra", written in 1932 by Marion Sinclair. The band was sued over this.
"Kookaburra sits on the old gum tree, merry merry king of the bush is he..."
Even though he was sitting in a tree playing the flute it was ridiculous to be sued for that little riff after 30 years.
@@krpurple2678 But was it an old gum tree?
And unfortunately he committed suicide over it very very sad😢
@@krpurple2678 The guy who bought the rights to this traditional children's song was a scumbag. It was like suing someone for singing Happy Birthday.
@@oakfat5178 Until a few years ago (2015) Happy Birthday was copyright song. It was actually copyright infringement to use, if didn't pay for its use.
The eventual ruling in the legal battle (battles), in the final court case ruled Warner/Chappell's copyright only applied to a specific piano arrangement of it. While ok to sing at a party or something, if you uploaded a video (or audio) from it, with the song it WAS copyright infringement.
Warner/Chappell didn't create the copyright on it, but inherited it in 1988 during one of their takeovers of other companies.
The melody & lyrics in "Happy Birthday to You" first appeared, in print, in 1912. Melody was from a song "Good Morning To All" created by a Kindergarten teacher (who'd created the words) & her sister, the latter being a pianist & composer (who'd created the music).
The Summy Company registered a copyright of Happy Birthday in 1935, crediting authors Preston Ware Orem and Mrs. R. R. Forman.
So from 1935, to 2016 (when it became copyright free) Happy Birthday was in Copyright. And was believed any recorded version of it was.
Of course most people never thought that Happy Birthday would be, since such a "common domain" song, but it wasn't Public Domain.
Except for in its early years of existence, as there was no names of authors & composers on it. BUT when published, most written and recorded songs have an automatic copyright on. Tho of course if not actually registered copyright, it can been (& has been heaps) argued re a number of things published.
A documentary maker, who had to pay $1500 USD for rights to use Happy Birthday, subsequently instigated a challenge against it being copyrighted, after first lodging a complaint with Warner Chappell and seeking return of her money, as said it was a song in the public domain. Can guess how far that complaint & request got. Several weeks later, filings were lodged with a court to challenge the copyright.
As for Downunder, copyright to Kookaburra was sold in 1934, and was part of Conditions Of Entry, in a competition run by Girl Guides Association of Victoria with the rights of the winning song to be sold to raise money for the purchase of a camping ground. (Which is Britannia Park near Yarra Junction).
[Continued in Next Comment].
Great song, most Aussies know the lyrics by heart. Took on legendary proportions when used by the yacht Australia 2 during their winning run at the Americas cup race in the 1980's...
Fun fact: Australia is actually north. The word for compass comes forms Chinese and means points south… Europeans just drew the map upside down.
😁👍🙃
Good analysis of an iconic Aussie song from the early 80's. Well done !
The Bee Gees, Little River Band and Olivia Newton John are my favorite artists from down under.
Quite a few 'Aussie' artists were born in the UK (Bee Gees, ONJ, AC/DC, Colin Hay (Men At Work) etc.)
@@AlanKenny-y8e I knew that but thanks for the reminder.
@@AlanKenny-y8eThe Bee Gees were born in the Isle Of Man which isn't part of the UK.They moved to Australia and their music career kicked off there, so because the act was formed while living in Australia to me the "Bee Gees" music wise are from down under even though they weren't born there.
So many hidden messages in the film clip, great video.. could explain if it was the original video..
Unofficial National Athem. Sorry Sam that accent was way too British. As for food item, most mornings for me...
Song's half over then she gets her groove on lol... this song is iconic 🇦🇺 to us 😂
Thanks for this! 👍🏼
Thanks for the review. I wished you’d used the version with the film clip though
Love this!
This band has a great discography! You gotta hear more of their songs and their music videos are great too.
Love men at work also check out the hudu guru's saw them live in auckland.......absolutely fantastic
I remember in the early eighties, these guys were coined "The poor man's Police". Great band
Makes me think of the band midnight oil. Loved them!!😊
There are a lot of Australian references. Another poster spoke about plunder.
Chunder is the equivalent of getting drunk and puking.
Vegemite is yeast based spread. It has a strong taste and usually you spread a LITTLE of it with something else.
Really loved Men at Work in the 80’s…. Plenty of songs to discover… Who can it be now, Be Good Johnny, Overkill, Everything I Need, Still Life, Down By the Sea…. Enjoy….. Other Bands Cold Chisel, The Angels, Moving Pictures, Rose Tattoo.
I'm always looking forward to when you guys put out a new music reaction. Another great pick and a classic, personally 80s will always be my fave era. Entertaining and fun to watch as usual, keep it up you two. 💜
Prince of Teck pub, Earl's Court, London, 1984. Played this on my "Ghetto Blaster" heading to Amsterdam.
Pillaging and Plundering 😊
Vegemite is a yeast extract spread, usually had on toast or in sandwiches. Similar products in the U.K.are Promite and Marmite.
It doesn't matter what you sound like as long as you say g-day mate ❤❤
How the hell could you not have heard this song before even though I’m Australian this has been a number one song around the world spent 1982
Such an Aussie anthem love it ❤
One of my favourite songs of all time, Colin's voice is magnificent. He had a cameo in Scrubs where he was singing one of his solo tracks (Overkill)
used to love this song in the 80`s brilliant tune for the time