DESCRIPTION:
From '' That Should Cover It ''
Label: Dent'all Records – DENTCD001
Format: CD, Album
Country: UK
Released: 2004

Tracklist
01. Centrefold
02. Circle in the Sand
03. Oliver's Army
04. Land Down Under
05. I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)
06. Happy Hour
07. Whitehouse (Live Demo)
08. Get Along (Live Demo)
09. Skanking Song (Live Demo)
10. Some Suck, Some Rock
11. Don't Ruin My Day
12. Centrefold (Video)

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"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, British, and Australian charts.

It was reissued in 1982, and is the only Men at Work song to go to #1 in the United Kingdom, and their only single to make the UK top 20.
It has become a popular and patriotic song in Australia.

The song was ranked #96 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 1980s in October 2006.

Cover versions

In 1999 by the punk rock band Pennywise, as a bonus track on the album Straight Ahead.

Cranial Screwtop recorded a version of the song for their 2006 album, "Too Fast for Technology".

British ska punk band spunge also covered the song on their 2004 covers album That Should Cover It! and regularly perform the song at live shows.

During the 1980s Yossi and Avi Piamenta recorded traditional Jewish wedding lyrics to the tune of the song. The name of this song is Asher Bara Sasson ve'Simcha. It is often played at Orthodox Jewish weddings and celebrations. Whilst the composition remains unaffected none of the lyrics relate to the original song.

In 1985 Lithuanian rock band Antis made a cover of the song, which became one of their most well known hits. It was called "Zombiai" (the Lithuanian word for zombies). This Lithuanian version had unique lyrics which represented ironic attitude towards Soviet regime (Lithuania was occupied by Soviet Union at the time), but some parts remain very similar. "Gyvenk kaip galima švariau, Pikti kenkėjai budi tundroj. Paklausyk, paklausyk ar girdi - Zombiai atrieda, atidunda." which means "Live as clean as possible, Angry pests are on the watch in tundra, Listen to, listen to, do you hear - Zombies roll in and thunder".

A Finnish cover version titled "Tervetuloa Länteen, Andrej" (Welcome to west, Andrej) of the song was released by Vilperin Perikunta in 1992. The original story of the song was changed to tell a tale of Andrej, a Russian proletarian who travels to Finland to search for a job and better life in a welfare state. In the chorus Finland is described as "road to the top of heaven" and "road to freedom" for a Russian. In this cover version the flute parts were played with violin and a banjo lick was added to the background.

In 2001, a performance of the song by the Red Army Choir was released on the CD Andrew Denton's Musical Challenge. The song was performed in the manner of a Russian folk song and featured clapping, and accordion. The song is also featured in the 2008 game Saints Row 2.

This song was partly sung by Peter Griffin from the television show Family Guy in the episode "Long John Peter".

On the television show Yes Dear, Jimmy and his friend Brian refer to the song when being annoyed that Greg thinks the lyric is, "vegemite sandwich" when they think it is, "dynamite, sum-bitch".

Washington based band 'The Sunbeams' recorded their own take on the song.

In 2009 the song resurfaced on the TV show Australia's Got Talent where Jay Parrino aka 'JP the one man band' used a looping pedal to create a unique rendition of the song, which even Colin Hay himself heralded as the "best version of the song he'd ever heard".

The B Foundation, a surf-rock/reggae band from Los Angeles, covered the song in their album, Souvenirs, Novelties, and Party Tricks.

Other appearances

A version of this song is on the Kangaroo Jack soundtrack. The song was also used in advertisements for the Disney/Pixar movie Finding Nemo, though it never appears in the film itself.

In the Scrubs episode "My Hard Labor", John Dorian daydreams that his pregnant girlfriend gives birth to Colin Hay, who subsequently sings "Down Under". Also, in the episode "My Porcelain God", when Dr. Kelso questions J.D. and Dr. Kevin Casey about strange noises the patients have been hearing, J.D. suggests they may be hearing the song.

Colin Hay had his version as well as an acoustic version on his album Man @ Work.

This song is played during the end credits of the Paul Hogan movie Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles. The song is also partially played in the documentary television series, The Adventure of English, to help illustrate Australia's newfound confidence in its linguistic identity in the late 20th Century.

This song can also be heard in the episode of "The Topaz Connection" in the Knight Rider TV series from 1982, while Michel is driving to Las Vegas.

In 2008, Australia's national airline Qantas rolled out a TV advertising campaign as "The World's Most Experienced Airline".

In the video game Saints Row 2.