My FIRST time SEEING Men At Work - Down Under! The hook is wild…

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  • čas přidán 7. 07. 2024
  • #menatwork #reaction
    My FIRST time SEEING Men At Work - Down Under! The hook is wild…
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Komentáře • 994

  • @ed.z.
    @ed.z. Před 19 dny +474

    Men at Work had “Who Can It Be Now “ a massive hit record.

    • @DeliaDevlin-eu6oj
      @DeliaDevlin-eu6oj Před 19 dny +18

      'Who can it be now is my ring tone...😂 love Men at Work

    • @Ontheroxxwithsalt
      @Ontheroxxwithsalt Před 19 dny +6

      My former 8th grade 80's teenager can attest. At a school dance in 1983 the DJ played it and the local police came to the school and said the neighbors all around the school could hear us getting DOWN to that song.
      I remember the 2nd floor auditorium of our old brick building, built in the 1800's in a typical New England town, had wood floors and we were jumping up and down so hard that if you stood still the floor felt like it was going to give way.
      That was easily the biggest song of the year that year.

    • @stoveboltlvr3798
      @stoveboltlvr3798 Před 19 dny +5

      This song always reminded me of Australian Reggae if I had to describe it.

    • @ed.z.
      @ed.z. Před 19 dny

      @@stoveboltlvr3798 absolutely!

    • @MissouriJohnson
      @MissouriJohnson Před 19 dny +1

      @DeliaDevlin-eu6oj That's a good one. I used to have "Rikki don't lose that number" as mine.

  • @ScottLovenberg
    @ScottLovenberg Před 26 dny +403

    The proclaimers are Scottish. They sing "500 Miles".

    • @EmmaBadOne
      @EmmaBadOne Před 19 dny +11

      I met them at an HMV (record store) in Toronto when I worked there. Early to mid 90s at the height of that song. Nice guys actually.

    • @ScottLovenberg
      @ScottLovenberg Před 19 dny +4

      @@EmmaBadOne I think when the song was the theme song to Benny and June it was playing like hourly on MTV.

    • @scipio7837
      @scipio7837 Před 19 dny +2

      Aye...

    • @lesblatnyak5947
      @lesblatnyak5947 Před 19 dny

      ​@@EmmaBadOne 🙏🍁🙏

    • @Steve_Stowers
      @Steve_Stowers Před 19 dny +14

      Correct. But, for what it's worth, Men At Work lead singer Colin Hay is originally from Scotland.

  • @sumonjamal1653
    @sumonjamal1653 Před 19 dny +222

    "Down Under" is what people often refer to Australia... where Men At Work were from. The song's lyrics are about how Australians experience people outside of Australia... The lady serving breakfast to an Australian tourist... The man selling bread in Brussells who turns out to be Australian himself... The den in Bombay... places and people the Australian tourist experiences.
    AC/DC was one of the first Australian acts to break big worldwide... The Easybeats were a 60's beat rock combo that were also popular (featuring George Young on guitar) ... In the 80's, we got more Australian bands - INXS, Men At Work, Little River Band, Midnight Oil, Ice House, Crowded House, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Silverchair, Jet, Wolfmother, etc.

    • @andreadeamon6419
      @andreadeamon6419 Před 19 dny

      I thought crowded house was Canadian

    • @craigplatel813
      @craigplatel813 Před 19 dny +6

      Colin Hay says it about loss of spirit in Australia and the over development of it by greedy people. And a celebration of Australia.
      That's from an interview he gave at one point.

    • @Dr_KAP
      @Dr_KAP Před 19 dny +3

      @@andreadeamon6419omg lol

    • @andreadeamon6419
      @andreadeamon6419 Před 19 dny

      @Dr_KAP well I heard it when they just came out so what - almost 40 years ago. Do you remember things you heard about 40 years ago?

    • @kathydurow6814
      @kathydurow6814 Před 19 dny +3

      ​@andreadeamon6419 Mostly from New Zealand although there might have been some Aussies in the band too.

  • @mikeythehat6693
    @mikeythehat6693 Před 18 dny +12

    If you were alive in 1983 you would have heard this song all over America, it was used as the anthem for the assault on the "America's Cup" yacht race that the crew of (the Yacht) "Australia 2" triumphed in, being the first ever non-American team to ever win that particular regatta and bring the trophy home to Australia. The crew of that boat played this song every day whilst leaving and entering the Harbour in Rhode Island, and seeing that it was a televised event, the song was heard on the news all the time.

  • @MissouriJohnson
    @MissouriJohnson Před 19 dny +144

    I heard that this was a protest song against the greedy land developers in the 80s destroying the natural beauty. And yes, Zombie is slang for weed.

    • @rpa.freedomfighter
      @rpa.freedomfighter Před 19 dny +6

      Yes! I heard this. Just goes to show how much spot on your discernment is, Black Pegasus. You really do have a “prophetic” gifting

    • @EeyoreLuv
      @EeyoreLuv Před 19 dny +18

      “The lyrics are really about my belief about what Australia was becoming,” Hay told Songfacts. “Really, the selling of Australia in many ways, none of them particularly pleasant, with the overdevelopment of the country. It was what I was feeling at that particular time. It was really a song about the loss of spirit of that country, because it’s truly an awesome place. It’s difficult to explain and it’s very hard for me to put into a sentence. It’s been a while since I’ve thought about this, but it’s just really about the plundering of the country by greedy people.”

    • @ronaldobrien6870
      @ronaldobrien6870 Před 18 dny +2

      Yes. apparently the coffin and 'funeral' at the end were meant to represent the death of the unspoiled Australia. 'Can't you hear the thunder? You better run, you better take cover' was Colin's warning about the direction the country was heading in.

    • @mayetchells8884
      @mayetchells8884 Před 8 dny

      And it's funny, vegemite is an acquired taste, it's brown/black, best served on toast with ultra thick butter

  • @kmach1000
    @kmach1000 Před 19 dny +172

    "Overkill" and "Who can it be now" (my ringtone, in fact😊) are two of their biggest hits. Love the band❤

  • @melimoo6656
    @melimoo6656 Před 19 dny +28

    On a hippy trail full of zombie refers to the 70s and 80s when young Australians would travel for a minimum of 6 months to years at a time cause the airfare was too expensive for a 2 or 4 week trip. They’d go to Bali and then Thailand and make their way to Europe. Hence hippy trail. Zombie refers to smoking dope.

  • @islayme1
    @islayme1 Před 19 dny +155

    BP, the line that they repeat in the song, "You better run, you better take cover" was something that Australian soldiers used to shout to the enemy during WWI to taunt them, letting them know that Australians were nearby! You should check out "It's a Mistake" by Men At Work. It came out during the height of the Cold War when Reagan was President and is about nuclear war. BTW, I'm 58 years old and LOVE your reactions. It's awesome to see you discovering all the incredible music that you missed out on. I think my generation was so lucky to have all that music make up the soundtrack of our lives! God Bless you and your family, Buddy! Be well.

    • @LadyIarConnacht
      @LadyIarConnacht Před 19 dny +8

      Also, certain parts of Australia experience horrible dangerous thunderstorms, lightning strikes and flash flooding at times. The extreme weather used to be part of just about every conversation about Australia.

    • @cc-hk5ih
      @cc-hk5ih Před 19 dny +2

      Amen

    • @s4ss1n
      @s4ss1n Před 17 dny +1

      its more a case of being relevant to the greed and plundering of australias lands and resources and the need to escape the 80's mentality of self serving arrogance. they were indeed quite politicaly motivated. not sure about the war reference, it doesn't seem to come up amongst the interviews with the band members but i am no expert on australian history 😉

  • @raddersmyhero
    @raddersmyhero Před 19 dny +12

    😂😂😂😂
    I nearly fell off my chair when he described The Proclaimers as Australian

  • @johnpressey5900
    @johnpressey5900 Před 19 dny +77

    The lyrics were written by lead singer Colin Hay, who explained in his Songfacts interview: "The chorus is really about the selling of Australia in many ways, the overdevelopment 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."

    • @katjohnson6315
      @katjohnson6315 Před 19 dny +6

      I thought I knew what it meant 45 years ago, then there were explanations of what the lyrics meant…protesting the use of the country and its people. Somewhere in ‘zombie land’ I just decided that the song was freakin’ great even if I didn’t ’speak the language’! ✌️ ✌️

  • @caskur1
    @caskur1 Před 19 dny +37

    It means that no matter where you go you will bump into another travelling Aussie and that means family.. Aussies treat each other like long lost relatives. It's an Aussie anthem... we have a few. It's a small world.

    • @toddhutchins2492
      @toddhutchins2492 Před 19 dny +4

      I met some Aussies in Seychelles, when I was in the Navy. Nice people. That Aussie girl was going to get me in trouble. 🙂

  • @revgurley
    @revgurley Před 19 dny +58

    The flute riff is an Australian nursery rhyme: "Kookabura sits in an old gum tree..." Men at Work had to pay 5% royalties for using that tune. Find a copy of the nursery song and you'll hear exactly the little tune.

    • @NoNameNoFace-rr7li
      @NoNameNoFace-rr7li Před 19 dny +9

      we sang that song in grade school in the early 70s..

    • @kimberly3131
      @kimberly3131 Před 18 dny +4

      @NoNameNoFace-7li We did too. Our Music/Art teacher was kind of a free spirit. I remember singing all kinds of music - Three Dog Night. Joy to the World and The Band The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, come to mind. He name was Mrs Clark. Good. memories.

    • @6666Imperator
      @6666Imperator Před 17 dny +2

      I learned that nursery rhyme from my dad in Germany as well :d

    • @gpxo11
      @gpxo11 Před 16 dny

      Waltzing matilda.

    • @melindamullen6335
      @melindamullen6335 Před 15 dny +1

      That didn't get picked up on until a Spicks and Specks episode.

  • @joe.man.
    @joe.man. Před 19 dny +81

    Everything I Need #47 1985
    Dr. Heckyll & Mr. Jive #28 1983
    It's A Mistake #6 1983
    Overkill #3 1983
    Down Under #1 1982
    Who Can It Be Now? #1 1982
    Also, "Be Good Johnny."

    • @crackerjack9320
      @crackerjack9320 Před 19 dny +6

      All great recommendations

    • @tarshnottrash1483
      @tarshnottrash1483 Před 19 dny +5

      Be good Johnny just pops straight into my head still after all these years never hearing it since the 80s

    • @garyking6519
      @garyking6519 Před 19 dny +4

      They had two phenomenal albums in a row

  • @heffiagametech8094
    @heffiagametech8094 Před 19 dny +69

    Men at work Overkill is another hit.

  • @allenruss2976
    @allenruss2976 Před 26 dny +118

    Love this little Aussie band. You're overthinking again. Just listen and enjoy

    • @dinaarmymom9145
      @dinaarmymom9145 Před 26 dny +12

      Yesss and thank you!

    • @Ontheroxxwithsalt
      @Ontheroxxwithsalt Před 19 dny +12

      People who didn't live through the 80' can't grasp that we lived in the most easy, non-stressed existence and our music was mindless, fun, and no deep AT ALL. i wasn't just he music. I was truly last REALLY great time be alive. No hate. No anger. Just sunny days and good memories.
      I feel so sorry for kids today. They won't ever feel real JOY.

    • @caskur1
      @caskur1 Před 19 dny +7

      @@Ontheroxxwithsalt Amen... bring back the 80s... thank you in advance Dear God!!!!

    • @rpa.freedomfighter
      @rpa.freedomfighter Před 19 dny +9

      Wrong. There’s always a deeper meaning for those who have ears to hear and eyes to see. Depth in life brings quality to life. Most of us don’t get this until we’re older, though. I use to not give AF about deep shit either

    • @Xanderj89
      @Xanderj89 Před 19 dny +2

      @@Ontheroxxwithsaltthe lyrics were deep. You were not. You feel more comfortable not thinking about it, as you did not think about it then. It’s easier for you if other people act that shallow too, lest *you* have to notice and put thought into it and have to introspect in the slightest
      I’m sorry having to change your mind scares you that much, but you have to know how pathetic that makes you look, since you’re trying so hard to justify it. You could just…change and not look bad, instead of needing to posture all the time. Your life sounds exhausting ngl

  • @Buddha-of8fk
    @Buddha-of8fk Před 19 dny +32

    Men at Work has so many cool songs. They were just so different. Nobody really has this sound.

  • @memyself2589
    @memyself2589 Před 19 dny +31

    A lot of the early Australian settlers were actually sent there from England as convicts. They served their sentences, mainly as laborers, then were left in Australia. Being sent 'down under' was a one-way trip. Most convicts were banned from ever returning to Britain. (which is where the shackles and whips symbolism comes from.)

    • @robynmurray7421
      @robynmurray7421 Před 19 dny +5

      They weren't banned from returning but most couldn't afford to pay the passage back and in any case, they realised that after they had served their sentence they were better off staying in Australia.

    • @erikrichards5072
      @erikrichards5072 Před 19 dny +2

      The Brits had done the same 150 years earlier in the future USA.

    • @FranklinJuniper-uh2lk
      @FranklinJuniper-uh2lk Před 19 dny +3

      @@erikrichards5072 yup. The state of Georgia began as a penal colony.

  • @kimcutts6153
    @kimcutts6153 Před 19 dny +38

    Men at Work "Who Can It Be Now" 👍🎼

  • @catherinedavidson1661
    @catherinedavidson1661 Před 19 dny +14

    This song came out in 1981. It was played almost as the "theme" for Australia's victory over the US in the America's Cup ( international sailing race) in 1983. The song was huge! It topped the US billboard chart for 4 consecutive weeks.

  • @lisawest7002
    @lisawest7002 Před 26 dny +26

    Love them ❤❤❤.
    Try their song “it’s a mistake” and “who can it be now?”
    Who can it be now is my ringtone 😂

  • @johnpressey5900
    @johnpressey5900 Před 19 dny +32

    Men at Work hit big in the summer of 1982 and through the next year had five Top 40 singles: "Who Can It Be Now?," "Down Under," "Overkill," "It's A Mistake" and "Dr. Heckyll & Mr. Jive." The first two, both from their debut album, vaulted all the way to #1 on the American charts and helped them win the Best New Artist Grammy Award.
    This was a huge worldwide hit. For two weeks, both the single and album were #1 in the US and UK. In their native Australia, the album stayed at #1 for nine weeks, and the single topped the chart for six.

    • @OnlyGoodMusic_
      @OnlyGoodMusic_ Před 17 dny

      The craziest thing is that Who Can It Be Now, which was number 1 in the USA, didn't even reach the top 40 in the UK.

  • @whitney-jade
    @whitney-jade Před 19 dny +40

    I found this on an old forum, it's an excerpt from an interview made with Colin Hay back in 2008:
    Hay had been working as half of an acoustic duo with Ron Strykert, but they were yet to become Men At Work.
    "The idea was formed in Power St in Hawthorn in 1978," said Hay.
    "I was working with Ron, and he used to do little home tapes and he had a tape that had a little bass riff and percussion thing and it was really hypnotic.
    "And I had this thing in my head for a few weeks and all it was was (sings) 'living in a land down under'.
    "That was it. All I had. And one day I was playing this tape that Ron had and I connected the two and felt very excited and then went home the next day and wrote the whole thing out."
    That idea for the song was born as Hay drove down Power St, near the corner of Riversdale Rd.
    "The choruses were really about the death of the spirit of this place, my fear of the over-corporatisation of this country, which I think has happened and will continue to happen and is inevitable, perhaps," Hay says.
    "The desecration of coastlines, wood-chipping, cutting down old-growth forests, all that stuff which is happening now is really what that song is about.
    "Which is why we had to 'run and take cover'.
    "In the video clip film, when you see the end of it and you see us all walking along with what looks like a coffin, that's what that was."

    • @karenglenn6707
      @karenglenn6707 Před 19 dny +5

      My sister lived in Power St in Hawthorn and I lived in Auburn Rd, but a little later, 1979. Great to hear this story. This will always remind me of Australia winning the Americas Cup in sailing in 1983!! That was huge!

  • @susannehouse3857
    @susannehouse3857 Před 19 dny +26

    You've gotta remember it was the 80's.....crazy videos were the norm....😂😂😂

  • @stevevalley7835
    @stevevalley7835 Před 19 dny +19

    Had to scroll down a ways to see if anyone else mentioned it. "Down Under" was the theme song of the Australian team that challenged for the America's Cup in 1983. That song was playing constantly in reports on the Aussie's progress in the competition. The Aussies made history that year: the first challenger ever to win the Cup away from the American defending team, in 130 years of competition.

    • @Tsass0
      @Tsass0 Před 19 dny

      and let us a chance to capture it next time.

  • @garyfallows1123
    @garyfallows1123 Před 19 dny +35

    When this came out in '81, you couldn't turn on the radio without hearing it or go into any club and not see a full dancefloor here in the U.K. it was huge, one of their other big hits was 'Who Can It Be Now', lead singer Colin Hay has an amazing and distinctive voice, I suggest you check out another Australian star, the beautiful Tina Arena, with her massive hit Sorrento Moon 🇬🇧

    • @Tsass0
      @Tsass0 Před 19 dny +1

      Sorrento Moon - really nice song

  • @FionaKaneTheWellnessConnection

    I’m an Aussie, this band was huge at the time. One of my favourites. Colin Hay is touring Australia at the moment, he is brilliant to see live.

  • @jenniferdetreville6349
    @jenniferdetreville6349 Před 24 dny +31

    Also "Who Can It Be Now?" was another great song of theirs

  • @GinaJessee
    @GinaJessee Před 19 dny +30

    Colin Hay's voice makes me happy!

  • @GlobetrotterGranny
    @GlobetrotterGranny Před 19 dny +26

    This was a major hit and very popular group back in my day!

  • @SmallTownMusicFreak
    @SmallTownMusicFreak Před 19 dny +8

    As a preteen and teen when Men At Work were popular, I didn’t care what the songs were about; I just liked them. Other great songs from them- Who Can It Be Now, It’s A Mistake, Be Good Johnny, and Overkill, just to name a few. The 80s were full of great music from all genres; there will never be another decade like it!

  • @kimcutts6153
    @kimcutts6153 Před 19 dny +24

    "500 Miles" is by The Proclaimers, a Scottish duo (identical twins).

    • @ZyggyZero
      @ZyggyZero Před 19 dny +1

      I’ll sing this line 500 times, I’ll sing this line 500 more…….

    • @AndersonDawesWasRight
      @AndersonDawesWasRight Před 16 dny

      Scotland, Australia, it's all the same to the Americans. 🙂

  • @quintondees4501
    @quintondees4501 Před 19 dny +9

    Men at work were one of a kind, very unique and they were way underrated, keep checking them out, they kicked a$$

  • @EvaCzarnojanczyk
    @EvaCzarnojanczyk Před 19 dny +12

    As an Aussie, I always turn up the volume when it comes on the radio! ❤️

  • @Tygo423
    @Tygo423 Před 19 dny +11

    Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree is the flute melody

  • @butterflymama0838
    @butterflymama0838 Před 19 dny +8

    We had such crazy, great, eclectic, fun music in the 80's! It brings me back to my teen years right away.
    Ohhh... to be young again... 😌

  • @Renkk17
    @Renkk17 Před 19 dny +18

    Men At Work - Who Can it Be Now - Over Kill - Be Good Johnny - It's a Mistake

  • @mike650r
    @mike650r Před 19 dny +23

    Kombi was a van made by Volkswagen.

  • @BearClanMan1970
    @BearClanMan1970 Před 18 dny +8

    "Kombi" is what Australians call the Volkswagen Bus.

    • @wayland76
      @wayland76 Před 13 dny +1

      Often a "Kombi van". They were a typical hippie vehicle. Probably what Arlo Guthrie called a "VW microbus"

  • @timdelia4609
    @timdelia4609 Před 19 dny +14

    Ahhh the Australia craze (Oh Olivia Newton John you minx)! Swept America in the early 80s. Colin Hay is still touring and is an amazing story teller. Also, super nice guy.

  • @Raven-fh2yy
    @Raven-fh2yy Před 19 dny +4

    This is basically a statement of .... Hey Aussies are everywhere man and what we want more than anything is to have a good time with YOU... and believe me we know how to have a good time.

  • @johnpressey5900
    @johnpressey5900 Před 19 dny +6

    Fried-out Kombi - A broken-down van. The lyrics are often translated as "Combie," but the correct spelling is Kombi. It comes from the VW Kombivan, which was very popular in the '60s and early '70s, especially with surfers and hippies.
    Head full of Zombie - Zombie was a particularly strong batch of marijuana that was floating around Australia for a long time. People called it "Zombie Grass."
    Where beer does flow, and men chunder - "Chunder" is Aussie slang meaning to vomit.

  • @RobertoSantana61
    @RobertoSantana61 Před 19 dny +7

    Men At Work were so hot at one point that a local NYC radio station had "No Men At Work Weekends" to give their listeners a break from the band.

  • @michaelmorrow9048
    @michaelmorrow9048 Před 19 dny +8

    My First Unchaperoned concert in 1983 with INXS as the opener.
    Kings Island represent!!

  • @jwb52z9
    @jwb52z9 Před 19 dny +4

    I wish we could all get together and give you a crash course in 80s music. There are a number of things you have to know about Australia to get this song.

  • @jojomart
    @jojomart Před 19 dny +13

    From Google: "The chorus is really about the selling of Australia in many ways, the overdevelopment 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."

  • @gregroberts8240
    @gregroberts8240 Před 22 dny +8

    she took me in and gave me breakfast.....he stayed the night!😅

  • @jameshaskell1073
    @jameshaskell1073 Před 19 dny +4

    When I was a kid (11) and this song was popular, I thought he said, “where the women blow…” and I just couldn’t believe it was on the radio, lol.

  • @Barnes466
    @Barnes466 Před 19 dny +6

    This is one of my ringtones! This is a great group! So many forms of art from us, humans!

  • @TheBlackRobyn
    @TheBlackRobyn Před 19 dny +4

    Classic Aussie song!
    Colin Hay has an amazing voice.
    Now you need to watch ‘Who can it be now’ also by Men At Work and includes amazing 80s saxophone 🎷

  • @christinalehman8862
    @christinalehman8862 Před 19 dny +12

    one of my favs.. love how he always has his stuffed koala with him.. love this

  • @crackerjack9320
    @crackerjack9320 Před 19 dny +13

    Vegemite is good when used as a soup base. "Who can it be now" is my favorite song of Men at Work.

    • @Tsass0
      @Tsass0 Před 19 dny

      that is what the East German kids told us what it was when we tried it on them in 1990.

  • @vidpie
    @vidpie Před 19 dny +7

    imdb: "In the video, the band carries a coffin. According to Colin Hay, this was meant as a warning to their fellow Australians about what he perceived as their country losing their identity." -- So the coffin would represent the death of the Australia they knew.

  • @starhawk4855
    @starhawk4855 Před 19 dny +4

    Australia was originally a Penal colony hence the plunder line, they was never expected to thrive but they did. and that is australian pride!

  • @karlsmith2570
    @karlsmith2570 Před 19 dny +4

    13:37
    "Yeah, He Didn't Say Where She Was From"
    One the front of the Volkswagen Bus (The Kombi) it had the destination of them going to Tannlorn, which is basically the Australian version of Woodstock

  • @AuthorLaurieAnnSmith
    @AuthorLaurieAnnSmith Před 19 dny +15

    Men at Work were an amazing band! I love their music and have been a fan since they debuted in the USA. If you haven't seen their concert Men At Work - Live in San Francisco...or was it Berkeley? 1983 be sure and check it out. They are awesome gifted performers!! Colin Hay is phenomenal and I wish I could have seen them live in concert! Colin Hay is the lead singer/songwriter/guitarist and he is from Scotland originally. His family moved to Australia when he was young. You should definitely check out more tunes! I love "Who Can it Be Now" "Overkill" "I Can See it in Your Eyes" "Blue for You" "Down by the Sea" is especially amazing and beautiful. "It's a Mistake" "Be Good Jonny" "Catch a Star" is amazing "The Longest Night" is one of my most favorites. They have many more amazing songs!! Thanks BP!

    • @H0110WM4N
      @H0110WM4N Před 19 dny +2

      Colin hay still has a great voice

    • @Montweezy
      @Montweezy Před 19 dny +1

      That's pretty much Australia's national anthem. Lol

    • @iluvbacnotan7977
      @iluvbacnotan7977 Před 19 dny +1

      Saw the “new” Men at Work 2 years ago opening for Rick Springfield.

  • @Emilie-one
    @Emilie-one Před 19 dny +7

    They had hits !!! Check out who can it be now .. and overkill…I loved this song!!! ❤

  • @joholloway890
    @joholloway890 Před 19 dny +3

    The kombi is an iconic van-type vehicle, originally produced by VW. They were an instant hit around the world, but especially in the southern hemisphere - so useful for just about anything, from toting hay bales to camping out, to carrying bands and their equipment, or for family jaunts, beach trips, etc. They were also nicknamed "passion wagons" for obvious reasons. They evolved into camper vans and mini-taxis, ice cream vans... and Toyota and then others also began making them. Nowadays a visit to just about any African country will demonstrate their popularity, and the taxi ranks are filled with them. But there's nothing like the good old '70s versions by VW! Google images to see the huge variety!

  • @jamesnasium4688
    @jamesnasium4688 Před 19 dny +7

    Men at Work........was/is, INCREDIBLE

  • @IggyStardust1967
    @IggyStardust1967 Před 19 dny +2

    BP, Australia and New Zealand sent a LOT of kick-ass bands out into the world during the early days of MTV. Men at Work, Split Enz, Crowded House (an offshoot of Split Enz), and a lot more. Definitely want to see you check out more of those bands.

  • @burnbrae6948
    @burnbrae6948 Před 6 hodinami

    Ahhh Men at Work... one of my favourite bands from the 80's. Underrated legends!

  • @pfalzgraf7527
    @pfalzgraf7527 Před 19 dny +4

    love your take on it!
    For some reason, There are a few Australian bands that have a self-critical message underlying their stuff (thinking e.G. of Midnight Oil).
    The song does refer to the fact that at the time (80s) there were a lot of Australian Globetrotters around who were very willing to work in Commonwealth Countries (where they were automatically allowed to work as Australians) to earn their living. They were recognizable by their can-do attitude. And it was, of course, a thing for them to meet other Australians.
    At the same time, people who do this kind of stuff (i.e. travel around the globe between leaving school and starting to study or work) are often pretty conscious of the less glorious aspects of their countries' histories. That, too, is expressed here. And i think the video shows more of the latter, the song itself more of the former.

  • @maryannprzybycien2013
    @maryannprzybycien2013 Před 19 dny +3

    "Who Can it Be Now" is my ringtone! It's 🔥

  • @dinaarmymom9145
    @dinaarmymom9145 Před 26 dny +7

    Love Men at work know they weren't one hit wonders they had a few bops as you say. Sometimes you may not understand the lyrics and its meaning but the ear candy is sure good. 😊

  • @karlsmith2570
    @karlsmith2570 Před 19 dny +5

    11:03
    "What's The Symbolism Here?"
    Basically, Pegasus, this song's talking about Australia losing its resources to corporations from other countries outside of Australia, setting up shop in Australia.
    The guys dressed in black carrying that case are supposed to represent pallbearers carrying a coffin ( meant to represent the loss of Australian resources)

  • @RockinMamaT
    @RockinMamaT Před 19 dny +6

    The first time I heard these guys I was hooked 😂 Great reaction and Peace out 🙏 ✌️ ☮️

  • @shanegooding4839
    @shanegooding4839 Před 19 dny +4

    The song is considered patriotic by most Aussies and is about the common experiences they have abroad but also points out how our natural environment has been over-exploited by greedy folks. The guys who sing 500 Miles are the Proclaimers and are Scottish. The lead singer of Men At Work, Colin Hay, is a Scottish Australian so BPs probably picking up on his accent. Vegemite is not green.

  • @x0539p
    @x0539p Před 18 dny +2

    Another great Australian band is “ICEHOUSE”, songs: Hey Little Girl, Electric Blue, Crazy, Kingdom, Great Southern Land, Touch of Fire, Cross The Border, Mr. Big & so many more. Iva Davies is the lead singer and they are fire.

  • @debkendall
    @debkendall Před 17 dny +2

    the song is mainly clebrating our spirit: The sixties and the seventies young Aussies travelled the world and travelled around europe in vw kombi vans. Outside of 'Australia house' in London kombi vans were parked around to sell to the next Traveller (I know this is fact , as I saw it) Some even travelled back to australia overland via turkey, afghanistan etc.
    Then the end is pointing out the change, loss of our true heritage due to development.

  • @karma2311
    @karma2311 Před 26 dny +6

    The Proclaimers did the song I would Walk 500 Miles.
    Love Men at Work. Had it on a 45 and played it all the time. Who Can It Be Now is another hit of theirs you should check out.

  • @jesamindee6783
    @jesamindee6783 Před 19 dny +4

    We plundered America's Cup yacht race,this was the theme song of the Australian side!

  • @woodworkinggunnybear581

    I deployed to Australia in 2001. This song was playing in every mall, shop, and restaurant. I was convinced that it was playing on 24 hour repeat at every radio station in Australia.

  • @optimusvalerius8824
    @optimusvalerius8824 Před 17 dny +2

    Simple Translation - A VW Kombi van is the Australian poor man's road trip vehicle of choice. "Fried out" means that it's in really poor condition and overheating.
    "Zombie" is marijuana, though some other people claim it's other drugs.
    The thunder refers to both Australia's tropical storminess, and also to the awesomeness of the people/country (like footsteps, ie: we're coming! Better take cover!)
    Vegemite is the national sandwich spread, made from yeast extract (beer scum, kind of). Usually only Australians can stand the taste (I eat it from the jar, haha), so eating a Vegemite sandwich is a good way to prove you're an Aussie (it's our secret "language" overseas).
    To "Chunder", in Australian slang, is to puke. So, they're saying we get drunk and barf a lot, which...is true. Ahem.
    And of course, Australia is the land down under all the other countries. Hence, the land down under.
    The entire song is about a man missing home written in Australian slang terms or as its known as Strine .[ a rhyming slang originating from the English Cockney slang from the East End of London and brought to Australia in the 19th century]

  • @elizabethfranco1284
    @elizabethfranco1284 Před 26 dny +33

    There’s nothing you need to get just enjoy the song

  • @timsherrod2748
    @timsherrod2748 Před 26 dny +6

    Great song. You should listen to who can it be now. It’s about being trapped in your house when bill collectors come knocking on your door

    • @timsherrod2748
      @timsherrod2748 Před 26 dny +1

      They wrote it before they got their record deal

  • @ks4isu
    @ks4isu Před 18 dny +1

    I saw them in concert when I was in college - great show. This was in Ames, Iowa in 1983 or so. Their warm-up band was INXS and the sponsor was Foster's Beer!

  • @Mitch3po
    @Mitch3po Před 17 dny +1

    You should check out their song "Who can it be now", that's my favourite song by them.
    These guys are still constantly on radio today here in Australia, even though their albums came out in the 80's. Fun (and sad) fact, they got sued in about 2010 by the copyright owners of the kids song "Kookaburra sits in the old gumtree" because of the flute part. A game show mentioned that it sounded the same, then they sued and even the bad said that they didn't even notice it until it came up on the show about 30 years after the song came out

  • @michaelcamp5513
    @michaelcamp5513 Před 19 dny +3

    Check out Midnight Oil either Beds are Burning or Blue Sky Mine. Another Band from Australia that I remember some time in the 80's.

    • @amandajane5743
      @amandajane5743 Před 18 dny

      Or "Short Memory" by Midnight Oil since he's just listened to Billy Joel- We Didn't Start the Fire. Similar vibe. "US Forces" would be a fun conversation starter.

  • @actuariallurker9650
    @actuariallurker9650 Před 19 dny +4

    Its am Australian band just talking about hanging out drinking beer and eating sandwiches

  • @Uriahjw
    @Uriahjw Před 18 dny

    In the 70s and the 80s, there were so many different sounds of music coming out that you really had a buffet for your ears. No one was trying to sound like the other. It was a fantastic time for music and music lovers.

  • @mitchellbeston1033
    @mitchellbeston1033 Před 19 dny +1

    Love this band. Rock/reggae. They were only around for a few years but had a heap of great songs. The lead singer, Colin Hay, has had a long solo career and is still performing. Overkill or Catch a star are well worth a listen. Zombie is a strain of pot.

  • @petrakellynielsen2301
    @petrakellynielsen2301 Před 25 dny +3

    Men at Work were also mentioned in the movie Footloose, when they were mentioning bands.

  • @angelark2011
    @angelark2011 Před 26 dny +3

    Awesome song - it was a hit when it came out. You might want to c&eck out who can it be now from men at work.

  • @lrsrosebud
    @lrsrosebud Před 18 dny +1

    Ahhhh, the memories this brings back! Thank you for reacting to them!

  • @stephenalexander2553
    @stephenalexander2553 Před 2 dny

    My FAVORITE song from Men at Work is the 1983 hit "It's a mistake". I was 16 years old when that song come out! I really LOVE the music video to the song it is so GOOD!

  • @stuartgrier5605
    @stuartgrier5605 Před 19 dny +17

    Men at Work are Scottish. Their families emigrated from Scotland - specifically a little town called Saltcoats - to Australia.

    • @ed.z.
      @ed.z. Před 19 dny +1

      @@stuartgrier5605 now that’s an interesting factoid!

    • @jankennedy7979
      @jankennedy7979 Před 19 dny +2

      Colin Hay is Scottish but the rest of the band are/were Australian.

    • @ed.z.
      @ed.z. Před 19 dny

      @@jankennedy7979 isn’t that an interesting fact.

    • @stuartgrier5605
      @stuartgrier5605 Před 19 dny +1

      @@jankennedy7979
      My parents used to buy records - 33rpm and 78rpm discs from Colin Hay's fathers record shop in Saltcoats when they were teenagers. That is how my mum and dad met.

    • @darkmatter6714
      @darkmatter6714 Před 18 dny +2

      The same with ACDC, most of them were Scottish immigrants. A lot of people from the North of the United Kingdom immigrated to Australia…including the Bee Gees.

  • @mattblatchley2061
    @mattblatchley2061 Před 19 dny +3

    Australia was established as a penal colony by the UK...hence the rough men

    • @melissagerber7231
      @melissagerber7231 Před 19 dny

      Then,the government imported the female prisoners for wives,and turned it into a regular colony.
      By thunder, * they* had representation in Parliament!

    • @caskur1
      @caskur1 Před 19 dny +2

      After America stopped taking the UK prisoners in they sent them to Australia..... always remember they went to America firstly.

    • @mattblatchley2061
      @mattblatchley2061 Před 18 dny

      ​@@caskur1oh yeah...we got our share!!!😊

  • @FeaturingRob
    @FeaturingRob Před 19 dny +1

    "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" was by The Proclaimers...and they are Scottish. I can see the connection, though.
    As far as Men At Work..."Who Can It Be Now" and "Overkill" are their other big hits. The first has a pretty funny video, the second is a different vibe but is really good. Kinda darker.
    Originally, Australia was settled by convicts transported to the continent by the British Crown, and the first colony was at Botany Bay, starting around the 1780s. That kind of sums up all I really know. Maybe the symbolism the band is playing with is "Yeah, our nation's forebearers were all convicts, but we are our own people. We are proud to be Australian."
    I have been a fan of Men At Work since the first time I heard this on MTV in the early 80s.

  • @katrinagreely5399
    @katrinagreely5399 Před 19 dny +1

    This is the very first concert I ever attended. Was pre-teen. 😊 INXS was the opening act.

  • @ed.z.
    @ed.z. Před 19 dny +3

    Scotland and Australia are not the same.

  • @FranklinJuniper-uh2lk
    @FranklinJuniper-uh2lk Před 19 dny +3

    The system in Australia toward the Aboriginal population is abysmal. The prejudice is open. I can only hope it is better in more modern times.❤ ❤

    • @caskur1
      @caskur1 Před 19 dny +2

      It'll be better when they are better. They get treated Iike lords... no other group on the planet gets 40 billion spent on them a year... get yourself an education.

    • @FranklinJuniper-uh2lk
      @FranklinJuniper-uh2lk Před 19 dny

      @@caskur1 too bad my BA+ is not good enough for you! Lol! Stop insulting people. Share kindly. Ah but who am I talking to? You already showed you cannot....

    • @FranklinJuniper-uh2lk
      @FranklinJuniper-uh2lk Před 19 dny

      PLEASE note I said in more modern times. READING is fundamental.

  • @kovie9162
    @kovie9162 Před 19 dny +1

    Every now and then, when the popular music of the day has settled into a kind of steady state or safe zone where there isn't a lot of real innovation or change and you've come to expect things to stay that way for a while, some new artist or band comes along that's unlike anything else at the time, and catches on. Sometimes they change the direction that music takes and sometimes it's a flash in the pan, but it's definitely different and welcome.
    Men At Work were that kind of band, back in the 80's seemingly coming out of nowhere with music that was quite different from the mass produced, synth pop, post-disco, new wave, hair bands and so on of the day. They weren't exactly the Beatles. No one can ever top that. But neither were they one hit wonders that no one ever heard from again. Definitely catchy but also substantial, musically and lyrically, and for a brief time they were pretty huge.

  • @missd9785
    @missd9785 Před 19 dny +1

    I wore this tape out ! No, not one it wonders. Try WHO CAN IT BE NOW next or maybe IT'S A MISTAKE one of my personal favorites is BE GOOD JOHNNY but that might be a little strange for you, but I found it really funny. Yes, keep going with MEN AT WORK!!! TY for this reaction

  • @tamiramos5873
    @tamiramos5873 Před 26 dny +3

    These members are the members I remember. All are still alive except for the flute player, Greg Ham. He died in 2012. One sad thing about the band is that the flute playing in this song landed them in court back in 2010 because apparently, someone thought the flute sounded like the same flute playing from the children's song "Kookaburra." I just listened to a couple of versions and I don't see the resemblance in order for to have been copyrighted. No one would have put those two sounds together and said "hey, those two sound exactly the same." Some say this contributed to the Greg's death since he was the flute player. He died of a heart attack but he also was said to have a drug issue.

  • @terryallen345
    @terryallen345 Před 19 dny +2

    I highly recommend Cold Chisel singing "Bow River" live from the Ringside tour in 2003. Best Australian band that you have never heard of 🇭🇲

    • @sammy_dog
      @sammy_dog Před 17 dny

      yes please react to this song or any Cold Chisel song from this concert they are all fire🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

  • @lawrencejones1517
    @lawrencejones1517 Před 19 dny +1

    Yes, the 500 Miles song is from a different group, The Proclaimers, and the title is I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles), fyi. And Men At Work were huge back in the 80s, part of the massive influx of Aussie bands and artists!

  • @EW-ty6qw
    @EW-ty6qw Před 19 dny +1

    So this is the really early days of MTV. The videos from this period were often very out there. Artist were experimenting and basically just throwing everything including the kitchen sink in them to see what looked good and what worked. This video, being set in the desert, reminds me of another video from this year also set in the desert. Fleetwood Mac's "Hold Me"
    Also, sad note, the flute player died several years ago.

  • @YOLO891
    @YOLO891 Před 19 dny

    Its crazy growing up listening to all these songs and still listening to all the songs you react to and you never heard these songs that are a large part of my life. Its cool to watch.

  • @hibhibb5429
    @hibhibb5429 Před 16 dny

    "OVERKILL", "WHO CAN IT BE NOW?", "IT'S A MISTAKE", "JOHNNY BE GOOD" are other Men At Work songs to react to!! Love them and Love the lead singers, Colin Hay, voice. He still sounds Awesome!!

  • @graeker4286
    @graeker4286 Před 19 dny +1

    This song is awesome! Always got me in a good mood.

  • @HRConsultant_Jeff
    @HRConsultant_Jeff Před 19 dny +1

    for context, Australia was really popular world wide at the time. Movies like Crocodile Dundee and Papillon and others were hitting the big screens and they had several hits.