80's Weekend Rewind #4

Continuing the 80’s Weekend Rewind segment with one of the most unlikely hits of the entire 80’s: Men at Work’s “Down Under”. Let’s just list some of the degrees of awesome shown in this video.

· The classic Australian travel method of sticking a bunch of stoners in a van and driving into the desert.
· Collin Hay (the lead singer and now a rather indie music hipster) eating cereal and his own hair with the strange lady who made him breakfast.
· The short shorts on the real estate agent.
· The band member who carries a stuffed koala with him in every scene that is never commented on in any way, shape or form.
· The unleashing of the term vegemite on an unsuspecting American populace.
· When the band starts chugging beers one of the band members mistakenly drinks from the vase of flowers.
· The dance break in the middle of the song featuring the band members alternately juggling or digging in the sand.
· The den in Bombay that I never properly understood as a kid watching the video. Hadn’t been taught about Opium yet.
· The ending in which the Ark of the Covenant is seemingly replaced by the band’s gear.

Given that this is the start of the Olympics I should add in the following story. When Sydney was awarded the Summer Olympics for 2000 Collin Hay decided he had to reform Men at Work. As he said, “You know we are going to have to play Down Under at some point. We might as well sound good in the process.” I still remember them singing it during the closing ceremonies. That is a nice way of knowing that you’ve made it.