The Story In The Song Men At Work Down Under

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1980 A novelty song that started out as a B-Side and became virtually an unofficial national anthem for Australia. The song, and video depict a group of travellers meeting people who are in awe at their national origin / status and do favours for them. Worn out from drug use (zombie) on the Asian hippy trail in a clapped out van, the narrator is given breakfast by a mysterious woman who tells him she is impressed by claims that Australia has beautiful women and men who chunder a lot (vomit all the time). Later in another location, Brussels, a muscular hotelier proves to be a fellow countryman and gives him an Australian Vegimite (Marmite) sandwich before his nationality finally seems to save him from torture by some kind of gangsters in Bombay. The band are then seen running through a desert, goofing around like the Monkees, kangaroo hopping and running with a big packing crate and a koala bear on a dog leash. Deeply silly record with an irritating patriotic fever to it but nevertheless a fun earworm of a song. The video on Youtube Arthur Chappell