1982 Songs: Who Can It Be Now?
By Four Walls
@FourWalls (76280)
United States
July 19, 2022 10:44am CST
How interesting, given that the piped-in music in the restaurant just played a song by this band. That shows you the staying power of music, and the way we shake our heads in disbelief over the fact that this song is 40 years old now. Well, 41: like another song earlier on the list, it was released in America in 1982 but elsewhere in 1981. Oh, well. You know it, you love it, you can’t live without it!
Who Can It Be Now? - Men At Work
Yes, those fellows who introduced America to Vegemite. And we’ve never forgiven them for it. 
A couple of years ago I did a countdown of Scottish musicians for JimBo (MISTER Interaction himself!), and what do you know but Colin Hay, the front man for Men At Work, made the list. Yep, he was born in Scotland. By the time this song came out, he had lived in Australia for 16 years. (Oh, Picky Wedia says he lives in America now. Dang, Colin, make up your mind! )
Anyway, this was the song that launched their career here and everywhere. It didn’t make it to US shores until 1982, but when it did we ate it up (unlike Vegemite, mentioned in their monster hit “Down Under” )
It features a recognizable sax line (good sax, but not great, which is why it didn’t make that countdown 
) and lyrics I can easily identify with: go away!!
Who Can It Be Now?
Written by Colin Hay
Recorded by Men At Work
From Business As Usual, 1982
(Today’s 1972 song: “Taxi”)
I’ll be trapped, and here I’ll have to stay:
A couple of years ago I did a countdown of Scottish musicians for JimBo (MISTER Interaction himself!), and what do you know but Colin Hay, the front man for Men At Work, made the list. Yep, he was born in Scotland. By the time this song came out, he had lived in Australia for 16 years. (Oh, Picky Wedia says he lives in America now. Dang, Colin, make up your mind! )
Anyway, this was the song that launched their career here and everywhere. It didn’t make it to US shores until 1982, but when it did we ate it up (unlike Vegemite, mentioned in their monster hit “Down Under” )
It features a recognizable sax line (good sax, but not great, which is why it didn’t make that countdown ) and lyrics I can easily identify with: go away!!
Who Can It Be Now?
Written by Colin Hay
Recorded by Men At Work
From Business As Usual, 1982
(Today’s 1972 song: “Taxi”)
I’ll be trapped, and here I’ll have to stay:
RewardsTop suggestions for who could it beMen at Work Who CanIt Be Now Official VideoMan at WorkWho Can Be NowWho Can It BeNow Men at Work Music VideoTop suggestions for who could it beLucianoWho Could It BeZ-Ro SongsIt Shall BePermanentWho Could It BeNowW
8 people like this
7 responses
@much2say (57702)
• Los Angeles, California
19 Jul 22
Another one I know well 
. The sax line - yahhhhh (loved hearing sax in the 80s - don't hear it so much now). The funny thing is, in the past couple decades, I have heard this song in elevators 
. . . a moment of "You know you're old when . . . " 
.
. The sax line - yahhhhh (loved hearing sax in the 80s - don't hear it so much now). The funny thing is, in the past couple decades, I have heard this song in elevators . . . a moment of "You know you're old when . . . " .1 person likes this
?@FourWalls (76280)
• United States
19 Jul 22
@much2say — I’m afraid so. But then again, having to live THROUGH the Muzak era is a badge of honor!
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (76280)
• United States
19 Jul 22
The good thing, at least, is that Muzak is a thing of the past, so we don’t have to hear Muzak versions of “Smokin’ in the Boys Room.”
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (76280)
• United States
20 Jul 22
He might be a tax refugee. We have a lot of them in America, living here ‘cause it’s too dang expensive in England.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (76280)
• United States
20 Jul 22
@porwest — I wouldn’t want to visit now because they don’t have much air conditioning there!
1 person likes this
@porwest (102424)
• United States
20 Jul 22
@FourWalls England has a bit of a weird economy. Beyond that it is pretty much stagnant. Nice place to visit but not a place I would want to live.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (76280)
• United States
19 Jul 22
That became a big problem by the mid-80s, kill a song by playing it every 18 seconds.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (76280)
• United States
20 Jul 22
My eyes are even allergic to seeing it.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (76280)
• United States
20 Jul 22
@JudyEv — sorry, but Vegemite will never replace a chicken taco salad on my plate!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (357273)
• Rockingham, Australia
20 Jul 22
@FourWalls Well, I'll be!! You've gone down in my estimation (That's a joke - just in case you didn't realise).
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (76280)
• United States
20 Jul 22
Hip hip hooray! Bad news for today’s 1982 song, but it’s only one song…..
1 person likes this
@thislittlepennyearns (64672)
• Defuniak Springs, Florida
19 Jul 22
I always have this song stuck in my head.
I was singing it last night because it was in some movie lol.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (76280)
• United States
20 Jul 22
Oh, good, at least you saw it in a movie so it’s not totally my fault.
@thislittlepennyearns (64672)
• Defuniak Springs, Florida
20 Jul 22
@FourWalls not completely. Lol
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (76280)
• United States
19 Jul 22
Three in a row? Oh, well, the streak will end with today’s ‘72 song.
1 person likes this
