“Down Under” by Luude (ft. Colin Hay)
The way Colin Hay has described this song is as it being a celebration of Australia, which of course, due to its position on the world map, is popularly known as the Land “Down Under”. However, as intended, he’s not biggin’ up the country he calls home in a patriotic sense.
He loves Australia but realizes it has its issues also, such as apparently the lack of appreciation for its pre-industrial heritage. So we can postulate that the different characters presented are meant to symbolize various critiques or understandings of the nation, for lack of a more concise way of putting it.
And since this song is in fact a cover, we won’t get too wordy concerning what’s being put forth. But all lyrics considered, what the vocalist seems to be getting at is the notion of Australia being sort of this rugged, outback-ish kind of place.
And as such, him being an Australian he is living sort of this robust, freewheeling lifestyle. And while traveling the world, the people he meets along the way who know what time it is are often able to recognize that he is indeed “from a land down under”. But in other instances, such as in the third verse, the vocalist may be compelled to represent where he comes from.
So with all of the above in mind, it can be said that what the narrator does appreciate the most about Australia is its toughness.
Facts about “Down Under”
Besides for Colin Hay, the other writer of this song is Ron Strykert. It was penned at a time when both were down with a crew known as Men at Work, who were happening back in the early-1980s. And “Down Under”, which was originally released in 1981, is one of the band’s signature songs.
Men at Work went more or less defunct by the mid-1980s, though the band is still extant to this day, with Colin Hay being its sole core member. And Colin did cover this track back in 2012, in conjunction with Australia’s participation in the Summer Olympics of that year. Meanwhile, his “Down Under” collaboration with Luude is dated 26 December 2021.
Interesting to note is that Colin actually re-recorded his vocals for this 2021 collaboration with Luude. This is one of the many things that makes this collabo special to many fans.
Luude, who produced the track, is listed as being the headline artist on this occasion.
And by the looks of things Luude, an EDM producer from Australia, was able to breathe new life into the song. This cover proved to be a notable international hit, topping Recorded Music NZ, in addition to making it onto the top five of the UK Singles Chart and the UK Dance Chart, as well as charting in several nations as well. And this cover also achieved platinum certification in New Zealand.
Despite being born in the United Kingdom, Colin Hay is listed as being a citizen of both Australia and the United States.
