englishRock

Down Under Lyrics

by Men at Work

21 views • Published on Oct 3, 2026

Down Under Lyrics

Traveling in a fried-out combie On a hippie trail, head full of zombie I met a strange lady, she made me nervous She took me in and gave me breakfast And she said, "Do you come from a land down under? Where women glow and men plunder? Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder? You better run, you better take cover." Buying bread from a man in Brussels He was six foot four and full of muscles I said, "Do you speak-a my language?" He just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich And he said, "I come from a land down under Where beer does flow and men chunder Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder? You better run, you better take cover." Lying in a den in Bombay With a slack jaw, and not much to say I said to the man, "Are you trying to tempt me Because I come from the land of plenty?" And he said, "Oh! Do you come from a land down under? (oh yeah yeah) Where women glow and men plunder? Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder? You better run, you better take cover." Living in a land down under Where women glow and men plunder Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder? You better run, you better take cover Living in a land down under Where women glow and men plunder Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder? You better run, you better take cover Living in a land down under Where women glow and men plunder Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder? You better run, you better take cover Living in a land down under Where women glow and men plunder Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder? You better run, you better take cover

Meaning of Down Under

“Down Under” by Men at Work is a surreal and slightly unsettling travelogue, painting a picture of a mysterious, potentially dangerous “land down under.” The lyrics depict the narrator’s encounters with bizarre individuals across Europe and Asia – a nervous woman offering breakfast, a towering man with a vegemite sandwich, and a stoic figure in Bombay – all repeating the same cryptic warning: “You better run, you better take cover.” The repeated question of "Do you come from a land down under?" suggests a place of primal energy, where women possess an otherworldly beauty (“glow”) and men are aggressive ("plunder"), symbolized by the ominous “thunder.” The song evokes feelings of unease and disorientation, creating a dreamlike atmosphere fueled by exotic locales and unsettling encounters. Ultimately, it’s a commentary on the unknown and the potential for hidden dangers lurking beneath the surface of unfamiliar cultures, delivered with Men at Work's signature blend of quirky instrumentation and evocative storytelling.

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