I enjoy it when I discover that bands and artists who had massive hits also have surprising lesser known gems in their back catalogues. I enjoy it even more when those gems are either covered in other styles or, even better, are revisited by the artists themselves.
This in one such revisited gem.
Down Under is undeniably the biggest song from Men at Work and their enigmatic front man Colin Hay. They’ve also got a great catalogue of other songs including Who Can It Be Now and Be Good Johnny. You can tell I own the album Business as Usual, right? I’m not sure I ever recall hearing this track, Overkill being performed by the band before I heard this solo acoustic version by Hay. I also totally missed his appearance on Scrubs, appearing seemingly everywhere to sing this version directly to JD. If I recall correctly an old workmate, Timothy the Vegan introduced me to it and told me he had first heard it on that episode.
Origins aside, when I compare it alongside the original Men at Work version, somehow stripping it back to an acoustic sound makes it deeper and more soulful. Colin Hay is a legend and this track is one I just can’t help but sing along to.
My ADHD Playlist 