Down Under
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The term Down Under is a colloquialism referring to Australia and occasionally New Zealand. It locates Australia as “the land down under” because it lies totally within the southern hemisphere.
Despite the term’s widespread international usage, it has been less commonly or rarely used by Australians themselves. The persistence of the media’s use of the term has led to its wider embrace and usage. The Men at Work song “Down Under” became an instantly recognisable, patriotic rallying song – even though the writer of the song, Colin Hay, is Scottish. Australia’s most famous boxing champion, Kostya Tszyu, was also nicknamed “The Thunder From Down Under”.
According to Roger Ebert, “No film set in Australia is allowed to use the word Australia in its title where “Down Under” is an acceptable alternative. For example, we don’t get The Rescuers in Australia or Quigley in Australia.”
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?
Cant you hear, cant 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
Cant you hear, cant 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?
Cant you hear, cant you hear the thunder?
You better run, you better take cover.
