# Songs about Australia **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 20, 2009, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-australia/514433 "2009-10-20T03:17:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Electric\_Warrior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Electric\_Warrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Warrior)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-australia/514433/1 "2009-10-20T03:17:55Z")
I could only think of two - the Manic Street Preachers’ “Australia”, and of course, Men At Work’s “Land Down Under”. But surely there must be more! ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-australia/514433/2 "2009-10-20T03:20:27Z")
\*“Australia” \*-- The Kinks ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-australia/514433/3 "2009-10-20T03:23:47Z")
‘Beds are Burning’ - Midnight Oil ‘Diesel and Dust’ - Midnight Oil I’m sure there are lots more… ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-australia/514433/4 "2009-10-20T04:20:27Z")
Well, there’s the original Waltzing Matilda and the song in honor of the Gallipoli soldiers, “And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda”. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-australia/514433/5 "2009-10-20T04:22:02Z")
[I Am Australian](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSoGJQkKDYk) - The Seekers [Great Southern Land](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mkidP2OUCk) - Icehouse ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-australia/514433/6 "2009-10-20T04:27:24Z")
[Australia](http://www.lyricstime.com/steve-howe-australia-lyrics.html) - \*\*Steve Howe \*\*(YES, _that_ Steve Howe). ---
**Author:** ![GreedySmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a698b9/32.png) [@GreedySmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreedySmurf)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-australia/514433/7 "2009-10-20T04:29:57Z")
A couple off the top of my head. [Sounds of then](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML9h3I5Uktw) by Gangajang [A personal favourite by the by] [Great Southern Land](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mkidP2OUCk&feature=related) by IceHouse Also, almost anything by John Williamson, ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-australia/514433/8 "2009-10-20T04:50:57Z")
[South Australia](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM5x3TJpP24) - The Pogues [And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZqN1glz4JY) - The Pogues ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-australia/514433/9 "2009-10-20T04:56:25Z")
Depends what you mean by “about Australia,” i guess. There are plenty of Australian artists who have written many songs dealing with aspects of Australia and its history, society, and culture. Half of Cold Chisel’s output is about Australia (or specific bits of it) in one way or another. You could say the same about much of Midnight Oil’s stuff, and a whole host of other Aussie bands. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-australia/514433/10 "2009-10-20T08:01:56Z")
There’s 'Living Next Door To Abos" by Kevin Bloody Wilson, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Hallucinex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba9def/32.png) [@Hallucinex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hallucinex)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-australia/514433/11 "2009-10-20T08:30:02Z")
“I Still Call Australia Home” - Peter Allen ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-australia/514433/12 "2009-10-20T09:49:58Z")
The song [“The Dreaming”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vssi9yvcw6U) by Kate Bush. It’s [not very kind](http://gaffa.org/sensual/l_td.html) to Australia though. She’s said she loves Australia, even used to live there as a child, but the treatment of Aborigines bothered her. > [@](#): > > ‘Bang!’ goes another kanga on the bonnet of the van > _“See the light ram through the gaps in the land”_ > Many an Aborigine’s mistaken for a tree > 'til you near him on the motorway and the tree begin to breathe > \*“See the light ram through the gaps in the land” \* > > … > > The civilised keep alive the territorial war > _(See the light ram through the gaps in the land)_ > Erase the race that claim the place and say we dig for ore, > or dangle devils in a bottle and push them from the Pull of the Bush > _(See the light ram through the gaps in the land)_ > You find them in the road > _(See the light bounce off the rocks to the sand)_ > In the road… > > Coming in with the golden light in the morning > Coming in with the golden light with no warning > Coming in with the golden light we bring in the rigging > Dig, dig, dig, dig away. Edit to add, that’s Rolf Harris on Didgeridoo. Warning: it’s not for the faint of heart. It’s definitely one of her most bizarre songs, and it took me, a die-hard Kate fan, about 10 listens to wrap my head and ears around it. Now it’s one of my favorite songs by her. I love the fact that she thumbed her nose at her record company by insisting that this be the single off the album. People in England were appalled and confused, but strangely enough it got her noticed, finally, in America. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-australia/514433/13 "2009-10-20T10:05:49Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > There’s 'Living Next Door To Abos" by Kevin Bloody Wilson, I guess. Huh? I thought the title was living next door to Alan? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-australia/514433/14 "2009-10-20T10:10:06Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > \*“Australia” \*-- The Kinks “Everyone walks around with a perpetual smile across their face.” ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-australia/514433/15 "2009-10-20T10:33:26Z")
> [@bengangmo](#): > > Huh? I thought the title was living next door to Alan? You’re right, it’s just a line in (one) chorus, but that’s how it was labelled on my mix tape (along with such classics as Kevin’s Courting Song(Do You Fuck on First Dates?). ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-australia/514433/16 "2009-10-20T11:56:31Z")
[Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lofgud4wLLo&feature=related) ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-australia/514433/17 "2009-10-20T12:01:31Z")
Sing Australia by John Denver. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-australia/514433/18 "2009-10-20T12:14:24Z")
Song of Australia Advance Australia Fair ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-australia/514433/19 "2009-10-20T12:51:32Z")
[I Hate Wogs](http://www.lyrics007.com/Bogle%20Eric%20Lyrics/I%20Hate%20Wogs%20Lyrics.html) - by Eric Bogle (it’s sarcasm) ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-australia/514433/20 "2009-10-20T13:17:09Z")
“Treaty”, by Yothu Yindi, is probably my favourite. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-australia/514433.md?page=2)