Fractured Australian Songs With A Twist Quiz

Answer: Both of these

"Pub With No Beer" is a song that started out as a poem, written in World War 11 by Dan Sheahan. In 1944 he wrote a few verses about the lack of beer in his home state of Queensland, Australia. Singer Gordon Parson developed the song a few years later and added the characters to it. The song was made famous by the late Australian, country singer Slim Dusty.

Answer: A reference to Australia

"Down Under" is a 1980s song made popular by the Australian rock band Men at Work. It was used in the closing ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics and a soundtrack for the movie "Crocodile Dundee" in Los Angeles. It is about an Australian traveler who is proud of his country and the interest other people have for his stories about his beloved country.

Answer: First settlement place of the First Fleet from England to Australia

"Botany Bay" is a song that is about the transferring of convicts to Australia from England in the 18th century. It was written by Henry Stephens and William Yardley and used in their English stage play called "Little Jack Sheppard". The song became popular after the play finished, when famous singers such as Burl Ives, recorded it.

It is played in Australia mostly for children's compilations and is also sung by many Irish folk singers.

Answer: A poem by Banjo Patterson

"Waltzing Matilda" was a poem written by Banjo Patterson in 1895 and made into a popular song by Marie Cowan in 1903. The song was chosen as one of the possible choices as the National Australian Anthem in 1974. It is about a drifter who is waiting for his water to boil at a water hole.

He grabs a sheep that comes to drink and puts him in his food bag. The owner of the land and three policeman tried to capture the drifter for stealing. Not wanting to be caught, the drifter jumped into the water hole and died.

His ghost can still be heard at the water hole.

Answer: A Peter Allen song

"I Still Call Australia Home" was written and performed in 1980 by singer/songwriter/actor Peter Allen. The song is about an Australian expatriate's longing for his home. The song was used in a Qantas television commercial and the 1984 Summer Olympic's Opening Gala Television special in Los Angeles.

Some Aussies love the song but others think it is not consistent with Australian sentimentality.

Answer: A track winding back to a old shack

"Road To Gundagai" (Gundagai sounds like gun-dug-eye) was written by Jack O'Hagan in 1922. It is a well-known, popular song among Australians and some consider it a folk tune. The song is about Gundagai, a rural town in New South Wales, Australia, where a son is coming home to his parents after being away for a long time.

Answer: Giving native Australians back their land

"Beds Are Burning" was released in 1988 by band Midnight Oil. It is a political song about giving back the Australian lands to the Pintupi people. The song was sung during the closing ceremony of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

Answer: Visiting many different towns and cities

"I've Been Everywhere Man" was written by Geoff Mack in 1959 and singer Lucky Starr made the song popular in 1962. The song lists many Australian towns and is sung very fast. American and New Zealand town names have been used instead of Australian ones after the song became popular.

Answer: An Australian drover

"Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport" was written by Rolf Harris in 1957 and was a worldwide hit in the 1960s. It is about an Australian drover who was on his deathbed who had a few things to do before he died. The song is one of the best known and most successful Australian songs recorded. By 2008 it has become a popular children's song which has been recorded together by Rolf and The Wiggles.

Answer: A venomous arachnid

"Redback On The Toilet Seat" was written by Slim Newton in 1971. The song is about a venomous female redback spider which bit a man when he was using the outside toilet. The males don't bite and both sexes can be found in dark places, especially outback Australian toilets.