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Anatomy of a Song: "Down Under" Quiz

Just how much do you know about Men At Work's classic "Down Under"? Pit yourself against 10 questions about the song and/or associated facts. Song #18 in the 'Anatomy' series.

A multiple-choice quiz by FussBudget. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
FussBudget

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
210,256

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
8 / 10

Plays
3416

Awards
Top 10% Quiz

Last 3 plays: Linda_Arizona (9/10), Guest 80 (10/10), Guest 165 (8/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. In the first lines of the songs we hear:

"Traveling in a fried-out Kombi
On a hippie trail, head full of zombie"

What type of vehicle is a Kombi? Hint

Goggomobile

Holden

Volkswagen

Ford

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. Still in those first two lines:

"Traveling in a fried-out Kombi
On a hippie trail, head full of zombie"

What did the singer most likely mean by "head full of zombie"? Hint

His head was full of rum with fruit juice and apricot liqueur

He was listening to "Zombie" by the Cranberries on his Walkman

He was spaced out on drugs

His head was full of dead bodies that had been brought back to life by a supernatural force

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. What type of meal did the "strange lady" serve? Hint

Breakfast

Supper

Dinner

Lunch

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. Where is the singer found "buying bread"? Hint

Belgium

New Zealand

India

Falkland Islands

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. How tall is the man from which the bread is purchased? Hint

Six foot four

Five foot five and a half

Five foot two

Six foot two

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. What type of sandwich does the singer get given?

Answer: (Traditional Australian spread - watch the spelling!)

7. "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"

Chunder is an Australian colloquialism for vomit. Which of the following is not? Hint

Spew

Technicolour yawn

Slash

Ralph

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. "Lying in a den in Bombay
With a slack jaw, and not much to say"

This is a good example of how a song can suddenly become out of date. Bombay doesn't exist by that name anymore. What is it called now? Hint

Bangalore

Hyderabad

Kolkata

Mumbai

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. By what description is Australia referred to in the song? Hint

A land of sweeping plains

The land of milk and honey

The land of plenty

A sunburnt country

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. How did the singer feel when he "met a strange lady"? Hint

Nervous

Nauseated

Turned on

Hungry

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Most Recent Scores

Nov 19 2024 : Linda_Arizona: 9/10
Nov 12 2024 : Guest 80: 10/10
Nov 02 2024 : Guest 165: 8/10

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In the first lines of the songs we hear: "Traveling in a fried-out Kombi On a hippie trail, head full of zombie" What type of vehicle is a Kombi?

Answer: Volkswagen

The VW Kombi (US = Volkswagen Van) was almost the vehicle of choice for Australian surfies of the 60s and 70s. My brother owned an orange one, and what a heap of junk it was! Although I was too young, in retrospect, I suspect that the first two lines of the song are very accurate!

2. Still in those first two lines: "Traveling in a fried-out Kombi On a hippie trail, head full of zombie" What did the singer most likely mean by "head full of zombie"?

Answer: He was spaced out on drugs

Whilst the other three answers are all 'possibles', the song lyrics combined with the video clip of the time (the Kombi had smoke pouring out of it) left little doubt that drugs were the inference.

According to www.songfacts.con: "Zombie was a particularly strong batch of marijuana which was floating around Australia for a long time. People called it "Zombie Grass".

3. What type of meal did the "strange lady" serve?

Answer: Breakfast

"I met a strange lady, she made me nervous
She took me in and gave me breakfast"

4. Where is the singer found "buying bread"?

Answer: Belgium

"Buying bread from a man in Brussels"

Although Belgium isn't mentioned specifically in the song, that's where one finds Brussels!

5. How tall is the man from which the bread is purchased?

Answer: Six foot four

"Buying bread from a man in Brussels
He was six foot four and full of muscles"

According to www.songfacts.com: "The quirky video became a huge hit on MTV. The network had been on the air for only a year, and they didn't have many videos to choose from. Men At Work didn't know much about MTV, but British and Australian bands had been making videos for some time. The band made videos that fit their personality, often improvising scenes and using their friends for help. The guy who stands up and offers the Vegemite sandwich is the band's drummer, Jerry Speiser. He wasn't really "6 foot 4 and full of muscles," he had to stand on something to get extra height. He also wore a wig".

6. What type of sandwich does the singer get given?

Answer: Vegemite

"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"

According to www.songfacts.com: "This song is often misinterpreted as a patriotic anthem. Says Colin: "It's ironic to me that so many people thought it was about a specific thing and that really wasn't the intention behind the song. If you listen to 'Born In The USA', it's a similar song in that there's a lot of nuance missed because people like drinking beer and throwing their arms up in the air and feeling nationalistic. It's ultimately a song about celebration, but it's a matter of what you choose to celebrate about a country or a place. White people haven't been in Australia all that long, and it's truly an awesome place, but one of the most interesting and exciting things about the country is what was there before. The true heritage of a country often gets lost in the name of progress and development".

7. "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" Chunder is an Australian colloquialism for vomit. Which of the following is not?

Answer: Slash

Charming, isn't it? Technicolour yawn, ralph and spew all see common use in Australia. To "have a slash" means to urinate.

According to www.songfacts.com: "This became an unofficial national anthem when Australia won the America's Cup in 1983, an event the United States had never lost. The then Prime Minister of Australia, Bob Hawke, was so delighted with Australia's win, he gave the whole country the day off and announced on the news that "any boss who fired an employee for taking the day off is a bum!".

8. "Lying in a den in Bombay With a slack jaw, and not much to say" This is a good example of how a song can suddenly become out of date. Bombay doesn't exist by that name anymore. What is it called now?

Answer: Mumbai

According to www.geography.com: "Calcutta will become the third large Indian city to change its name over the past few years. Name changes began in 1996 when Bombay became Mumbai and then Madras became Chennai".

This was in part in recognition of discarding the links to British colonialism.

9. By what description is Australia referred to in the song?

Answer: The land of plenty

"I said to the man, "Are you trying to tempt me
Because I come from the land of plenty?"

The alternate answers "sunburnt country" and "land of sweeping plains" are taken from Dorothea McKellar's poem "My Country":

"I love a sunburnt country
A land of sweeping plains
Of ragged mountain ranges
Of droughts and flooding rains
I love her far horizons
I love her jewel-sea
Her beauty and her terror
The wide brown land for me"

10. How did the singer feel when he "met a strange lady"?

Answer: Nervous

"I met a strange lady, she made me nervous
She took me in and gave me breakfast"

Perhaps he would have been better off if the answer had been hungry!

Source: Author FussBudget

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Dalgleish before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Related Quizzes

This quiz is part of series Anatomy of a Song - Part 6:

This is part 6 of a collection of all of my "Anatomy of a Song" quizzes. They were the originals, much imitated since. I guess I should take that as a compliment!

  1. Anatomy of a Song: "Industrial Disease" Average
  2. Anatomy of a Song: "Convoy" Average
  3. Anatomy of a Song: "Down Under" Average
  4. Anatomy of a Song: "Sub'n Homesick Blues" Average
  5. Anatomy of a Song: "Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves" Average
  6. Anatomy of a Song: "Macarthur Park" Average

Referenced Topics

Music People Languages Australian Geography Names Australians: Famous & Historical Beers Drummers Belgium National Anthems Orange Brown White Volkswagen Men At Work

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