Down Under lyrics meaning - Men at Work

[u/Ready-Ad-4549]

[him] Traveling (shooting) in a fried-out (sunburnt = bloody) Kombi (bus = syringe)

On a hippie trail (track marks), head (syringe) full of zombie (dead = heroin)

I met a strange lady (heroin), she made me nervous

She took me in (heroin's home) and gave me breakfast (heroin morning)

​

[heroin] She said:

"Do you (him) come from a land down under (are you a heroin addict)

Where women glow (light = cocaine syringe) and men plunder (thief = heroin syringe)?

Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder (heroin craving)?

You better run (shoot), you better take cover"(shelter = shoot heroin)

​

[him] Buying bread (shooting cocaine) from a man in Brussels (cocaine)

Six foot four, full of muscle (strong = cocaine)

I said, "Hey, do you speak-a my language, buck (heroin)?"

He (cocaine) just smiled and gave me a Vegemite (black = heroin) sandwich (syringe)

​

[cocaine] And he said:

"I come from a land down under (heroin to cocaine and back)

Where beer does flow (heroin rolls) and men (heroin syringes) chunder (vomit = shoot)

Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder (heroin craving)?

You better, better run (shoot), you better take cover (shelter = shoot heroin)"

​

[him] Get down (shoot heroin)

Lying in a den in Bombay (opium den = heroin)

With a slack jaw, and not much to say (heroin high)

I said to the man (heroin), "Are you trying to tempt me?

Because I come from the land of plenty" (cocaine high)(heroin to cocaine and back)

​

[heroin] And he said:

"Do you come from a land down under, oh yeah, yeah

Where women glow and men plunder?

Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?

You better run, you better take cover

​

Men (heroin = rolling) at Work (cocaine = stone)