Men at Work’s Colin Hay condemns Australian far-right for using ‘Down Under’ without permission
Men at Work singer Colin Hay has condemned far-right protestors in Australia for using his band’s hit song ‘Down Under’.
The track, which topped the charts across the world in the early 1980s and remains one of the most well-known pieces of music to have come out of Australia, has recently been used without the band’s permission at March for Australia events.
In 2025, March for Australia events took place on August 31st and October 21st. The next one is scheduled to take place on January 26th, 2026.
According to The Guardian, a neo-nazi was a speaker at the March for Australia protest last August in Sydney.
Additionally, an investigation by ABC News AU in August alleged to have found a link between the organisers behind March for Australia and white nationalism.
In anticipation of ‘Down Under’ being played at protests on January 26th, Hay, who was born in Scotland and is an immigrant himself, has now issued a statement pleading with organisers to not play the song at any of the upcoming events.
He began his message on Instagram by clearly stating, “Let me say that I most strenuously disapprove of any unauthorized, unlicensed use of Down Under, for any ‘March For Australia’ events.”
Condemning the anti-immigration protest, he continued, “‘Down Under’, a song I co-wrote, does not belong to those who attempt to sow xenophobia within the fabric of our great land, our great people.”
He added of the song’s intended message, “‘Down Under’ is ultimately a song of celebration. It’s for pluralism and inclusion; unity, not division. Go write your own song, leave mine alone.”
Hay aptly signed off the message, “Colin Hay (immigrant)”.
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