Men at Work

It’s doubtful that the composers of 1980s pop and rock hits imagined their songs would still be on constant loop 40 years later. Just on terrestrial radio in South Florida we have 102.7 The Beach and Big 105.9, plus the “Totally 80’s” HD channel hosted by Hits 97.3. At any given time on any of these outlets you can hear either of two songs by the Australian band Met at Work, both off their 1981 album Business as Usual.

The first, “Down Under,” is a bit of a novelty that could have — and has — been deployed as an ad campaign to get tourists to visit Australia. With a new wave-y production, hints of reggae and talky, almost literary lyrics, it could be confused for a song by their peers in The Police. But there’s a jolly vibe to the proceedings, with flute accompaniment and a reference to Vegemite.

The second song, “Who Can It Be Now?” trades a flute for a memorable saxophone. It’s also filled with humor, as it was originally inspired by Men At Work singer and songwriter Colin Hay getting late night knocks on his door that were meant for his neighboring drug dealer. But it’s had such a long life in that it can probably be interpreted as an anthem of alienation or even hopeful romanticism.

You’ll be able to hear these songs and other ever-so-slightly-less-familiar hits like “Overkill” and “It’s a Mistake” when Men at Work play West Palm on July 18 with fellow ’80s stalwarts Toto and Christopher Cross, whose songs never went away, either. Hay is the only original member of this 2025 Men at Work iteration, but when I caught him at Parker Playhouse for a solo show back in 2016, he was still able to hit all those high notes. That show featured Hay accompanied only by his acoustic guitar and wit. With a Men at Work ensemble, expect renditions closer to the recorded originals, complete with all the flute and saxophone you could ever hope for.

Men At Work, Toto and Christopher Cross perform 6:45pm Friday, July 18 at iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach. colinhay.com ~ David Rolland