Men at Work are an Australian rock band who achieved international success in the 1980s. They are the only Australian artists to have a simultaneous #1 album and #1 single in the United States (Business as Usual and "Down Under" respectively). They achieved the same distinction of a simultaneous #1 album and #1 single in the United Kingdom. The group won the 1983 Grammy Award for Best New Artist and sold over 30 million albums worldwide. The band's sound is distinguished by its use of woodwind and brass instruments.
In 1981, Columbia Records signed Men at Work. Their second single, "Who Can It Be Now?", reached #1 on the Australian chart in August 1981. In October 1982, "Who Can It Be Now?" hit #1 in the USA.
The lyrics of "Who Can It Be Now?" feature the narrative of a reclusive, perhaps paranoid man who hears knocking at his house door and wishes to be left in solitude. The presence of a "childhood friend" is mentioned, and the bridge lyrics give the impression that the narrator fears once again being taken away to a mental institution. Musically, the song features prominent saxophone lines and a mid-tempo beat. Its chorus vocals, which make up the song title, feature a melody that is echoed through saxophone in a call and response fashion. The second chorus pushes the anxious lyrics further and becomes flush with vocal harmony.
"Who Can It Be Now?" remains a popular symbol of New Wave music and has been featured on numerous 1980s compilations.
great classic!
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