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DailyBoom Your Old School Music Authority

Sunday, April 7, 2019

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Men At Work - 'Overkill'



"Night after night my heartbeat shows the fear

Ghosts appear and fade away

Alone between the sheets
Only brings exasperation

It's time to walk the streets
Smell the desperation

At least there are pretty lights
And though there's little variation

It nullifies the night from overkill."


I know that when I first say Men At Work you're probably going to think of "Down Under", the song that everyone most associates them with. And for good reason, because it's a great song with a hook that borders on brilliant. Of course, it was a hit and it's one of those songs that you know right off the bat. That's where the brilliance comes in to play. Just about every song by the group has a melody that is kind of a mash-up of synth and reggae, with the exception of one song, "Overkill".

While I appreciate the humor and fun of most of the earlier songs, Men At Work's "Overkill" from their second album, Cargo, in 1983 proved that the guys could be serious, if not straight up melancholy. I really love this side of the band and it shows lead singer Colin Hay to be a bit deeper then I would have at first believed. While I love a fun song, I equally appreciate the "Overkill" type songs hidden between cheerier tracks on any album. Check out the video below!