Context

This line was sung by Men at Work in the song "Down Under," written by Colin Hay and Ron Strykert, from the album Business as Usual (1981).

As made pretty evident by its title, "Down Under" is about Australian things. Our Aussie hero is traveling around the globe to places like Belgium and India while telling people things he likes about his home country. He also uses a lot of Australian slang along the way.

But what the heck is Vegemite? Vegemite is to Australia as Spam is to the United States—it's really hard to describe, but people love it for some reason. (If you want to be specific, it's a type of brown paste made from yeast, vegetable extract, and spices.) Colin Hay, Men at Work's lead singer, is just talking about wanting a nice, home-cooked meal when he sings this song. Because it's always nice to have something that reminds you of home while you're traipsing around the world.

Where you've heard it

If you've ever been to Australia, you've heard this song, but even if you haven't made the trek, Men at Work played "Down Under" at the closing ceremony for the 2000 Sydney Olympics. It also made an appearance at the end of the second Crocodile Dundee movie. And even if the lyrics don't sound familiar to you, maybe you'll recognize the music because the flute line is taken from the popular Australian children's song "Kookaburra."

So basically, this song = all things Australia.

If you want to make a Vegemite sandwich while listening to this song, we've got you covered.

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

If you're Australian, this is a charming reference. If not, prepare for some pretty long, confused stares.