Colin Hay Demands March For Australia Stop Using 'Down Under' as Xenophobic Anthem

Colin Hay, the former frontman of Men at Work, publicly demanded that the March For Australia stop using the band's hit Down Under as a xenophobic anthem and told protesters to 'go write your own song.'

“One of Australia’s biggest music stars has called out the use of his band’s mosticonic songto “sow xenophobia” within Australia”

7NEWS

He described the track as a personal, tongue-in-cheek reflection on his experiences and rejected its appropriation for anti-immigrant messaging, urging people not to co-opt the song.

7NEWS

Hay's objection frames the dispute as an artist protecting the intent of his work against political misuse.

Background details reported alongside Hay's rebuke give context for why he disputes the song's political use.

7NEWS notes that Hay was born in Scotland, moved to Australia at 14, and is married to Peruvian-born musician Cecilia Noël, facts that reinforce his immigrant-background perspective.

The Times of India

The outlet also highlights the song's cultural status, noting it was played at the 2000 Sydney Olympic closing ceremony.

The Times of India similarly underscores Hay's view that the song is autobiographical and not intended as a nationalist anthem.

Together, these accounts frame Hay's objection through both his personal biography and the song's public legacy.

Public reaction and media framing differ between outlets.

“One of Australia’s biggest music stars has called out the use of his band’s mosticonic songto “sow xenophobia” within Australia”

7NEWS

7NEWS highlights social media supporters who echoed Hay's stance, explicitly quoting users who wrote 'we are all immigrants' and stressing the song's anti-xenophobia message, giving the story a communal, inclusive angle.

The Times of India focuses on Hay's instruction to protesters and his insistence that the song not be repurposed for anti-immigrant rallies, framing a firmer confrontation between artist and demonstrators.

Neither outlet provides direct quotes from March For Australia organisers or the protesters using the song, leaving the protesters' rationale absent from available reporting.

Taken together, the two available reports show consistent reporting that Hay opposes the song’s use at anti-immigration rallies.

They differ in emphasis and in the perspectives they omit.

The Times of India

The Times of India frames the story as an artist’s refusal to have his work appropriated for nationalist purposes and quotes Hay telling protesters to 'go write your own song'.

7NEWS emphasizes the song’s broad, inclusive reception and online responses such as 'we are all immigrants', and adds biographical and ceremonial history to contextualize the dispute.

Because only these two sources are provided, other perspectives — including statements from March For Australia, direct protester testimony, or alternative media analyses — are not available, leaving aspects of the dispute unclear.