Catchy ‘National Anthem of Straya (To the Tune of Hey Ya)’ For Australia Day Theme Song [VIDEO]
“Advance Australia Fair” is still doing okay, but it appears it now has a challenger as Australia’s national anthem. Music producer Terry Mann has tweaked the catchy “Hey Ya!” song, making it the “National Anthem of STRAYA,” his Australia Day anthem.
Uploaded through Mann’s music alias Coach Bombay on YouTube, the remix, fully titled as “National Anthem of STRAYA (to the tune of Hey Ya),” now has over 600,000 views since Monday, with many commenters praising the music video for being a “real Strayan.” The video shows footage compilation of the country’s iconic landmarks, politicians, Steve Irwin, deadly animals, the Outback, cricket, koalas, Kylie Minogue, the Wiggles, fireworks, barbecues, and a lot of people enjoying summer.
Just like the original “Hey Ya!” by American rap duo OutKast, “Straya” is a very catchy tune with positive vibe. As Mann explained, he took the often negatively stereotyped “Straya” expression and made it into “something that’s positive and celebratory – without having a dig at our culture or focussing on the negatives.”
He told Mashable, “You can’t pin down Australia in one or two easy stereotypes. There’s so much to it. Such a wide range of landscapes, wildlife, people and lifestyle. Put it all together and it makes no sense. But somehow, it’s just bloody great.”
As for why he chose the song for an Australia Day anthem, he said it’s because it works well on the basic play of words that he had come up with for the lyrics, which include:
“My country don’t share no borders
‘Cos of all the waters that surround our land
Thank god for our resources
‘Cos they are the sources of our wealthy land
Don’t try to find the capital
Or fight the animals
You’re on your own
Just drive from town to paradise
And you’ll see why we call Australia home”
Online commenters praised the song and the video for featuring “actual Strayans” and for its positive feel and lively vibe. Many noted that Mann’s mix is “not pretentious” and truly shows what Australians are all about. Some also suggest that it could even work as the country’s tourism promo.