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10 Songs Every Bloody Strayan' Needs On Their Straya Playlist

Ah, Australia Day. Quite frankly more sacred to every Aussie battla than Christmas, Easter and the Queen’s Birthday weekend combined. The beers have been chilled, the pool toys inflated, the sunscreen has been vigorously applied and vegetarians begrudgingly eat at home before heading to their mate’s BBQ. While we’ll all have our dials tuned to the Hottest 100, your mates from Happy put together the essential Aussie playlist. You won’t find any of the obvious choices here, so no Cold Chisel, Midnight Oil or Paul Kelly. Instead we’ve picked out ten tracks that best demonstrate the true blue Aussie spirit.

Straya Day

Australia Day 2015 is upon us, so let us celebrate this great sunburnt land with the 10 songs that best show off who we are!

Down Under– Men At Work

So much for the obvious choices right? Until recently I had no clue what the fuck this song was about. Turns out it’s actually about the over-development of our country and commodification of our culture during the 1980s. Deep man. Which kind of sheds some light on the insane music video. There’s also Vegemite and as far as I know the only recorded use of the phrase ‘chunder’ (pronounced “chun-daa”) in music history.

Drive Thru Bottlo –  The VeeBees

Everything about this legendary VeeBees track sums up every Aussie bloke ever. Whether you’re a bushman, businessman or muso-journo-man the lights of the local drive thru bottlo is like a lighthouse in a storm, beckoning you to come in from the harsh cold of the working week and pick up some much needed refreshments.

If Your Dad Doesn’t Have a Beard, You’ve Got Two Mums – The Beards

Masculinity in Australia can be boiled down to a few simple things; beer, footy, cars and body hair. If you can specialise in at least two of these things you can make the transition from a mere male to ‘bloke’. Let’s be honest, being a man doesn’t necessarily entail these things, but the beard and the Aussie bloke have had a close relationship in our culture, perhaps even closer than Vegemite and toast. Regardless, the myth of masculinity in the Australian narrative is a complex one, so it’s fun to see The Beards take the piss.

Scent of My Youth – You Beauty

From the very Australian band name right down to the Parramatta Eels jersey Sydney’s You Beauty really know how to capture the Aussie spirit in the most normal circumstances. If you haven’t listened to their pub rock opera that is Jersey Flegg make sure you do so, it’s an incredible tale of a foooty player’s rise, fall and redemption in the 1990s. What can be more Aussie than footy?

Friday On My Mind – The Easybeats

“Working for the weekend” should be a line in our national anthem. Well, considering no one really knows the words to the phantom second verse the chorus from this Easybeats classic can easily suffice.

Still Call Australia Home – Peter Allen

Speaking of our dear Aussie anthem this song could easily take that spot with very little fuss or objection from the people. And while this song does belong to Peter Allen, it’s Qantas’ epic, children’s choir version that really tugs at the green and gold heartstrings.

My People – The Presets

I love this song. The dark, heavy synths. That bass that just pulses through every fibre of your being. But the thing that amazes me the most is how the meaning of the lyrics has been lost on so many. In case you weren’t aware, the song was written by Julian Hamilton about refugees in detention centres. Go ahead, look at the lyrics, it’s been staring you in the face all this time. Once on the streets of Sydney I overheard two teenage Caucasian girls saying this song was about their lives and how they love to party. No, just, fucking no.

I Am Woman – Helen Reddy

There isn’t much I need to say about this one. Never have I heard a track that is so empowering and I’m proud it came form an Australian.

National Anthem of STRAYA – Coach Bombay

I love this. You love this. We all love this. Nuff’ said.

Shake It Off – Taylor Swift

Never in recent memory can I remember seeing so many people getting swept up in so much debate. Should old mate Swifty be allowed to enter the Hottest 100 countdown? Is she stealing the spotlight from more deserving Aussie artists? Well, that’s democracy for ya kids. Everyone’s given a fair go and yet we still have the time and energy to invest in such a trivial argument. The Hottest 100 is sacred, and if the song makes the countdown it’ll no doubt inspire some much inspired discussions around the barbie.

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▲ THE BEARDS YOU BEAUTY THE PRESETS