You know that opening riff. It’s a dry, jittery saxophone line that sounds like anxiety caught on tape. It's the kind of sound that makes you want to peek through the blinds of your front window just to make sure no one is standing there. If you’ve ever found yourself humming that catchy, paranoid hook and wondering who sings the song who can it be now, the answer is the Australian New Wave powerhouse Men at Work.
Lead singer Colin Hay is the voice behind the madness.
His vocal performance is legendary for a reason. He doesn't just sing the lyrics; he sounds genuinely stressed out. When he belts out the chorus, he captures that specific brand of 1980s suburban dread that felt both quirky and deeply relatable. It wasn't just another pop song. It was a character study.
The Men at Work Era: More Than Just a One-Hit Wonder
In the early '80s, the music industry was undergoing a massive shift. Synths were taking over, but there was still a massive craving for "real" instruments played with a bit of an edge. Men at Work filled that gap perfectly. Formed in Melbourne in 1978, the band consisted of Colin Hay, Greg Ham (the man responsible for that iconic sax and flute work), Ron Strykert, John Rees, and Jerry Speiser.
They weren't your typical polished pop stars.
They looked like guys you’d see at a local pub. This "everyman" quality helped them explode globally. By the time their debut album, Business as Usual, hit the shelves in late 1981 (and 1982 in the US), they were an unstoppable force. "Who Can It Be Now?" was actually the lead single that paved the way for the even more massive "Down Under." People often forget that this track reached Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 before the vegemite sandwich song even took over the airwaves.
Honestly, the success of the song is a bit of a fluke if you look at the lyrics. It’s dark. It’s about a guy who is clearly having a breakdown, refusing to open his door, and begging for a "childhood friend" or anyone else to just leave him alone. It’s a song about social exhaustion and paranoia, yet it became a global anthem for people to dance to.
Breaking Down the Colin Hay Sound
What makes Colin Hay's voice so distinctive? It’s that rasp. It’s the way he can jump from a low, rhythmic mumble in the verses to a piercing, high-register plea in the chorus. He has this Scottish-Australian hybrid accent that gives his vowels a unique shape.
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He moved from Scotland to Australia as a teenager. That's why he doesn't sound like your standard American or British rock singer. There’s a grit there. If you listen to the live acoustic versions he performs today, you can hear that his voice has only gotten richer with age. He still hits those notes, but there’s a weary wisdom to it now that makes the song feel even more poignant.
The Mystery of the Saxophone
You can't talk about who sings the song who can it be now without giving massive credit to the late Greg Ham. While Hay provided the lyrics and the melody, Ham provided the soul of the track.
That saxophone solo isn't just a solo. It's a conversation.
The sax acts as the "intruder" or the voice inside the narrator's head. It’s sharp, slightly dissonant, and incredibly catchy. In the music video—which is a masterpiece of low-budget 80s surrealism—Ham is seen playing in various rooms, stalking through the house, embodying the very paranoia the lyrics describe.
Sadly, Greg Ham passed away in 2012. His death was a massive blow to the legacy of the band, especially after the legal troubles surrounding the flute riff in "Down Under." But whenever you hear that opening blast on the radio, you're hearing Ham's most enduring contribution to music history. He made the saxophone cool in an era where it was often used for cheesy ballads. This was different. This was rock and roll sax.
Why the Song Hit Number One
It’s easy to look back and say, "Oh, it was just the 80s," but the competition in 1982 was fierce. We’re talking about the era of Michael Jackson’s Thriller, Hall & Oates, and The Police.
So, why did a band from Melbourne with a song about hiding in a dark room win?
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- MTV Synergy: The music video was played on a loop. Colin Hay’s expressive, wide-eyed face was perfect for the television screen. He looked like he was actually losing it.
- Relatability: Everyone has had a moment where the doorbell rings and they just... don't want to answer it.
- The Hook: It is an undeniable earworm. Once that chorus hits, it stays in your brain for three days minimum.
The song officially hit the top of the US charts in October 1982. It stayed there for a week, proving that American audiences were hungry for the "Aussie Invasion." Men at Work became the first Australian act to have a Number 1 album and a Number 1 single simultaneously in the United States. That is a massive achievement that very few artists—Australian or otherwise—have ever touched.
Misconceptions and Cover Versions
Sometimes people get the band confused with other New Wave acts. Because of the quirky vibes, I’ve heard people attribute the song to The Cars or even Split Enz. But make no mistake, this is pure Men at Work.
Over the years, the song has been covered by various artists, though nobody quite captures the frantic energy of the original. From punk bands to jazz ensembles, the structure of the song is so solid that it works in almost any genre. There’s even a famous parody by "Weird Al" Yankovic called "I Can't Watch This," which used the melody to complain about bad television. If Weird Al parodies you, you know you’ve truly made it in the cultural zeitgeist.
Interestingly, Colin Hay has maintained a very successful solo career since the band's heyday. He’s often joked that he’s "the man who used to be in Men at Work." He found a whole new generation of fans when his music was featured heavily on the TV show Scrubs. Actor and director Zach Braff is a huge fan, and Hay even appeared as a wandering troubadour in one of the episodes.
While he played "Overkill" in that specific episode, it reminded everyone that the guy who sings the song who can it be now is a world-class songwriter and storyteller.
The Darker Side of the Lyrics
If you actually sit down and read the lyrics without the upbeat music, it’s a pretty heavy experience.
"Make no noise, but steady lad."
"I’m tellin’ you, I’m not at home."
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The narrator is clearly struggling. Some fans have theorized the song is about agoraphobia or even a psychotic break. Hay has mentioned in interviews that the song was inspired by his time living in a complex where people would often knock on his door by mistake, looking for someone else. He just wanted peace. He wanted to be left alone to create.
That real-world frustration turned into a masterpiece of tension. The line "Is it the man come to take me away?" adds a layer of genuine fear. Are they taking him to jail? To a psychiatric ward? The song never tells us. We are left trapped in the room with him, listening to the knocking.
Technical Brilliance in the Studio
The production on the track is incredibly "dry."
What I mean by that is there isn't a lot of reverb or echo. The drums are tight and right in your ear. The guitar has a clean, biting tone. This was a departure from the "big" drum sounds that would define the mid-to-late 80s (think Phil Collins). By keeping the production sparse, the tension remains high.
Peter McIan, the producer of the album, deserves a lot of credit here. He managed to capture the band’s live energy while making it sound radio-friendly. The recording of the saxophone, in particular, captures the breathiness of the instrument, making it feel human and tactile.
Actionable Steps for Fans and Collectors
If you're looking to dive deeper into the world of Men at Work or Colin Hay, don't just stop at the greatest hits. There is a lot of gold to be found.
- Check out the album 'Business as Usual': Don't just stream the singles. Tracks like "Underground" and "Touching the Untouchables" show a more experimental side of the band that explains how they arrived at the sound of "Who Can It Be Now?"
- Watch 'Man @ Work': There is a great documentary about Colin Hay’s life and career. It covers the rise of the band, the crushing legal battles, and his eventual rebirth as a solo artist. It’s an essential watch for any music nerd.
- Listen to Colin Hay's Solo Acoustic Versions: Search for his live performances on YouTube. Hearing "Who Can It Be Now?" played on just an acoustic guitar strips away the 80s production and reveals just how strong the actual songwriting is.
- Vinyl Hunting: If you're a collector, try to find an original 1982 pressing. Because the album was so popular, there are plenty of copies in bargain bins, and they usually sound fantastic due to the high-quality mastering of that era.
The song remains a staple of classic rock radio for a reason. It captures a universal feeling of wanting to withdraw from the world, set to a beat that makes you want to do the exact opposite. Colin Hay’s voice is the anchor, Greg Ham’s sax is the soul, and the result is a piece of pop perfection that hasn't aged a day since 1981.
Next time you hear that knocking on the door in the song, you'll know exactly who's on the other side of the mic. It’s a band that defined a decade and a singer who managed to turn a panic attack into a global phenomenon.
Next Steps for Your Playlist: Go back and listen to the song again, but this time, focus entirely on the bassline during the verses. It's much more complex than you remember. After that, queue up Colin Hay's "Waiting for My Real Life to Begin" to see the incredible range of the man who gave us the 80s' most famous paranoid anthem.