Australia (song)

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“Australia”
Single by Manic Street Preachers from the album Everything Must Go
Released	December 2, 1996
Format	CD cassette
Recorded	?
Genre	Rock
Length	4:05
Label	Epic
Manic Street Preachers singles chronology
"Kevin Carter" (1996) "Australia" (1996) "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next" (1998)

"Australia" was released by Manic Street Preachers on December 2, 1996, and was the fourth single release from the Everything Must Go album of May that same year. The sentiment of the song is that Australia is just about the furthest one can go to get away from their home in Wales and is a metaphor for Nicky Wire's desire to escape from the emotional turmoil caused by the disappearance of his close friend and co-lyricist, Richey James Edwards.

The first CD included "Velocity Girl", "Take The Skinheads Bowling" and "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" (all three songs being cover versions of songs originally performed by Primal Scream, Camper Van Beethoven and Andy Williams, respectively), and the cassette featured a live recording of "A Design for Life". The lack of original Manics material for the single's extra tracks was attributed to Nicky Wire having a case of writers block, as he approached writing material for the band's next album. He put the block down to the fact that it was the first time he had written a whole album without Richey's help.

On December 14, "Australia" reached number seven in the UK charts, giving the Manics their fourth straight top ten hit. It also made an appearance as track number seven on Forever Delayed, the band's greatest hits album, released in November 2002.

The song was the theme tune to the Nickelodeon UK sitcom Renford Rejects and has also been used in adverts for the Australian Tourist Board.

Contents 1 Track listing 1.1 CD1 1.2 CD2 1.3 MC

[edit] Track listing

[edit] CD1

1. "Australia" (radio edit)
2. "Velocity Girl" (Primal Scream cover)
3. "Take The Skinheads Bowling" (Camper Van Beethoven cover)
4. "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" (Four Seasons cover)

[edit] CD2

1. "Australia" (radio edit)
2. "Australia" (Lion Rock Remix)
3. "Motorcycle Emptiness" (Stealth Sonic Orchestra Remix)
4. "Motorcycle Emptiness" (Stealth Sonic" Orchestra Soundtrack)

[edit] MC

1. "Australia" (radio edit)
2. "A Design For Life" (live)

v • d • e Manic Street Preachers James Dean Bradfield • Nicky Wire • Sean Moore Flicker (Miles Woodward)  • Richey James Edwards Studio albums "Generation Terrorists" (1992) • "Gold Against the Soul" (1993) • "The Holy Bible" (1994) • "Everything Must Go" (1996) • "This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours" (1998) • "Know Your Enemy" (2001) • "Lifeblood" (2004) • "Send Away the Tigers" (2007) Singles and EPs "Suicide Alley" (1989) • "New Art Riot EP" (1990) • "Motown Junk" (1991) • "You Love Us (Heavenly Version)" (1991) • "Feminine Is Beautiful" (1991) • "Stay Beautiful" (1991) • "Love's Sweet Exile/Repeat" (1991) • "You Love Us" (1991) • "Slash 'N' Burn" (1992) • "Motorcycle Emptiness" (1992) • "Little Baby Nothing" (1992) • "Theme From M*A*S*H (Suicide Is Painless)" (1992) • "From Despair To Where" (1993) • "La Tristesse Durera (Scream To A Sigh)" (1993) • "Roses In The Hospital" (1993) • "Life Becoming A Landslide EP" (1994) • "Faster/P.C.P." (1994) • "Revol" (1994) • "She Is Suffering" (1994) • "A Design for Life" (1996) • "Everything Must Go" (1996) • "Kevin Carter" (1996) • "Australia" (1996) • "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next" (1998) • "The Everlasting" (1998) • "You Stole The Sun From My Heart" (1999) • "Tsunami" (1999) • "The Masses Against The Classes" (2000) • "Found That Soul" (2001) • "So Why So Sad" (2001) • "Ocean Spray" (2001) • "Let Robeson Sing" (2001) • "There By The Grace Of God" (2002) • "The Love Of Richard Nixon" (2004) • "Empty Souls" (2005) • "Your Love Alone Is Not Enough" (2007) • "Autumnsong" (2007) • "Indian Summer" (2007) Promos "UK Channel Boredom" (1990) • "God Save The Manics EP" (2005) • " Underdogs" (2007) • "Ghost Of Christmas" (2007) Other releases "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head" (1995)  • "Know Our B-Sides" (2001)  • Leviathan" (2005)  • "The Instrumental" (2006) • "Umbrella" (2008) Compilation albums "Forever Delayed" (2002) • "Lipstick Traces" (2003) Box Sets "Six Singles from Generation Terrorists" (1997) Videos "Everything Live" (1997) • "Leaving the 20th Century" (2000) • "Louder Than War" (2001) • "Forever Delayed" (2002) Official book "Forever Delayed" (2002) Related articles Manic Street Preachers Discography Manic Street Preachers B-sides