Australia (Manic Street Preachers song)

"Australia" was released by Manic Street Preachers on 2 December 1996 through Epic and was the fourth and final single release from the Everything Must Go album of May that same year. The song peaked on number 7 in the UK Singles Chart,^[1] and it was the fourth consecutive top 10 hit for the band.

Background

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 Edwards.^[2]

The music helps the lyrics convey the sense of freedom, featuring heavy guitar sound coupled with a raw emotion, and a crescendo bolstered by Sean Moore's drumming.^[3]

Release

On 14 December 1996, "Australia" reached number seven in the UK charts, giving the Manics their fourth consecutive top ten hit. It charted for 9 weeks in the UK charts. With this, all singles from Everything Must Go charted within the top 10 in the UK.^[1] It also made an appearance as track number seven on Forever Delayed, the band's greatest hits album, released in November 2002, however like many other songs, the single was edited in order to fit on the album, it has 3:42, while the album version has 4:05.^[4]

The first CD included "Velocity Girl", "Take the Skinheads Bowling" and "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" (all three being cover versions of songs originally performed by Primal Scream, Camper Van Beethoven and Frankie Valli, respectively) and the cassette featured a live recording of "A Design for Life". All 3 of the CD cover versions would later feature on the Lipstick Traces compilation album in 2003 (although "Take the Skinheads Bowling" was re-recorded).^[5] The lack of original Manics material for the single's extra tracks was attributed to Nicky Wire having a case of writer's block as he approached writing material for the band's next album. He attributed this to the fact that it was the first time he had written a whole album without Richey's help.^[6]

Legacy

In October 2011, NME placed "Australia" at number 150 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".^[7]

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.^[6]

Track listing

All music written by James Dean Bradfield and Sean Moore; except where indicated. All lyrics written by Nicky Wire; except where indicated.

CD one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Australia" (Radio edit)		3:41
2.	"Velocity Girl" (orig. by Primal Scream)	James Beattie, Robert Gillespie	1:41
3.	"Take the Skinheads Bowling" (orig. by Camper Van Beethoven)	Chris Molla, David Lowery, Greg Lisher, Victor Krummenacher	2:42
4.	"Can't Take My Eyes Off You" (orig. by Frankie Valli)	Bob Crewe, Robert Gaudio	3:12

CD two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Australia" (Radio edit)		3:41
2.	"Australia (Lionrock Remix)"		5:57
3.	"Motorcycle Emptiness (Stealth Sonic Orchestra Remix)"	Bradfield, Moore (music). Richey James, Wire (lyrics)	6:15
4.	"Motorcycle Emptiness (Stealth Sonic Orchestra Soundtrack)"	Bradfield, Moore (music). James, Wire (lyrics)	6:20

Cassette/7' jukebox vinyl
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Australia" (Radio edit)	3:41
2.	"A Design for Life (Live)"

Charts

Chart (1996)	Peak position
UK Singles Chart^[1]	7

References

1 2 3 "Manic Street Preachers - Official Single Charts". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
↑ Power, Martin (17 October 2010). Manic Street Preachers. Omnibus Press.
↑ "‘AUSTRALIA’".
↑ "Manic Street Preachers singles".
↑ "Manic Street Preachers albums".
1 2 Price 1998.
↑ "Best songs of the past 15 years".

External links

Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

Manic Street Preachers
James Dean Bradfield Sean Moore Nicky Wire Miles Woodward Richey Edwards
Studio albums	Generation Terrorists Gold Against the Soul The Holy Bible Everything Must Go This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours Know Your Enemy Lifeblood Send Away the Tigers Journal for Plague Lovers Postcards from a Young Man Rewind the Film Futurology
Compilation albums	Forever Delayed Lipstick Traces National Treasures – The Complete Singles
EPs	New Art Riot E.P. Life Becoming a Landslide E.P. Live EP - From the O2
Singles	"Suicide Alley" "Motown Junk" "You Love Us (Heavenly Version)" "Stay Beautiful" "Love's Sweet Exile"/"Repeat" "You Love Us" "Slash 'n' Burn" "Motorcycle Emptiness" "Theme from M.A.S.H. (Suicide Is Painless)" "Little Baby Nothing" "From Despair to Where" "La Tristesse Durera (Scream to a Sigh)" "Roses in the Hospital" "Faster" "Revol" "She Is Suffering" "A Design for Life" "Everything Must Go" "Kevin Carter" "Further Away" "Australia" "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next" "The Everlasting" "You Stole the Sun from My Heart" "Tsunami" "The Masses Against the Classes" "Found That Soul" "So Why So Sad" "Ocean Spray" "Let Robeson Sing" "There by the Grace of God" "The Love of Richard Nixon" "Empty Souls" "Underdogs" "Your Love Alone Is Not Enough" "Indian Summer" "(It's Not War) Just the End of Love" "Some Kind of Nothingness" "Postcards from a Young Man" "This Is the Day" "Show Me the Wonder" "Anthem for a Lost Cause" "Walk Me to the Bridge" "Futurology" "Together Stronger (C'mon Wales)"
Other songs	"4st 7lb" "Peeled Apples"
Video albums	Everything Live Leaving the 20th Century Louder Than War Forever Delayed
Related articles	Discography Music of Cardiff Culture, Alienation, Boredom and Despair

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