Australians love an anthem and as our national day on Jan. 26 rolls a little closer, a bit of well-edited patriotism is in order.
Coach Bombay, the music brainchild of Melbourne songsmith Terry Mann, squashed a perfect compilation of Australian culture into a 2:34 music video titled: "National Anthem of STRAYA". The piece is a salute to everything the rest of the world should be deeply jealous of, set to the music of Outkast's tune "Hey Ya."
"You can't pin down Australia in one or two easy stereotypes," Mann told Mashable. "There's so much to it. Such a wide range of landscapes, wildlife, people and lifestyles. Put it all together and it makes no sense. But somehow, it's just bloody great."
Mann said he chose the song for an Australia Day anthem because of its simplicity. "I don’t think any other song could possibly work as well as it hinges on that basic play on words," Mann said.
It features backyard cricket, Kylie Minogue, iconic landmarks, The Wiggles, venomous animals, VB, Steve Irwin and many more Australianisms. But unlike most YouTube videos highlighting Australian stereotypes, this anthem has class and style and makes you feel proud to call Australia home.
Mann said he achieved this by hijacking the "Straya" expression (often used to promote negative stereotypes) and turned it on its head, using "something that's positive and celebratory - without having a dig at our culture or focussing on the negatives."
Forget "Waltzing Matilda," "STRAYA" takes the unofficial anthem cake.