"Who Can It Be Now?" is a song by Australian band Men at
Work. It was the second single and first track from their 1981
debut album,
Business as Usual. "Who Can It Be Now?" was first
released as a single in Australia in June 1981, prior to the
recording of the rest of the album. The track peaked at #2 on
the Australian singles chart in August that year and went on to
reach #1 in the USA and #45 in the UK in 1982. As one of Men at
Work's biggest hits, it was featured on their later compilation
albums, and a live version can be found on
Brazil.
The lyrics of "Who Can It Be Now?" feature the narrative of
a reclusive, perhaps paranoid man who hears knocking at his
house door and wishes to be left in solitude. The presence of a
"childhood friend" is mentioned, and the bridge lyrics give the
impression that the narrator fears once again being taken away
to a mental institution. Musically, the song features prominent
saxophone lines and a mid tempo beat. Its chorus vocals, which
make up the song title, feature a melody that is echoed through
saxophone in a call and response fashion. The second chorus
pushes the anxious lyrics further and becomes flush with vocal
harmony.
"Who Can It Be Now?" remains a popular symbol of New Wave
music and has been featured on numerous 1980s compilations. The
song appears on the game
Karaoke Revolution Partyand can be heard in "I Don't
Wanna Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," an episode of
The Simpsons. David Fricke of
Rolling Stonecommended it by noting "Ham's blowsy sax
and the rousing chorus of voices raised in alcoholic harmony
spark the rugged boogie of 'Who Can It Be Now?'" Allmusic's
Stephen Thomas Erlewine called the song an "excellent single
that merged straight-ahead pop/rock hooks with a quirky New
Wave production and an offbeat sense of humor." Heather Phares
reviewed the song specifically and summed up by saying "In
keeping with current trends but just quirky enough to be
instantly memorable, the song seems custom-built for repeated
play; it's easy to see why it became one of 1982's biggest
hits, as well as a definitive New Wave single."