| "Up There Cazaly" | |
|---|---|
 Cover of the 1983 reissue | |
| Single byThe Two-Man Band | |
| B-side | "The Winner's March (Instrumental)" |
| Released | 1979 |
| Genre | Novelty song,pop rock |
| Length | 2:40 |
| Label | Fable |
| Songwriter(s) | Mike Brady |
| Producer(s) | Peter Sullivan |
"Up There Cazaly" is 1979 song byMike Brady, written to promoteChannel Seven's coverage of theVictorian Football League (VFL). It was first performed by the Two-Man Band, a duo of Brady and Peter Sullivan, and has since become an unofficial anthem ofAustralian rules football.
The title refers to early-20th-century ruckmanRoy Cazaly. Known for his prodigious leap, Cazaly formed a famous ruck combination withSouth Melbourne teammatesFred "Skeeter" Fleiter andMark "Napper" Tandy. It was ruck-rover Fleiter who was the first to call "Up there, Cazaly!" when the ruckman flew for the ball. The catchcry was soon adopted by South Melbourne supporters and eventually entered theAustralian lexicon as a common phrase of encouragement.
Released independently on Fable Records, the song became the highest-selling Australian single ever, with sales of over 240,000 as of October 1979[1] and 260,000 by the end of 1980.[2] It held this record until February 1981 whenJoe Dolce's "Shaddap You Face" sold more than 290,000 units.[2]
At the Australian1979TV Week/Countdown Music Awards, the song was nominated for Most Popular Australian Single.[3]
"Up there, Cazaly!" was used as a battle cry by Australian troops duringWorld War II.[4] It has been noted that Cazaly's distinctive surname most likely contributed to the phrase's enduring popularity. As one journalist noted, "'Up there, McKinnon' might not have taken off".[5]
Australian dramatistRay Lawler included the phrase in his 1955 playSummer of the Seventeenth Doll when he had heroine Nancy use it on several occasions, most notably in a telegram with marked dramatic effect: "Up there, Cazaly. Lots of Love. Nance."[6]
In 1979, VFL starRon Barassi described the track as "one of VFL football's real success stories" of the year, and opined that it was "destined to go down in football history."[7] Ian Warden, a columnist forThe Canberra Times, reported that he found himself singing the "banal confection" to himself all day, and that it had "somehow made it to the summit of my subconscious Top Twenty, triumphing overthe greatest hits ofWagner and ofBerlioz. It is all too sinister."[8]
When asked which Australian song he would most like to cover,Spiderbait memberKram chose "Up There Cazaly", "because it's the 'Bohemian Rhapsody' of footy songs".[9]
In an essay on her love–hate relationship with Australian football, comedianCatherine Deveny considers "Up There Cazaly" to be "schmaltzy" and "formulaic", but also gives it reluctant praise: "The cloying lyrics and emotionally manipulative music would invoke involuntary goosebumps, teary eyes and a subsequent feeling of embarrassment. The rousing chord progressions, choirs in full flight, strings in octaves and timpani created a confected majesty that tapped into our animal brains."[10]
When the South Melbourne Football Club relocated to Sydney as the rebrandedSydney Swans in 1982, the club changed its song to a rewritten version of "Up There Cazaly" entitled "Up There for Sydney". The song was poorly received and the club soon reverted to its original song, "Cheer, Cheer the Red and the White".[11]
In 1991,Collingwood greatLou Richards released ahip hop version of "Up There Cazaly" under his nickname Louie the Lip. It peaked at number 105 in Australia; a music video was also made for the song, although its whereabouts, if copies still exist, is unknown.[12][13] On his 2007 albumThe World's Most Popular Pianist Plays Down Under Favorites, French pianistRichard Clayderman included a medley composed of "Up There Cazaly", "Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport" and "A Pub With No Beer".
"Up There Cazaly" is featured in the1980 film adaptation ofDavid Williamson's playThe Club.[14]
In 1981,Ian Turner and Leonie Sandercock published a history of the VFL titledUp Where, Cazaly?: The Great Australian Game.
In an episode of the 1997 documentary seriesRace Around the World, "Up There Cazaly" is played over footage ofJohn Safran streaking throughJerusalem inSt Kilda colours.[15]
You Am I vocalistTim Rogers performed the song on a 2001 episode ofThe Footy Show. "Up There Calisi" is a satirical song released byTISM bassistJock Cheese on his 2002 solo albumPlatter.Australian Idol finalistShannon Noll gave his own rendition of the song at the 2011North Melbourne Grand Final Breakfast.
In 2014,Andrew Hansen of the comedy groupThe Chaser wrote a new version of "Up There Cazaly" forFox Footy.[16]
In 2016,Australia Post launched a television advertising campaign set to a cover version of "Up There Cazaly", sung by people from different backgrounds in their own cultural style. It was affiliated with the AFL's Multicultural Round.[17]
In 1982, "Up There Cazaly" was rewritten and released as "Up There Old England" byCliff Portwood. Brady flew to England to help Portwood record the song but it was never released, due to the B side having a portion of "Land of Hope and Glory" on it, creating a licensing issue just as it was getting major airtime on the radio.
The song is used as the walkout tune forTonbridge Angels Football Club in theUnited Kingdom. The melody is also used for a fan chant byDerby County F.C. supporters, with the title lyrics changed to "Steve Bloomer's Watchin'".
| Chart (1979) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[18] | 1 |
| Chart (1999) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[19] | 78 |
| Chart (1979) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[18][20] | 13 |
