Written by Colin Hay around 1979, with lyrics added in 1981, "Who Can It Be Now?" is the opening track and lead single from Men at Work's debut album Business as Usual. Hay composed the music while living in a tree house he built with his girlfriend in Bermagui, southern New South Wales, and the lyrics were later inspired by his experiences in a St Kilda apartment next door to drug dealers, where strangers constantly knocked on his door, generating a feeling of paranoia about unwanted visitors. The song is built around a quirky, memorable new wave melody with a haunting quality, driven by a raised fifth in the chorus that creates tension and unease. Greg Ham's iconic saxophone hook, originally placed mid-song in live performances, was moved to the introduction at producer Peter McIan's suggestion, becoming one of the most instantly recognizable riffs in 1980s pop. Ham's saxophone solo was itself a one-take improvisation captured during rehearsal. The single won Best Debut Single at the 1981 Countdown Australian Music Awards and reached number one in both Australia and the United States. On AllSolos, Ham's tenor saxophone work on the original Business as Usual recording is featured. Hay has continued performing the song as a solo artist, often reflecting on his late bandmate Greg Ham, who passed away in 2012.
