“Australia” is a song by American Indie Rock band The Shins. The song was released as the second single via Sub Pop from their third studio album Wincing the Night Away in the UK on April 9th, 2007.

Despite the name “Australia”, the song does not reference Australia at all.

“Australia” peaked at number 62 on April 21, 2007 on the UK Singles' Chart.

Critics reacted mostly positively to the song. Pitchfork Media commented that:

‘Australia’ is a peppy rocker in the spirit of Chutes' best, elevated by a newfound confidence and expressive range in Mercer’s voice."

This song philosophically ponders the meaning of human existence, and human potential. It looks at the inevitability of death, religion, finding love and old age. On the surface, the writer and lead vocals of this song, James Mercer reflect on the average office job:

That’s from my memories of working in offices. I’ve had a hundred different jobs, and there is a special kind of sickness doing a job in an office. I was a bookkeeper and a secretary, and there is something so horribly boring and defeating about it. "