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  • 2 days ago
Come Around was written by Martin Plaza and appeared on the 1980 album Espresso Bongo by Mental As Anything.

Music video directed by Peter Cox.

Mental As Anything were a legendary band from Sydney, Australia. The members met at art school, and each was a visual artist as well as a musician. Guitarist Reg Mombassa also became widely known in Australia for his iconic artwork for the surfwear brand Mambo. Even if the band is unfamiliar to you, their reach was remarkable: Elton John bought their artwork in the 1980s, and Elvis Costello produced one of their singles.

The band’s creative and commercial peak stretched across the entire 1980s, when they were a dominant presence on the Australian charts. If you’re from the Northern Hemisphere, you may know their song “Live It Up”, which featured in the film Crocodile Dundee.

The Mentals were a little New Wave, mostly Pop Rock, and always full of flair, humour, and charm. They had a rare gift for writing catchy songs, delivering them both live and on record with fine musicianship and a style that was entirely their own.

In 2026, a brilliant documentary about the band was released called Live It Up: The Mental As Anything Story. It is well worth your time and makes a terrific entry point into the colourful world of Mental As Anything.

The Mentals were:

Martin Plaza — lead vocals, guitar
Wayne DeLisle — drums
Reg Mombassa — guitar, vocals
Greedy Smith — lead vocals, keyboards, harmonica
Peter O’Doherty — bass guitar, vocals

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Music
Transcript
00:05You know where I can be found
00:10I don't see why you don't come around
00:18I have my own life
00:21And now I'm sure that you have many things to do
00:44I know I shouldn't make things harder for you
00:51Than they already are
00:56And I wouldn't lose any sleep if you don't come on over
01:05In your car
01:08So why don't you come around sometime
01:16Well, you know I'm usually here
01:23To leave all that bitter death as high
01:27I promise I'll try not to leave
01:49Things are moving so quickly
01:54I feel like I'm really losing touch
02:02Seeing you reminds me of days when nothing really mattered
02:10Very much so
02:15Why don't you come around sometime
02:21Well, you know I'm usually here
02:28To leave all that bitter death behind
02:34I promise I'll try not to leave
03:00I promise I'll try not to leave
03:01I promise I'll try not to leave
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