When the video of Milkshake Man was released, some Eurofans had questions about dairy-related culture in Australia. Troy from the Aussievision team has some answers and unexpected connections.
Picture this. It’s 1994. You’re nine. It’s 37 degrees Celsius in late December. A storm is brewing in the distance and the humidity hangs heavy in the still air.
You’re stood in the middle of a scorching, empty suburban road in front of a bin with wickets painted on its side. Sweat drips down your forehead.
The neighbourhood kids mill around “fielding,” trampling perfectly manicured lawns.
Your grip tightens on the cricket bat.
Your best mate and cricket nemesis rubs a worn-out tennis ball on his grubby shorts, preparing to deliver a devastating fast ball to you. Just as he begins his run up… you all hear it… faint in the distance.
Daaaa dada dada daaaa da da.
Everyone stops dead, heads turning straining to hear. ICE-CREAM!
The van lumbers up the street, enticingly slow. The same ageless tune you’ve heard every time you’ve scored an ice-cream radiates sweetly from its loudspeaker – Greensleeves.
You toss the cricket bat onto the nearest patch of grass and run.
The kids scatter. “MUM! I need two dollars! MUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUMMMM!!!!!!!”
Greensleeves – a Pavlovian association with ice-cream
The “daaaa dada dada daaaa da da” of the 16th Century ballad, Greensleeves, is deeply engrained in Australia’s cultural fabric.
Some fans online showing some confusion of the link between the song and our entry this year, so here is an explanation.
It’s association with ice-cream vans runs back to the early 1960s when British company, Mr Whippy, imported 10 vans and brought with it its signature chime: a mechanical music box version of Greensleeves.
Over a short period of time the association became so strong that even independent ice-cream trucks adopted the tune, making it the unofficial soundtrack of summer afternoons.
The melody itself dates back to the end of the medieval period in England and is often attributed to King Henry VIII. Supposedly he wrote it for his lover and future Queen Anne Boleyn.
Sadly though, this is thought to be a myth. Some evidence suggests it was actually penned by another (as yet anonymous) composer in an Italian style not present in England until after the many-wived King’s death.
Greensleeves has now taken on a uniquely Australian cultural significance – play it for any Aussie and they will immediately salivate and think of ice-cream.
Milkshake Man instantly summons these fun summer images with the smallest of hints to the iconic Greensleeves melody at its opening, readying us for the raucous romp set to rep Australia in Basel.
Oh yeah, ice-cream vans in Australia sell milkshakes!
A nod to ice-cream truck vendors everywhere, Milkshake Man’s visuals drip with nostalgia for this iconic Australian image of summer.
The pink and white van in Go-Jo’s video, with its classic vintage sign-writing and customary service window, will be instantly recognisable to almost all Aussies.
But where do the milkshakes come in? Some Eurovision fans outside Australia were confused .
Most ice-cream vans in Australia also sell milkshakes!
For decades, these lactose-laden libations were almost exclusively sold in these classic takeaway cups from your local milk bar (called a Milko in old-school Aussie slang) and from ice-cream vans, especially by the beach, carnivals and most commonly on suburb streets.
A milkshake from an ice-cream van was a rare treat as they were usually a bit more expensive than the standard soft-serve cone, which is all you could often afford with your spare change as a kid.
We predict lots of milkshakes at Eurovision parties down under as Aussies back Go-Jo for the rarest of treats -- a Eurovision win.
For continued updates on all the Eurovision Song Contest news follow us on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, Threads, Bluesky and Instagram. All links at: https://linktr.ee/aussievisionnet