Play It Safe is a musical journey from nervous conformity to joyful riot.

Australian satirist, songwriter and lyricist Tim Minchin embodies the listener’s cautious inner voice, imploring us to toe the line and keep it simple – but all the while, winking at what’s possible if we're brave enough not to listen.

While Tim directs us to play it safe, the pace and tone of music itself start to reveal the irony within the song, as the music becomes more passionate, urgent and joyous, and it becomes clear the musicians as well as feature artists are in on the joke.

Cameo appearances from the Opera House’s eight resident companies, as well as a host of treasured Australian performers, lend their voice to the song’s message, all advocates and exemplars of what’s possible when you ignore that inner voice and dare to be original.

It was a simple, daunting brief: create a musical tribute worthy of the Sydney Opera House. (Where do you begin celebrating a House that means so much to so many?)

The task also required us to:

Nod to the past but celebrate the future.

Our solution needed to acknowledge the rich legacy of the Sydney Opera House, while also shining a spotlight on the bright future of Australian creativity.

Incorporate each of the Sydney Opera House’s resident companies:

The Sydney Symphony Orchestra, The Australian Ballet, Bangarra, The Sydney Theatre Company, Bell Shakespeare, The Sydney Philharmonia Choir, Opera Australia, The Australian Chamber Orchestra.

Make people feel like the House belongs to them.

There’s a common misconception that the Sydney Opera House is elitist, or “not for people like me.” Though whatever we created needed to be artful, it also needed to speak to every Australian.

There are two Australias.

On the one hand, there’s the enduring myth of the larrikin. The cheerful, charming iconoclast who delights in challenging convention; the modern Ned Kelly with anti-authoritarian convict blood pumping through their heart. The one who’ll never let the rules get in the way of what’s right, and who’ll break rank with a cheeky smile on their face. Bold, brave, brash. This is how Australia likes to see itself.

On the other hand, though, there’s the real Australia. The nervous, conservative country defined by the phenomenon known as ‘Tall Poppy Syndrome’. If anyone becomes too bold, too outspoken, too successful – if any poppy grows too tall – we are quick to cut them down to size. We’re suspicious, often resentful, of anyone who breaks rank or challenges convention. Though it was born of noble, egalitarian ambitions, Tall Poppy Syndrome has created a culture that encourages playing it safe and leaving conventions unchallenged.

Australia’s cultural identity is a contradiction – we’re defined by a love of boldness, until we actually see it.

We wanted to appeal to Australia’s best side by taking aim at its worst, and our choice of lead artist and songwriter was key to delivering our message.

Tim Minchin is an internationally renowned Australian comedian, provocateur and songwriter. A passionate advocate of the arts and challenging the status quo, we knew Tim’s experience as an artist would give him a unique perspective on resisting conformity and creating provocative work that lives on in culture.

Since its release on YouTube, Social and as an original song on Spotify, Play It Safe has made Australians laugh, cry, and burst with pride.

It was covered widely, locally and internationally, landing 662 stories in top-tier publications across TV, radio, digital and print media.

Play It Safe achieved a total campaign reach of 1.8 billion people globally – well beyond client expectations.

You gotta keep it simple

Life is like a song

There are tunes that folk are used to

So if you want ‘em to sing along

Just keep it simple

You oughta play it safe

Life is just a game

People like the rules as written

So just give ‘em more of the same

No one likes a smartarse

(No one likes a smartarse)

No one likes it complicated

(You gotta keep it simple)

If you wanna go the distance

Find the path of least resistance

And just take it

You don’t want to stick your neck out

(You don’t want to stick your neck out)

They’ll take your head off if you do

(They’re gonna rip your head off)

Just sit up the back and judge others

(Hey, sit down!)

It’ll keep ‘em from judging you

(If you’re too hard to stomach,

you’ll never amount to nothing

Ain’t that something?

No one cares what you have to say )

You gotta play the role you’re cast in

(All the world’s a stage)

You see all the world’s a stage

(And all the men and women merely players)

So just say the lines you’re given

exactly as they’re written

And for god’s sake, act your age

No one likes a show-off

No one likes a clown

Just make sure you don’t stand out in the crowd

That way they can’t cut you down

You gotta build your walls around you

(Build your walls around you)

You build ‘em straight and make ‘em square

(Build them straight and square)

That way you’ll blend in with the background

That way no-one will point and stare

(No one will point and stare!)

You gotta stick to your convictions

(Stick to your convictions!)

You gotta nail down your views

(Nail ‘em down!)

You wanna steer clear of the discomfort you feel

when ya walk in another person’s shoes

(You don’t need that!)

You gotta work out who your team is

Then wear the badge with pride

Find a box that makes ya comfortable

And then stay the heck inside

On the first day the Lord gave you television

(Lord gave you television)

On the next he delivered a couch

(He delivers!)

Tell me how do you explain all this content

If the universe wanted you out and about?

Toe the line, don your suit

Hide your truth, wipe your tears

Don’t cause trouble, find your bubble

Stick to black and white ideas

Play it safe, know your place,

Know your lines, know your limits

Find a doctrine, get it locked in,

Build a box and stay in it

Toe the line, don your suit

Hide your truth, wipe your tears

Don’t cause trouble, find your bubble

Stick to black and white ideas

Play it safe, keep it beige,

Keep it simple and same-ish

Leave the weird ideas to the Danish

(To the weird old Danish)

(Yeah)

You gotta play it safe

Your mind is like a house

If you keep it locked up tight

You just might keep the world out

With a diatribe on creative bravery as our brief, we enlisted the help of Australian satirist and songwriter Tim Minchin to write a musical tribute – not just to the House itself, but the spirit of bravery it symbolizes.

The resulting song: ‘Play it Safe’ includes performances and creative input from each of the Sydney Opera House’s eight resident companies, spanning dance, choir, theatre and classical.

Also featured are a broad range of treasured Australian performers, chosen for their creative bravery and their role in the rich legacy or bright future of the House: Jimmy Barnes, Ziggy Ramo, William Barton, Courtney Act, Kira Puru, Cathy-Di Zhang, and actor John Bell.

Starting quiet, safe and square in keeping with the song’s opening message, the music eventually breaks lockstep with the literal meaning of the lyrics to become a richly layered, playful and joyous celebration comprised of over 800 separate audio recordings.