5 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart; and top 10 in Canada, Ireland, and Norway.

The song was a departure from the group's style of reggae-influenced pop rock, featuring a melancholic feel musically and lyrically.

"Overkill" was written by Men at Work frontman Colin Hay, who described the song as being about "stepping into the unknown."

Because you spend a lot of years trying to get something - for example, fame or recognition - or getting to a certain point, and then when you actually achieve it, there's always a certain amount of fear that comes with that.

[2] Despite recording having been completed in mid-1982, Cargo's release was held back due to the international commercial success of the band's 1981 debut album, Business as Usual.

American alternative rock band Lazlo Bane covered the song and originally released it as a b-side of their debut single "Buttercup" on Fish of Death Records.

The song was recorded with participation of Colin Hay, who plays guitar on the track and sings the last verse solely and last chorus together with Chad Fischer.

Lazlo Bane's music video, directed by Mark Miremont[24] and also featuring Hay, was released 28 May 1997 and eventually entered MTV2's Top 10 of the 1997.