After recording their first album, which featured the single Talking to a Stranger, the band traveled to Germany to record with famed producer Conny Plank. In 1984, the band reorganized, adding a three-piece horn section and losing the second guitarist. By 1986, the band's style was moving away from the sweat-drenched rhythmic jams of their early days to a more song-centered aproach centered on Seymour (whose younger brother Nick was a member of Crowded House). Throw Your Arms Around Me was a successful single in many countries.
The band was never able to match the worldwide attention they reached in 1986, though they continued to record with considerable success in Australia, and maintained a loyal fanbase elsewhere.
They broke up in 1998, but returned to play one concert on 14 March 2009 for "Sound Relief" at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which was a multi-venue rock music concert in support of relief for the Victorian Bushfire Crisis.
99th Home Position
Hunters & Collectors Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sleepin' at home all the time
And if the woman must be-
Out working all the time
No matter which
No matter which woman he has
And no matter how many-
How many men she has
They all gotta know - the 99th home position.
Do you wanna work?
Do you wanna be sanctified?
Do you wanna come around?
Do you wanna be right?
See you in the desert
See you in the town
Here's your precious life
Buried underground.
I can hear you singin'
Hear you comin' round.
Now you are lost -
Do you want to be found?
Do you want to be found?
Hear me call. Here me call.
Do you wanna know
The 99th home position.
Now the man must take her
Indoors all the time
And the woman must take him
Outdoors all the time.
No matter which
No matter which man she keeps
And no matter how long
No matter how long he sleeps
They all gotta go back to home position.
They all gotta know the 99th home position
The Hunters & Collectors song, "99th Home Position", is a commentary on societal expectations and gender roles. The lyrics speak to the traditional expectations placed on men and women in relationships, specifically the idea that men should be providers and women should be homemakers. The song's title refers to a military term for the standing place of a soldier during inspection. In the context of the song, it represents the conformist social norms that people are expected to fit into.
The first verse suggests that regardless of the woman or man's situation, they are expected to conform to societal expectations and return to their designated roles. The chorus repeatedly asks the question, "Do you wanna know the 99th home position?" which implies a sense of hopelessness and resignation, as if the characters in the song have accepted their fate and that there is no way out.
The second verse takes a darker turn, as the lyrics talk about the fleeting nature of life, and how we will all eventually end up buried underground. The lines "Do you wanna work? Do you wanna be sanctified? Do you wanna come around? Do you wanna be right?" suggest that these questions are being asked of either society or God, and again, the answer seems to lead back to the "99th home position."
In conclusion, "99th Home Position" is a somber commentary on the expectations placed on individuals by society, and how difficult it can be to break free from those expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
If the man must be- Sleeping' at home all the time
If the man is always stuck at home and does not pursue his ambitions.
And if the woman must be- Out working all the time
If the woman has to work tirelessly to make ends meet.
No matter which No matter which woman he has
It does not matter which woman he is with.
And no matter how many- How many men she has
It does not matter how many men she is with.
They all gotta go - back to home position
Regardless of their circumstances, they must return to their roots.
They all gotta know - the 99th home position.
They must remember their upbringing always.
Do you wanna work?
Do you want to be productive and contribute to society?
Do you wanna be sanctified?
Do you want to be purified and redeemed from your sins?
Do you wanna come around?
Do you want to come back to your origins and reconnect with them?
Do you wanna be right?
Do you want to be accurate and truthful?
See you in the desert
We will meet again one day.
See you in the town
We will see each other in a busy area of society.
Here's your precious life Buried underground.
Your life is passing you by while you are not using it to its full potential.
I can hear you singin'
I can hear you expressing yourself in a vocal or musical way.
Hear you comin' round.
I know you are on your way and will be here soon.
Now you are lost - Do you want to be found?
You have deviated from your path - do you want to come back to it?
Hear me call. Here me call.
Listen to me, pay attention to what I am saying.
Do you wanna know The 99th home position.
Do you want to know and understand your roots and where you come from?
Now the man must take her Indoors all the time
The situation has reversed, and now the man has to stay indoors while the woman is out.
And the woman must take him Outdoors all the time.
Likewise, the woman has to take the man out constantly.
No matter which No matter which man she keeps
It does not matter which man she is with.
And no matter how long No matter how long he sleeps
It does not matter how long the man sleeps.
They all gotta go back to home position.
They have to go back to their roots, regardless of their roles or circumstances.
They all gotta know the 99th home position.
They must always remember their origins and where they come from.
Contributed by Bella O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.