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.
Droptank
Hunters & Collectors Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The hubcap of this life
Is in that contraption on the corner
We're loading lots of useless things
Into that contraption on the corner
And everything depends upon how far away I get
Yes everything depends upon how far away I get
Halo Payload
When the cargo hits the ground
Oh weak spirit come to save me
When the cargo hits the ground
Halo Payload
The song "Droptank" by Australian rock band Hunters & Collectors features the lyrics "Halo Payload / The hubcap of this life / Is in that contraption on the corner / We're loading lots of useless things / Into that contraption on the corner." Here, the "Halo Payload" may refer to a divine or spiritual entity that is meant to save the singer when their life falls apart. The "hubcap of this life" could be a metaphor for something that is only superficially valuable, like a decorative accessory on a car. The "contraption on the corner" is likely a reference to a drop tank or a storage tank used by aircraft or other vehicles, where the singer is loading his belongings.
As the singer or narrator emphasizes that "everything depends upon how far away I get," the lyrics suggest a desire to distance oneself from material possessions and even from the world as it is. The lines "Big spirit come to save me / When the cargo hits the ground / Oh weak spirit come to save me / When the cargo hits the ground" reflect this feeling of fragility and the need for spiritual guidance in uncertain times.
The song can be interpreted as a critique of materialism and consumer culture. The use of the term "useless things" speaks to the idea that we often accumulate possessions that don't actually make us happier or improve our lives. The contrast between "big spirit" and "weak spirit" suggests that the singer is seeking something more profound than what mere possessions can provide.
Line by Line Meaning
Halo Payload
The chorus of the song, possibly referring to the spiritual or emotional weight carried by the singer
The hubcap of this life
A metaphor for the mundane aspects of life and society
Is in that contraption on the corner
Referring to a physical object representative of societal norms and conformity
We're loading lots of useless things
The artist is critical of the materialism and consumerism of society
Into that contraption on the corner
Reiterating the emphasis on societal norms and conformity
And everything depends upon how far away I get
Distance from conformity and society is important for the singer's well-being and autonomy
Yes everything depends upon how far away I get
Restating the importance of distance and independence for the singer
Big spirit come to save me
A plea for a higher power or force to guide and protect the artist
When the cargo hits the ground
A metaphor for the negative consequences of societal norms and conformity
Oh weak spirit come to save me
The artist recognizes their own vulnerability and need for help
Contributed by Eliana R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.