Hunters & Collectors were an Australian Rock band, formed in 1981 in Melbou… Read Full Bio ↴Hunters & Collectors were an Australian Rock band, formed in 1981 in Melbourne, who were originally influenced by German experimentalists like Can and later leaning more towards popular rock. Taking their name from a Can song, the band was formed by Mark Seymour (guitar, vocals), John Archer (bass), Doug Falconer (drums), Geoff Crosby (keyboards), Greg Perano (percussion), Ray Tosti-Gueira (guitar), and Robert Miles (sound engineer and art director, considered a full member).

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.

Everything's On Fire
Hunters & Collectors Lyrics

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If I don't come home before midnight
And I call out your name in the dark
You'll know that I've been tempted
And I'll know that I've got no heart
And I'll know I won't be expected
And you'll think we're drifting apart
And I might as well be blowing at the top of the world
When my fingers find your body in the dark

Everything's on fire
Everything's on fire
So if I don't come home before midnight
And I can't find the keyhole in the dark
Burn the place down
Make it glow like christmas
The tenderness that's burning in my heart
Everything's on fire
Everything's on fire...
If you can't open your eyes in the morning

If some maniac has been and left his mark
I'll be round to sift through the cinders
Lift the lid and take the thing apart
Everything's on fire
Everything's on fire
Everything's on fire
Everything's on fire...
So to all you feelers and fumblers
Waiting for the fireworks to start
Do it now--blow it up yourself
Unbutton the butcher in your heart
And if I don't come home before midnight
And I can't find the keyhole in the dark
You'll know, you'll know that I've been tempted

You'll know, you'll know we're drifting apart
Everything's on fire (x12)

Overall Meaning

In this song, Hunters & Collectors explore the theme of infidelity and the guilt and consequences that come with it. The opening lines suggest that the singer may succumb to temptation and cheat on his partner, and if he does, he expects his partner to find out. He acknowledges that this will cause a rift between them and that he will be at fault. However, even though he knows the repercussions, he seems to be unable to resist the temptation. This is reinforced in the chorus where he proclaims that everything is on fire, reflecting the intense passion he feels and the turmoil he is experiencing emotionally.

The second verse of the song sees the singer taking things further, suggesting that if he does not make it back home before midnight, his partner should "burn the place down" if she cannot find the keyhole. This repetition of the phrase "everything's on fire" takes on a more literal meaning in this verse, hinting at the destruction that his infidelity could cause. The final verse is a call to action for those who are feeling the same way, as the singer urges them to "blow it up yourself" and let their true feelings out rather than continue living in secret. The song ends on a haunting note, with the repetition of the chorus emphasizing the intensity of the emotions at play.

Line by Line Meaning

If I don't come home before midnight
If I do not return home before midnight

And I call out your name in the dark
And I shout your name when it's dark

You'll know that I've been tempted
You will understand that I have been tempted

And I'll know that I've got no heart
And I will realize that I am heartless

And I'll know I won't be expected
And I acknowledge that I will not be anticipated

And you'll think we're drifting apart
And you will feel that we're growing distant

And I might as well be blowing at the top of the world
And I might as well be yelling from the highest peak

When my fingers find your body in the dark
When I touch your body in darkness

Everything's on fire
Emotions are overflowing

So if I don't come home before midnight
Therefore, if I do not return before midnight

And I can't find the keyhole in the dark
And I am unable to locate the keyhole in the darkness

Burn the place down
Burn the place to the ground

Make it glow like christmas
Make it shine brightly like Christmas lights

The tenderness that's burning in my heart
The feelings of love that are intense within me

Everything's on fire
Emotions are overflowing

Everything's on fire...
Emotions are overflowing

If you can't open your eyes in the morning
If you are unable to open your eyes in the morning

If some maniac has been and left his mark
If some lunatic has caused damage

I'll be round to sift through the cinders
I will come to investigate the ashes

Lift the lid and take the thing apart
Open the cover and examine everything

Everything's on fire
Emotions are overflowing

Everything's on fire...
Emotions are overflowing

So to all you feelers and fumblers
To all those who are uncertain and hesitant

Waiting for the fireworks to start
Waiting for the excitement to begin

Do it now--blow it up yourself
Take action now and cause the explosion yourself

Unbutton the butcher in your heart
Release the brutal side of yourself that you have hidden away

And if I don't come home before midnight
And if I do not return before midnight

And I can't find the keyhole in the dark
And I am unable to locate the keyhole in the darkness

You'll know, you'll know that I've been tempted
You will be aware that I have been tempted

You'll know, you'll know we're drifting apart
You will realize that we're growing distant

Everything's on fire
Emotions are overflowing

Everything's on fire...
Emotions are overflowing

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: JOHN MELVILLE LEE ARCHER, DOUGLAS JAMES FALCONER, JOHN ALBERT HOWARD, ROBERT DAVID MILES, MARK JEREMY SEYMOUR, JEREMY STUART SMITH, MICHAEL BERNARD WATERS

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