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.
Red lane
Hunters & Collectors Lyrics
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Heard you hissing in the Redlane
Come on you thirsty little pilgrim
We're moving house again
Make your back get longer
You'll see it sweat behind a barrow
And if this trip gets any longer
Better keep it lean and narrow
That razor's never too cold to swallow
Forty days and nights of cutting it close
Just to keep the Redlane hollow
So drive me down the Redlane
Let me hear you hissing in the dirty track
I'm gonna run away so far this time
And I'm never coming back
I drove you down the dirty track
Heard you hissing in the Redlane
So come on you thirsty little pilgrim
We're moving house again
Go down in the Redlane
"Red Lane" by Hunters & Collectors is a song about constant travel and change. The singer is driving their companion down a rocky, rugged path, which they refer to as the "dirty track". The lyrics evoke a sense of danger and anticipation, as they listen to their companion's hissing and watch them get longer behind the barrow. The traveler is a "thirsty little pilgrim" who must keep on the move, always searching for something new. The journey gets difficult at times, but they must keep it "lean and narrow" to survive.
The chorus of the song repeats the lyrics "drive me down the Redlane, let me hear you hissing in the dirty track", emphasizing the sense of motion and restlessness. The singer is going to "run away so far this time, and never coming back", indicating a desire to escape the past and start anew. The overall message of the song is about the constant search for something new, even if it means abandoning what is familiar and safe.
One interesting fact about "Red Lane" is that it was released as a single in 1992 and reached #43 on the Australian charts. The song was also included on the band's 1994 album "Demon Flower". Another interesting fact is that Hunters & Collectors were known for their high-energy, raucous live performances, which often featured brass and percussion sections. The band formed in 1981 and disbanded in 1998, but have reunited for various performances in recent years. The writer of "Red Lane", Mark Seymour, is also a solo artist and released his debut album in 1997.
Line by Line Meaning
I drove you down the dirty track
I took you down a rough path
Heard you hissing in the Redlane
I heard your complaints in this difficult situation we are in
Come on you thirsty little pilgrim
Let's go, you who is searching for something
We're moving house again
We are leaving this place and starting a new life
Make your back get longer
Work hard and become stronger
You'll see it sweat behind a barrow
You will see the effort put into pushing a cart
And if this trip gets any longer
If this journey takes longer
Better keep it lean and narrow
We need to be efficient and focused
Yeah I could handle a bit of justice
I can handle the consequences of my actions
That razor's never too cold to swallow
I am willing to accept the consequences, no matter how harsh
Forty days and nights of cutting it close
We have been pushing it and have been in a dangerous situation for a while
Just to keep the Redlane hollow
We have been risking it all to maintain our lifestyle
So drive me down the Redlane
Take me through this dangerous and difficult path
Let me hear you hissing in the dirty track
I want to hear your complaints as we face this challenge
I'm gonna run away so far this time
I am planning to escape this lifestyle completely
And I'm never coming back
I have no intention of returning to this way of life
Contributed by Madison V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.