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.
Relief
Hunters & Collectors Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You can't make her twist her ragged hair
You can't make mother groan
Even when her soldier sonny
shakes his iron cocktail in the air...
You can't make mother cry
You can't make her give consent
Though she flounders at the drainboard
If sleeping brings relief
She can go lie down and slumber
If sleeping brings relief
She can go lie down and slumber
If sleeping brings relief
She can go... lie down and slumber...
Slumber
She puts her hands down into the sink
Scrapes the grunge up off the bottom
Down there beneath the dishes
Where the knives lie crossed and waiting
She can't stop the kiddies talking
Their tongues be loosed upon the world
They flap until they lather
For the agony of millions
And if sleeping brings relief
They can go lie down and slumber
And if sleeping brings relief
They can go lie down and slumber
And if sleeping brings relief
They can... go lie down and slumber
Slumber...
And there be no release from anguish
For this slapstick generation
And there be no peace for all the kiddies
'Cause they're too satisfied to care
And the field of gorgeous bodies
Primed and ready in the sun
And the white flag of peace
That is hanging
Limp and useless in the air...
And the white flag of peace
That is hanging
Limp and useless in the air, yeah!
And if sleeping brings relief
You can all go lie down and slumber
And if sleeping brings relief
You can go lie down and slumber...
Slumber...
The lyrics of "Relief" by Hunters & Collectors explore the idea of escape and relief from the harsh reality of the world. The refrain of "If sleeping brings relief, she can go lie down and slumber" is repeated several times throughout the song, suggesting that sleep can be a form of temporary escape from the struggles of life. The song also touches on the pain and sorrow that many people experience, particularly the mother who cannot be comforted by her son's valiant efforts as a soldier. The image of her twisted, ragged hair is particularly striking, emphasizing the intensity of her emotions.
The song also comments on the state of society, highlighting the lack of peace and the absence of any real solutions to the world's problems. The phrase "there be no release from anguish, for this slapstick generation" suggests that people are trapped in a cycle of suffering and cannot find a way out. The image of the "white flag of peace" hanging "limp and useless in the air" emphasizes the idea that there is no real hope for change. Overall, "Relief" is a poignant commentary on the struggle to find happiness and peace in a world full of pain and strife.
Line by Line Meaning
You can't make mother cry
It's impossible to emotionally hurt a mother
You can't make her twist her ragged hair
She won't show any physical signs of distress
You can't make mother groan
Regardless of the circumstances, she won't make any audible sounds of discomfort
Even when her soldier sonny shakes his iron cocktail in the air...
Even when her child is in danger or displaying aggression, she remains emotionless
You can't make mother give consent
It's impossible to persuade or manipulate a mother into agreement
Though she flounders at the drainboard, Though her back be down there and bent
Despite being physically exhausted, she won't give in
If sleeping brings relief, She can go lie down and slumber
If rest can bring her relief, then she should take it
She puts her hands down into the sink, Scrapes the grunge up off the bottom
She is responsible for the domestic duties of cleaning and maintaining the home
Where the knives lie crossed and waiting
There is a sense of danger lurking in the mundane tasks of daily living
She can't stop the kiddies talking, Their tongues be loosed upon the world, They flap until they lather
Her children talk and gossip uncontrollably about the world around them
For the agony of millions
They care deeply about societal issues and are affected by the pain of others
And there be no release from anguish, For this slapstick generation
Despite their youthful humor, they are unable to escape from the weight of the world's problems
And there be no peace for all the kiddies, 'Cause they're too satisfied to care
The children are too content in their own lives to fully empathize with the sufferings of others
And the field of gorgeous bodies, Primed and ready in the sun
The idealized bodies of others are presented as a source of temptation or envy
And the white flag of peace, That is hanging, Limp and useless in the air...
Attempts to achieve peace or resolution are futile and ineffective
You can all go lie down and slumber
In the face of overwhelming despair and hopelessness, the only respite is sleep
Slumber...
The song ends on a note of resignation and bleakness
Contributed by Gianna D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.