By request: "Throw Your Arms Around Me" by Neil Finn · Aug 14, 10:35 PM by Don
A reader named Matthew wrote in requesting that I repost Neil Finn’s cover of the Hunters & Collectors’ song, “Throw Your Arms Around Me.” I’m always happy to oblige such requests (send ‘em in!). I actually have two versions for Matthew, the solo KCRW version I posted last spring and a live band version from an unknown source.
I first heard the song via a Pearl Jam cover and I have to say that I much prefer their version, and Neil’s version, to the original (watch the video below).
mp3: Neil Finn – Throw Your Arms Around Me :: Hunters & Collectors cover from KCRW’s 2001 Sounds Eclectic compilation
mp3: Neil Finn – Throw Your Arms Around Me :: live Hunters & Collectors cover (n.d.)
Stuart at Hunters & Collectors fan site True Believers offers this commentary on the song:
“Throw Your Arms Around Me” is the song that Hunters and Collectors are best remembered for – for better or worse. It still gets played at least somewhere in the country at most times of the day. Whenever a “best Australian songs” list comes up, the chances are Throw Your Arms will be in there somewhere. Big names have covered the song – artists such as Pearl Jam and Crowded House, who have sold more records than Hunters and Collectors could have dreamed of.
The first version of Throw Your Arms to surface was a very raw very on the live album “The Way To Go Out”. It often seems hard to imagine that this extremely raw song went on to become as popular as it is. This version is never played on radio and generally not that well known about. If you are new to Hunters and Collectors, this is NOT the version to start with. Most people who are not fans do not think much of this version at all.
Throw Your Arms was popularised with the 1986 “Human Frailty” version, a more refined but still decidedly raw guitar driven pop song. This version did not chart that well (peaked at number 49) but would have contributed a lot towards sales of “Human Frailty” and is still played on radio today. Modern rock stations prefer this version to the extremely refined 1990 version.
The band had another shot at the song with the release of “Collected Works” in 1990. This version is a very refined version with a much improved vocal. While this suits it to pop radio, it lacks a bit of the appeal of the 1986 version in that it is not so raw.
The song itself is meant to be a great love ballad. Personally, I have never really interpreted it strongly in that way. I will leave the reader to take their own interpretation.
Head Hunter/Collector Mark Seymour talks about his song:
Love songs are hard enough to pull off tastefully. The strength of Arms is in its honesty, and a very simple hooky chorus. Other than that there isn’t much else to say. It’s personal. Hunters played it with great force and conviction. Though many have covered it, the best version is this live one from ‘Under One Roof’.
Read the song’s lyrics here.
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Greatly appreciated. And thanks for the added information about the song.
— Matthew Aug 15, 11:56 PM #
The Paul McDermott and the Doug Anthony Allstars do an outstanding 3 part harmony version that just warms the heart the moistens the eye.
— Annette Aug 21, 02:45 AM #