Hunters and Collectors – I Couldn’t Give It To You
Versions
| Version | Length | Source | Availability |
Studio  |
3:32 | The Jaws Of Life album. | Extremely common. Available new in CD and digital form. |
| Studio | 3:30 | 2 CD versions of the Natural Selection album. | Moderately rare. Not available new. |
| Live [1] | 3:52 | The Way To Go Out album and video. | Extremely common. Available new in CD, DVD and digital form. |
| Live [2] | 3:55 | Raw Material #06 1985 09 14 The Venue album. | The Vault Desk Tape streaming audio. |
| Live [3] | 4:30 | 1986 05 22 Enmore Theatre, Sydney VHS PCM. | The Vault digital download at True Believers, 30 October 2016. |
| Live [4] | 4:21 | Raw Material #07 1986 07 05 Seaview Ballroom album. | The Vault Desk Tape streaming audio. |
Recommended Version.
Comments from the “Natural Selection” liner notes (by Mark Seymour):
Sexual greed. The libido can drive the body only so far, and then beyond that there is only diminishing blood flow to the extremities. Sometimes you can bluff your way through the closing stages of love making, but there are times when it is simply best to apologise gracefully, and make her a cup of tea.
(I’ve lost my tweezers)
At this late stage of the game you cannot tell
If it is night or if it’s daytime
And I’ve come around to your door
To muck around and make mince-meat of your life
And beneath the glow of your back porch light
You were passing like a thing possessed
And snap, snap, snap
Your teeth are chewing on my daily routine
Yeah I couldn’t give it up, and I couldn’t if I tried
When I saw a scared nation yelling inside
Yeah I couldn’t give it up, and I couldn’t if I tried
I was underneath the floor, I was trying to hide
Trying to hide
At this late stage of the game you cannot tell
If it is night or if it’s daytime
And I’ve come around to your door
To muck around and make mince-meat of your life
And there was a whole nation crowded inside
With tongues of fire dancing on their skulls
And every door, every manhole sealed up tight
And pretty soon I realised
Here was the perfect space inside
And I couldn’t give it to you if I tried!
I couldn’t give it to you if I tried!
