Hunters and Collectors – Throw Your Arms Around Me
Throw Your Arms Around Me 1986 (cover)
The 1984 Single
Released In: [Australia / NZ]
Release Date: 1984.
Australian Chart Position: [Did Not Enter].
Availability: Extremely rare.
Value: A$6-A$35.
This is the rarest of the three different Throw Your Arms Around Me singles. This version is less well known, rarely played on radio and a live version. B-side is The Unbeliever (live).
The 1986 Single
Released In: [Australia / NZ] [USA].
Release Date: 1986.
Australian Chart Position: #49 (AMR).
The version usually played on modern rock radio.
Single Availability: (US version) Extremely rare, (Aus version) Moderately rare.
Value: A$6-A$26.
B-sides on the Australian single are Who’s On Left? and When The Truth Comes Out.
B-sides on the US single are dance remixes of Say Goodbye and Is There Anybody In There?.
The 1990 Single
Released In: [Australia / NZ].
Release Date: 1990.
Australian Chart Position: #34 (ARIA) / #30 (AMR).
The version usually played on ‘pop’ radio.
Availability: Moderately rare.
Value: A$6-A$22.
B-sides are Something To Believe In and When The Truth Comes Calling.
| Version | Length | Source | Availability |
Studio [1] 1986  |
3:53 | Human Frailty album. | Extremely common. Available new in CD and digital form. |
| Studio [1] 1986 | 3:54 | Crucible album. | Extremely common. Available new in CD and digital form. |
| Studio [1] 1986 | 3:52 | Non-Australian versions of the Collected Works album. | Moderately common. Not available new. |
| Studio [1] 1986 | 3:52 | Australian 1986 Throw Your Arms Around Me single. | Moderately rare. Not available new. |
| Studio [1] 1986 | 3:52 | US 1986 Throw Your Arms Around Me single. | Moderately rare. Not available new. |
| Studio [1] 1986 | 3:52 | Natural Selection / Greatest Hits video. | Moderately common. Available new in CD/DVD, DVD and digital form. |
| Studio [1] 1986 | 3:53 | Anthology album. | Moderately common. Available new in digital form. |
| Studio [2] 1990 | 4:11 | Australian versions of the Collected Works album and video. | Extremely common. Not available new. |
| Studio [2] 1990 | 4:11 | Australian versions of the Collected Works album and video. | The Vault digital download at True Believers for 25 December 2016. |
| Studio [2] 1990 | 4:11 | Australian 1990 Throw Your Arms Around Me single. | Moderately rare. Not available new. |
| Studio [2] 1990 | 4:11 | Natural Selection / Greatest Hits video. | Moderately common. Available new in CD/DVD, DVD and digital form. |
| Studio [3] | 4:01 | Mark Seymour One Eyed Man album. | Moderately common. Available new in digital form. |
| Live Acoustic [1] | 4:45 | Living In Large Rooms and Lounges album. | Extremely common. Available new in CD and digital form. |
| Live Acoustic [2] | 4:40 | Mark Seymour Live At The Basement video. | Moderately rare. Not available new. |
| Live Acoustic [3] | 3:53 | Mark Seymour Daytime and the Dark album. | Moderately common. Available new in CD and digital form. |
| Live Acoustic [3] | 3:53 | Mark Seymour Do You See What I See? promo single. | Extremely rare. Not available new. |
| Live Acoustic [4] | 4:50 | Best of Acoustic video. | Moderately common. Available new in DVD form. |
| Live Acoustic [5] | 5:36 | Raw Material #14 1996 05 26 Continental Cafe album. | The Vault Desk Tape streaming audio. |
| Live [1] | 3:30 | Australian 1984 7″ Throw Your Arms Around Me single. | Extremely rare. Not available new. |
| Live [1] | 3:31 | Spare Parts album. | Moderately rare. Not available new. |
| Live [1] | 3:39 | 1984 10 24 Throw Your Arms Around Me, Geoff Tapes VHS PCM. | The Vault digital download at True Believers for 20 September 2015. |
| Live [2] | 5:08 | The Way To Go Out album and video. | Extremely common. Available new in CD, DVD and digital form. |
| Live [3] | 5:16 | Spare Parts album. | Moderately rare. Not available new. |
| Live [4] |
5:16 | Under One Roof / Greatest Hits Live album and video. | Extremely common. Available new in CD, DVD and digital form. |
| Live [4] | 5:16 | Natural Selection / Greatest Hits album. | Extremely common. Available new in CD, CD/DVD and digital form. |
| Live [5] | 7:00 | Sound Relief video. | Extremely common. Available new in DVD form. |
| Live [6] | 6:12 | Live 2014 box set – Enmore 2 album. | Extremely rare. Not available new. |
| Live [7] | 7:01 | Live 2014 digital album (2017 version). | Moderately common. Available new in digital form. |
| Live [7] | 7:01 | Live 2014 box set – Palais 2 album. | Extremely rare. Not available new. |
| Live [8] | 4:26 | Mark Seymour From Bondi to Bedlam album and video. | Moderately common. Available new in CD, DVD and digital form. |
| Live [9] | 4:49 | Mark Seymour Roll Back The Stone album. | Moderately common. Available new in CD and digital form. |
| Live [10] | 5:37 | Raw Material #06 1985 09 14 The Venue album. | The Vault Desk Tape streaming audio. |
| Live [11] | 4:37 | Raw Material #07 1986 07 05 Seaview Ballroom album. | The Vault Desk Tape streaming audio. |
| Live [12] | 4:40 | Raw Material #08 1987 05 21 RPM album. | The Vault Desk Tape streaming audio. |
| Live [13] | 4:59 | Raw Material #09 1988 09 14 Town and Country album. | The Vault Desk Tape streaming audio. |
| Live [14] | 4:42 | 1989 01 27 Dee Why Hotel, Sydney, Australia T2 Cassette. | The Vault digital download at True Believers for 3 August 2014. |
| Live [15] | 5:32 | Raw Material #11 1991 01 08 Playroom album. | The Vault Desk Tape streaming audio. |
| Live [16] | 4:54 | Raw Material #12 1992 08 07 Metropolis album. | The Vault Desk Tape streaming audio. |
| Live [17] | 6:53 | Raw Material #13 1994 01 06 Transformers album. | The Vault Desk Tape streaming audio. |
| Live [18] | 5:37 | Raw Material #15 1998 01 05 Seagulls album. | The Vault Desk Tape streaming audio. |
Recommended Version.
Cover Version(s)
| Artist | Version | Length | Source |
| Ayla | Studio | 2:53 | Throw Your Arms Around Me single (2018). |
| Sarah Blackwood | Live | 4:47 | YouTube video posted on the Internet (2011). |
| Luke Bloom | Studio | 3:38 | Keeper of the Flame album (2000). |
| Bont & Bluegrass | Studio | 3:38 | 2006 European World of Bluegrass album (2006). |
| Bordello Roses | Studio | 2:06 | Beautiful Vases album (2021). |
| Jack Castle | Studio | 3:54 | Throw Your Arms Around Me single (2013). |
| Kate Ceberano | Studio | 3:34 | Nine Lime Avenue album (2007). |
| Jacqui Clune | Studio | 3:16 | No Princess album (2003). |
| Jonny Coz | Studio | 3:54 | The Good News and the Bad News album (2016). |
| Crowded House | Live [1] | 3:54 | Specific versions of the Distant Sun single (1993). |
| Crowded House | Live [2] | 2:57 | Farewell to the World album/video (1996). |
| Crowded House | Live [3] | 3:54 | The Very Very Best Of Crowded House (2010). |
| Alison Crowe | Studio | 4:24 | Spiral album (2010). |
| Doug Anthony All Stars | Live | 3:23 | Dead & Alive video (1994). |
| Echo | Studio | 3:30 | Echo album (2014). |
| Neil Finn | Live | 3:57 | Encore! fan club album (1999). |
| Tim Finn | Live | 3:57 | Rarities Demos Live Performances Vol. 1 album (2008). |
| Jenn Grant | Studio | 4:03 | Deluxe Edition (2015) of Compostela album (2014). |
| Missy Higgins | Live | 5:42 | The Special Ones (Best Of) album (2018). |
| Hopkinson | Studio | 4:27 | Throw Your Arms Around Me EP (2009); Strangers To Ourselves album (2009). |
| Ben Lee | Studio | 4:35 | The Rebirth of Venus 2CD album version (2009). |
| Adam Little | Studio | 3:49 | Throw Your Arms Around Me single (2020). |
| Paul McDermott | Live | 5:03 | The Good News Week Tapes, Volume 1: Paul McDermott Unplugged album (1998). |
| Steve McDonald | Studio | 4:18 | Ballads and Battles album (2020). |
| The Melons | Studio | 3:18 | Strictly Melonhead EP (1994). |
| Ruby Moon | Studio | 4:09 | Selenacy album (2023). |
| Katie Noonan | Studio | 4:15 | Late Night Tunes With Noons album (2020). |
| Greg Page | Studio | N/A | Throw Your Arms Around Me album (2004). |
| Pearl Jam | Live | N/A | 22 live performances; some available on official bootlegs (1992-2014). Full list. |
| Sass & Grit | Studio | 2:32 | Throw Your Arms Around Me single (2020). |
| Scared Weird Little Guys | Live | 1:36 | Mindless Stupidity For The Thinking Person album (2010). |
| Ed Sheeran | Studio | 3:03 | Mushroom: 50 Years of Making Noise (Reimagined) album (2023). |
| The SongBirds | Studio | 3:56 | The Faraway Trees EP (2020). |
| Southern Cross Band | Studio | 4:15 | Classic Aussie Rock Playlist album (2018). |
| Stringspace | Studio | 1:27 | Flame Trees: The Australia & NX String Collection album (2022). |
| Tripod | Studio | 2:56 | Box Set album (1997). |
| The James Valentine Quartet | Studio | 4:55 | The Power And The Passion album (2011). |
| Eddie Vedder & Neil Finn | Studio | 3:54 | Crucible album (2013). |
| Lynda Wehipeihana | Studio | 3:39 | Lynda Wehipeihana Project album (2000); Larger Than Life album (2000). |
| Wob | Live | 3:35 | Shouting from the Shore album (2000). |
This list from APRA indicates there may be many more cover versions.
Comments from the “Natural Selection” liner notes (by Mark Seymour):
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’.
I will come for you at night time
I will raise you from your sleep
I will kiss you in four places
I’ll go running along your street
I will squeeze the life out of you
You will make me laugh and make me cry
We will never forget it
You will make me call your name and
I’ll shout it to the blue summer sky
We may never meet again
So shed your skin and lets get started
And you will throw your arms around me
I dreamed of you at night time
And I watched you in your sleep
I met you in high places
I touched your head and touched your feet
So if you disappear out of view
You know, I will never say goodbye
Though I try to forget it
You will make me call your name and
I’ll shout it to the blue summer sky
We may never meet again
So shed your skin and lets get started
And you will throw your arms around me
Yeah you will throw you arms around me
Note: In 2012 Mark started using a different second verse:
Oh, whatever world you come from
Yeah, whatever tongue you speak
Well you can ride on my bus any time
I’ll stand by you in defeat
Yeah, for all we know and all we feel
For the naked truth will never die
We may speak a thousand languages
But you will make me call your name
And I’ll shout it to the blue summer sky
