Discovering Neil Finn's Songwriting
One of the wonderful things about music is that there is always something new to discover. Occasionally, it is an artist you’ve never heard of before; other times, it’s making the effort to explore a songwriter who captured your attention at some point. Everyone knows the band Crowded House from their two hit songs from many years ago: ‘Dream It’s Over” and “Something So Strong.” Regrettably, I never paid much attention to this incredibly talented trio from New Zealand. Then I stumbled across some solo work by Neil Finn, the lead singer and main songwriter, and was both impressed and pleasantly surprised by his body of work, including efforts on several other projects. The more I listen to his music, the more I like it. I was captivated by the song “Don’t Stop Now“ the first time I heard it, and it has been in regular rotation on my iPod since. Neil has an uncanny ability to write about simple, everyday experiences and give them meaning. He is clearly an attentive and thoughtful observer of life. His latest project is with his wife in the band Pajama Club, and I look forward to seeing where this musical journey takes them.Here are the lyrics:
Another pleasant day in the countryside
Ended up in tears on a stormy night
‘Cause you can’t follow my directions home
Don’t stop nowGod knows where the satellite’s taking us
Can’t tell what is right in front of us
But I hang on every word
Don’t stop now
No, don’t stop now
Give me something I can write about
Get fooled by the lightning every time
See the after image of my outline
Then you turn the wrong way ‘round
Well, don’t stop now
No, don’t stop now
Give me something I can write about
Give me something I can cry about
In a church house ten miles out of town
Is the devil gonna track me down?
When you travel through a tunnel in the trees
Just remember that’s how you get to me
There’s no number on the house
The birds are heading South
Sometimes you have to turn
The wrong way ‘round
Sometimes you get too close to nowhere nowRestless, hopeful, in silence I wait
With a blank piece of paper on the top of my head
And all I want is something I can write about
All I want is something I can cry about
Ooh
Related articles
- No more Crowded House: Neil Finn’s new band, Pajama Club (guardian.co.uk)
- Who are the band members of crowded house (wiki.answers.com)
- Uncrowded house music (theage.com.au)
- Newest Love: Pajama Club (musicallyamusing.com)
- What happened to crowded house (wiki.answers.com)
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