Neil Finn and Paul Hester decided to form a new band during the Split Enz farewell tour 'Enz with a Bang'. Nick Seymour approached Finn during the after party for the Melbourne show and asked if he could try out for this new band. The first incarnation of the band, The Mullanes, formed in Melbourne in 1985 and also included guitarist Craig Hooper, formerly of The Reels. They secured a record contract with Capitol Records and moved to Los Angeles, at which time Hooper left the band. At the label's behest, the band changed its name to "Crowded House," which alluded to the cramped quarters the three members shared at an apartment in North Sycamore Street in West Hollywood during the recording of the album. They also invited former Split Enz keyboard player Eddie Rayner to join, and he produced the track "Can't Carry On" for the debut self-titled album. He initially joined them on tour in 1988 on keyboards, but had to leave for family reasons before he could be made a full member.
Bursting onto the international scene in 1987 with Don't Dream It's Over from the album Crowded House, the band seemed destined for greatness. However, despite eking out one more hit from the album, Something So Strong, the follow up Temple of Low Men failed to repeat its commercial success, despite critical acclaim. Radio had a hard time categorizing them, but within the industry they quickly gained a stellar reputation as "musicians' musicians", and outside the industry as one of the best live acts, featuring mixed setlists and improvisations. A set of three shows at one venue would often feature less than half the the songs being played more than once.
It wasn't until 1991's Woodface that the band hit international success again, specifically with the jointly written Finn brothers track Weather With You.
In fact, the album that emerged wasn't the one originally proposed. Neil had been working on a side project with his brother Tim Finn, a solo artist in his own right and former Split Enz frontman (in fact, several members had a history in Split Enz - Tim formed the band and Neil was responsible for their biggest hit I Got You, while Paul Hester was the drummer during their final days). When the record company rejected the material he'd composed for the third Crowded House album Neil asked his brother if he could use some of their songs in their place. Tim agreed, allegedly joking he would only do so if he could join the band. Whether or not Neil took this literally, Tim did indeed become the fourth member of Crowded House during the Woodface phase.
Whilst Weather With You became an international hit, particularly in the UK (where it was followed by smaller chart successes for Four Seasons in One Day and It's Only Natural), in the US, at least, history didn't repeat - a situation some put down to the choice of Chocolate Cake - a scathing attack on the American lifestyle - as the first single.
During touring in the UK, Tim was asked to leave the band. Mark Hart joined the band for their next album. Together Alone was a similar international success and the band even managed to score a minor hit in the US with Locked Out after it featured on the soundtrack for the Winona Ryder flick Reality Bites.
Shortly after, Paul Hester decided to leave, although he did return to record three new tracks for a Best Of... compilation, Recurring Dream. By 1996, however, Neil decided to fold the band, choosing instead to focus on a solo career. The band's final concert, on the steps of the Sydney Opera House, was an emotional and memorable event, and has been captured on the DVD / CD Farewell to the World.
A B-sides compilation, entitled Afterglow, was released in 1999.
Paul Hester died tragically in 2005 when he committed suicide in Melbourne, Australia.
January 2007 brought a surprise announcement that Crowded House would be re-forming. Frontman Neil Finn once again linked up with Nick Seymour and Mark Hart and, after picking up Beck's drummer Matt Sherrod to replace Paul Hester, produced a new album entitled Time on Earth.
Members of the band include frontman and guitarist Neil Finn, bassist Nick Seymour (brother of Hunters and Collectors frontman Mark Seymour), drummer Paul Hester (1986-1994), Tim Finn (1990-91), multi-instrumentalist and Supertramp recruit Mark Hart (1993-), session drummer Peter Jones (1994-1996) and new drummer Matt Sherrod (2007-).
The Frenz web site launched a new Crowded House portal in 2007 where old and new fans of the band can keep up to date with news of new releases and tour plans.
Instinct
Crowded House Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I lit the match
I saw another monster turn to ash
Felt the burden lifting from my back
Do you recognise a nervous twitch
That exposes the weakness of the myth
When your turn comes round
And the light goes on
Your instinct can't be wrong
Separate the fiction from the fact
A (get) little slow to react
But it's nearly time to flick the switch
And I'm hanging by a single stitch
Laughing at the stony face of gloom
When your turn comes round
And the light goes on
And you feel your attraction again
Your instinct can't be wrong
Feel this come and go
Where the true present lies
Calling down, calling down, calling
Laughing at the stony face of gloom
When your turn comes round
And the days get long
And you feel your attraction to him
Your instinct can't be wrong
Calling down
Calling down
The lyrics of Crowded House's song "Instinct" talks about the internal conflict that one has to go through while trying to come to terms with their instinct. In the first verse, the singer talks about lighting a match and turning a monster to ash. This can be interpreted as the singer confronting their inner demons and finally being able to overcome them. This is further reiterated when the singer mentions that they feel a burden lifting off their back.
In the second verse, the singer talks about recognizing a nervous twitch that exposes the weakness of the myth. This could be interpreted as realizing that the myths and preconceived notions that they held onto were not true and that their instincts were the only dependable factor. The singer says that when the light goes on, and they feel their attraction again, their instincts cannot be wrong.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the importance of following one's instincts and separating the fact from fiction. The singer also mentions that they were slow to react, but it's nearly time to flick the switch and move ahead. The song concludes with the singer calling down, which could be interpreted as a willingness to embrace their instincts and make the right choices.
Line by Line Meaning
I lit the match
I took the first step towards change
I saw another monster turn to ash
I conquered a fear and overcame an obstacle
Felt the burden lifting from my back
I felt a sense of relief and freedom after letting go of something heavy
Do you recognise a nervous twitch
Are you aware of the subtle signs of fear or anxiety?
That exposes the weakness of the myth
That reveals the flaws in a commonly held belief
When your turn comes round
When you face a similar situation
And the light goes on
And you gain a new perspective
And you feel your attraction again
And you are drawn back to what once held your interest
Your instinct can't be wrong
Trust your gut feelings
Separate the fiction from the fact
Distinguish between what is real and what is false
A (get) little slow to react
I may have been hesitant or unsure in my response
But it's nearly time to flick the switch
But I am close to making a decision or taking action
And I'm hanging by a single stitch
I am in a precarious situation and could fall apart at any moment
Laughing at the stony face of gloom
Finding humor or joy in a difficult situation
And the days get long
And time seems to pass slowly
And you feel your attraction to him
And you have a strong desire for someone
Feel this come and go
Experience this feeling intermittently
Where the true present lies
Where the reality of the situation exists
Calling down, calling down, calling
Asking for assistance or guidance
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: NEIL MULLANE FINN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Wendel Ortiz
I lit the match
I lit the match
I saw another monster turn to ash
Felt the burden lifted from my back
Do you recognize the nervous twitch
That exposes the weakness of the myth
When your turn comes 'round
And the light goes on
And you feel your attraction again
Your instinct can't be wrong
Separate the fiction from the fact
Been a little slow to react
But it's nearly time to flip the switch
And I'm hanging by a single stitch
Laughing at the stony face of gloom
When your turn comes 'round
And the light goes on
And you feel your attraction again
Your instinct can't be wrong
Feelings come and go
Where the true present lies are
Calling down
Calling down
Calling
Laughing at the stony face of gloom
When your turn comes 'round
And the days get long
And you feel your attraction to him
Your instinct can't be wrong
Calling down
Calling down
burghler
Nick Seymour's bass line is amazing here.
Jamie Doyle
Hi have a good night sleep
Jay
Everything about this song is so good! The intro, the verse, the chorus, the bridge, the ending, the sound, the tune, the 90's feel, the mysterious meaning... Everything!
Cara Mason
Neil Finn’s voice resonates through the world 🌏🎶❤️
Klara Krass
<3
Matt James
Your finest track, in my opinion. Like nothing I'd ever heard before. Thank you
Stuart blackwood
so frustrating that they wont play it
Nicole K.
There are two men on this planet who can take compelling, complex melodies and combine them with brilliant, irresistible hooks - Neil Finn and Andy Partridge.
Maarten Kneppers
What about Glenn Tilbrook of Squeeze, Jason Falkner, Jellyfish, Elvis Costello, Paul McCartney etc
Nicole K.
Arizona Rogerson You may. He is the leader and chief songwriter for the band XTC. Check out their catalog - you won’t be disappointed.