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.
Not The Girl You Think You Are
Crowded House Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They're not his shoes under your bed, yeah yeah
He'll take you places in his car
That you won't forget, no
All the people that you know, yeah
Will turn their heads as you go by
But you'll be hard to recognise
He won't deceive you but tell you the truth
Woman, he'll be no trouble
He won't write you letters full of excuses
C'mon, I believe you have one in a million
You're not the girl you think you are, yeah
There's someone standing in your place
The bathroom mirror makes you look tall,
But it's all in your head, in your head
He won't deceive you he'll tell you the truth
Woman, he'll be no trouble
He won't write you letters full of excuses
C'mon, I believe you have one in a million
He won't deceive you but tell you the truth
C'mon, I believe you have one
You're not the girl you think you are
C'mon I believe you have one
You're not the girl you think you are
C'mon I believe you have one
You're not the girl you think you are
The lyrics to Crowded House's "Not The Girl You Think You Are" can be interpreted as a message to a woman who is questioning her identity and her place in the world. The song opens with the lyrics "You're not the girl you think you are," suggesting that the woman is not living up to her true potential and is perhaps hiding behind a false persona.
The second line, "They're not his shoes under your bed," further supports the idea that the woman is not living an authentic life. It could be interpreted as meaning that the woman is in a relationship with someone who is not right for her and that she is living a life that is not true to herself.
The chorus of the song is a repetition of the opening line, emphasizing that the woman needs to realize her true identity and embrace it. The lyrics "The bathroom mirror makes you look tall, but it's all in your head" suggest that the woman may have a distorted self-image and that she needs to see herself for who she truly is.
The verses go on to describe a man who may be a better fit for the woman, someone who will be honest with her and support her. The lyrics "He won't write you letters full of excuses, c'mon I believe you have one in a million" could be seen as contrasting with the man the woman is currently with, who may be dishonest or unreliable.
Overall, "Not The Girl You Think You Are" is a message of empowerment, encouraging the woman to shed her false identity, embrace her true self and find someone who will support her.
Line by Line Meaning
You're not the girl you think you are, no no
You don't truly know yourself and your worth, don't underestimate yourself
They're not his shoes under your bed, yeah yeah
You're not truly in a committed relationship with him
He'll take you places in his car
That you won't forget, no
He'll show you exciting and memorable experiences
All the people that you know, yeah
Will turn their heads as you go by
But you'll be hard to recognise
With the top down and the wind blowing, blowing
You'll stand out in a crowd with attention, but your true identity may be obscured
He won't deceive you but tell you the truth
Woman, he'll be no trouble
He'll be honest and straightforward, no need to worry about him causing problems
He won't write you letters full of excuses
C'mon, I believe you have one in a million
He won't make excuses and will treat you as the rare, unique person you are
There's someone standing in your place
The bathroom mirror makes you look tall,
But it's all in your head, in your head
Your self-image may not match reality, causing you to feel that you are replaced by someone else
C'mon I believe you have one
You're not the girl you think you are
The singer encourages you to believe in yourself and overcome self-doubt
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: NEIL MULLANE FINN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@azapro911
This is the finest Beatles track John Lennon never wrote.
@rw8733
God, how I love this band. I have been hooked on this song since the first time I heard it in the mid 90s. Fantastic 😊
@Chrisamusic1
Neil Finn at his most Beatle-esque.This sounds just like a Lennon tune. Timeless and wonderful.
@PhilWmusic
No, it’ more Lennon I guess
@Chrisamusic1
@@PhilWmusic You know what, I agree in hindsight. Very Lennon.
@Christian-Maxwell.
YES ! YES ! 🎶🕺
@Fblom
Indeed!
@dankrebs4764
It is. This could pass as a Beatles song.
@KennethACrashwaggonMusic
The greatest Lennon impersonation on the planet. And an amazing song to boot. Neil really is all kinds of awesome.
@starshake8998
I've always imagined that Cowded House got tired of being told they sound like The Beatles, and they finally said, if we REALLY wanted to sound like The Beatles we could, and they recorded this song to prove it! 😆