Neil Finn is a singer and songwriter and one of Te Awamutu, New Zealand's f… Read Full Bio ↴Neil Finn is a singer and songwriter and one of Te Awamutu, New Zealand's foremost musicians. Along with his brother Tim Finn, he was the co-frontman for Split Enz and is now the frontman for Crowded House. He has also recorded several successful solo albums, recorded two albums with his brother as the Finn Brothers, and assembled diverse musicians for the 7 Worlds Collide projects.

Finn is said to have decided to become a musician at the age of 12 and throughout his school years performed in hospitals and prisons, as well as at home gatherings. In 1976 he formed a group known as After Hours with Mark Hough, Geoff Chunn and Alan Brown. The following year, in 1977, Finn was invited to London to join Split Enz, the band formed by his elder brother, Tim Finn. Split Enz broke up in 1984 and Neil Finn formed a new band, Crowded House, with several other Australian and New Zealand musicians.

Crowded House had a string of hits over the next 10 years, releasing four albums and culminating in a concert in the forecourt of the Sydney Opera House. Finn went solo after this, releasing several albums as well as two albums with his brother Tim (Finn Brothers).

In 2007, Finn re-united Crowded House and released a new album, Time on Earth, and the band began a world tour. In 2010, another new album, "Intriguer", was released and coincided with another world tour.

In 2012, Finn recorded the track "Song of the Lonely Mountain", which was featured in the end credits of the movie "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey".

Try Whistling This
Neil Finn Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Tales from my head
Can't buy the book
No one's listening but I guess you could
Try whistling this
You say you're tired
Liquid as water

But you'll succumb now as I stroke your back

I'm the best that you know
And every time you think of me
I hope you think of true romance
And every time you want to leave
You give us both another chance

Warmest welcome
Violent stranger
He said come here as he pushed me down
Impossible to do
In high heels walking into walls
Ever wonder if you're here at all?
Try whistling this
And my words are ringing in you eyes

Drawing your attention to all the thing that you ignore
And if I can't be near you I would rather be adrift in space

And if the god deserts us now I'll turn this chapel into flames
And if someone tries to hurt you I would put myself in your place

Overall Meaning

In Neil Finn's song "Try Whistling This," the lyrics describe a number of vivid and impactful images that suggest personal struggles and pain. The first verse speaks of "tales from my head" that cannot be bought in a book, implying a sense of isolation and loneliness. The chorus urges the listener to "try whistling this," as if suggesting that words and sounds are inadequate for expressing the depth of the singer's experience. The second verse hints at a difficult relationship, with the singer positioned as both the best and the worst thing that the subject knows. The final lines of the song are a powerful declaration of love and protection, with the singer offering to replace their loved one to spare them from pain.

Line by Line Meaning

Tales from my head
I have stories in my mind

Can't buy the book
You can't read it in a book

No one's listening but I guess you could
Nobody's paying attention, but you could try

Try whistling this
Try doing something new or different

You say you're tired
You told me you're exhausted

Liquid as water
You're very relaxed and flexible

But you'll succumb now as I stroke your back
You'll give in to me as I comfort you

I'm the best that you know
You think I'm the best person you know

And every time you think of me
Whenever you remember me

I hope you think of true romance
I want you to remember romantic moments

And every time you want to leave
Whenever you feel like leaving