The band was formed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1972 by Tim Finn, Phil Judd, Mike Chunn, Miles Golding, and Mike Howard, who originally called themselves "Split Ends." They soon changed the spelling to honor their NZ homeland. For much of their career, the band was known for wild costumes and make-up designed by Crombie. For the first phase of their existence, the band played a kind of progressive rock infused with music-hall humor; later they slipped into a quirky new wave style that generated hits worldwide.
Numerous personnel changes have been a defining factor for the Enz. Notable additions include keyboardist Eddie Rayner and percussionist Noel Crombie in 1974, and in 1977 Tim's brother Neil Finn (who would later form Crowded House). The group effectively disbanded in 1984, but in subsequent years have reunited several times for well-received tours including in 1993 for its twentieth anniversary tour and once more for a tour in 2006.
Last.FM occasionally lists scrobbles belonging to a 60s garage band called The Split Ends (from Tampa, FL) if the listener omits the article "The" in their music tags.
Abu Dhabi
Split Enz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's men from every nation in for the derby
Blow your whistle, bang on the gong
The price of oil goes up before long
We'll be getting rich and getting stoned
Fly together we'll fly Concorde
Come all together, come all aboard
Get to the Abu Dhabi
You want a mansion in Beverly Hills
You want a wedding with all the frills
You want daddy to pay
You'd better tell him today
Get to the Abu Dhabi
But tell me the check's in the cheek
Trust your leaders, business men
Pass the Lira, the Lira and Yen
The Abu Dhabi derby's here again
Fly together we'll fly Concorde
Come all together, come all aboard
You wanna go first class, you better save at last
Get to the Abu Dhabi
You want a mansion in Beverly Hills
You want a wedding with all the frills
You want daddy to pay
You'd better tell him today
Get to the Abu Dhabi
Fly together we'll fly Concorde
Come all together, come all aboard
You wanna go first class, you better save at last
Get to the Abu Dhabi
You want a mansion in Beverly Hills
You want a wedding with all the frills
You want daddy to pay
You'd better tell him today
Get to the Abu Dhabi.
The lyrics of Split Enz's "Abu Dhabi" are a satirical take on the oil-rich city of Abu Dhabi in the 1970s, when the region saw a sudden influx of wealth due to oil production. The song describes a scene where people from all over the world have come to the city for the derby, highlighting the cultural and financial diversity present in the city. The mention of blowing whistles and banging gongs serves as a metaphor for the world's rush to capitalize on the wealth generated in Abu Dhabi, and the line "the price of oil goes up before long" suggests that the profits gained will be significant.
The chorus of the song encourages listeners to "get to the Abu Dhabi" if they want to join in on the wealth and luxurious lifestyle that the city promises, but also suggests that doing so may require some sacrifices. It mentions flying together on Concorde, a luxury commercial airliner at the time, but also advises that if one wants to go "first class," they need to save their money. The mention of wanting a mansion in Beverly Hills and a wedding with all the frills speaks to the materialistic desires that the song's narrator suggests are driving the rush to Abu Dhabi. The line "tell me the check's in the cheek" highlights the potential for deception and dishonesty in the business dealings that drive the city's wealth.
Overall, "Abu Dhabi" can be seen as a commentary on the rapaciousness that accompanies sudden wealth and the corrupting influence it can have on individuals and society at large.
Line by Line Meaning
Now we're going Asian in Abu Dhabi
We are now exploring a new culture as we travel to Abu Dhabi in the Middle East, specifically in Asia.
There's men from every nation in for the derby
The Abu Dhabi derby has attracted men of different nationalities to participate in the event.
Blow your whistle, bang on the gong
Let's make some noise and excitement in this event by blowing our whistles and banging on the gongs.
The price of oil goes up before long
The price of oil is expected to increase soon, which could bring more wealth to the people of Abu Dhabi.
We'll be getting rich and getting stoned
We will be accumulating wealth and enjoying some recreational drug use while in Abu Dhabi.
Fly together we'll fly Concorde
Let's all travel together in luxury using the Concorde plane.
Come all together, come all aboard
Everyone is invited to join us in this luxurious trip to Abu Dhabi.
You wanna go first class, you better save at last
If you aim to fly first class, it's best to save up and be financially prepared for the trip.
Get to the Abu Dhabi
Our destination is the city of Abu Dhabi.
You want a mansion in Beverly Hills
If you desire to own a grand house in Beverly Hills, California, USA, you need to accumulate wealth.
You want a wedding with all the frills
If you want your wedding to be grand and extravagant, you need to prepare for the expenses.
You want daddy to pay
If you want someone to pay for your expenses, specifically your father, you need to ask him now.
You'd better tell him today
It's best to inform your father about your financial needs as soon as possible.
But tell me the check's in the cheek
But can you assure me that the money will be available when I need it?
Trust your leaders, business men
We should have faith in the leaders and businessmen of Abu Dhabi.
Pass the Lira, the Lira and Yen
Let's exchange currencies, specifically the Italian Lira and Japanese Yen, for our expenses while in Abu Dhabi.
The Abu Dhabi derby's here again
The Abu Dhabi derby event has returned once again.
Contributed by Nathaniel E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mister David
Underrated masterpiece from almost 50 years ago
Eddie Earle
If anyone can accurately decipher these lyrics for me , I 'd greatly appreciate it. Saw them many times live and they never disappointed. Just like to make my mind up for myself on that racist thang. Love the wall of sound and atmos this creates and thanks for reaching out ifya do.
BlueEyes 1970
Neil's guitar was really starting to fire up some of their songs...and he was only 20 at the time.
Hopmans23
Thanks for uploading this!
terrynaki
Kiwi music ,no other sound quite like it.
Fáchtna O'Fionnáin
From what I have seen, the lyrics of this song were considered racist by some people. On the original vinyl release the lyrics were printed for all the songs from the album except this one. I guess thats why on the latest CD released they removed the lyrics except shouting "Abu Dhabi"
snokful
Fáchtna O'Fionnáin I just found the lyrics online, they didn't seem ~that~ bad for 1979 that they'd leave it off at the time, unless there's some meaning I'm not privy to. "Going Asian" is a dodgy phrase but the rest of it seems to be about rich white people living it up In Abu Dhabi like they do in Dubai now? Perhaps the reference to getting stoned was considered suss, idek, not defending it, just curious. The lyrics are certainly dated now. At least it's not "Turning Japanese" which still gets regularly played on radio.
The Finkie
It really sucks, I love the vocals in this song :( but the remaster just sounds so much betttter, and I just can't decide which version to keep.
mrindecisive100
@snokful The lyrics found online are incorrect/incomplete.
Eddie Earle
Oh yeah,....Has anyone got a better quality than this ?