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.
Hard Act To Follow
Split Enz Lyrics
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Plenty of profound performers
But there's only one, who really gets through to me
Whenever you come on I light up
Everything you do goes down well
I can tell, after you it's all downhill
Proving you're a hard act to follow
You make it difficult (so) difficult
Hard act to follow, you're a hard act to follow
Keeping me at arms length, sapping my strength from a distance
Hard act to follow
Watch a lot of foreign movies
See a lot of late night TV
Looking for a girl to distract me from what you are
Try to lose my concentration
Acting out of sheer frustration
I go out at night, but after you it doesn't feel right
Proving you're a hard act to follow
You're a hard act to follow
You make it difficult, so difficult
Hard act to follow you're a hard act to follow
Keeping me at arms length, sapping my strength from a distance
Hard act to follow
There's a lot of good acts around
Plenty of profound performers
But there's only one, who really gets through to me
And I'm not looking for an actress
No, no, no, no saki hostess
All I want is you and you and you and you and you
Encore, encore, encore, encore
Proving you're a hard act to follow
You're a hard act to follow
You make it difficult to even think of taking in another play
Hard act to follow, you're a hard act to follow
Keeping me at arms length, sapping my strength from a distance
Lie like Ophelia
Proving you're a mean scene stealer
Proving you're a hard act to follow
Hard act to follow (repeat and vary til fade)
The lyrics of the song "Hard Act To Follow" by Split Enz describe the difficulty of finding someone who can measure up to the person the singer admires. Despite the presence of many other talented performers, this person stands out in the eyes of the singer. He/she lights up whenever this person appears, and everything they do is received well. The singer acknowledges that anyone who follows in the footsteps of this person will have a tough time. The song suggests that this person has set the bar high, and the singer is having a hard time finding someone who can match up to their level.
The second verse speaks about how the singer tries to distract himself/herself from the incredible influence of this person. They watch foreign movies, late-night TV, and even go out at night, but nothing seems to work. These activities only serve to remind them of what they could never have. The singer addresses this person directly when they say, "And I'm not looking for an actress, no, no, no, no saki hostess, all I want is you and you and you and you and you." These lines indicate that despite everything, the singer doesn't want or need anyone else; they only want the person they admire.
In conclusion, the song "Hard Act To Follow" by Split Enz depicts an unattainable admiration for someone who has set incredibly high standards. The song acknowledges that this person is a hard act to follow, making it difficult for anyone who comes after them. Despite the presence of many other talented performers, the person the singer admires stands out, making them feel insignificant in comparison.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a lot of good acts around
There may be a lot of talented people out there.
Plenty of profound performers
Many of them may be deep and profound.
But there's only one, who really gets through to me
But there's only one person who speaks to my heart and soul.
Whenever you come on I light up
Whenever I see you perform, I feel excited and happy.
Everything you do goes down well
Everything you do is well-received and appreciated.
I can tell, after you it's all downhill
After your performance, everything else seems dull and unimpressive.
Proving you're a hard act to follow
Your talent and charisma make it difficult for others to measure up.
You're a hard act to follow
You set the bar high and others struggle to meet it.
You make it difficult (so) difficult
You make it hard to find someone to replace you.
Keeping me at arms length, sapping my strength from a distance
Your presence and talent keep me captivated, but also make me feel weak and powerless.
Watch a lot of foreign movies
I try to distract myself by watching movies from other countries.
See a lot of late night TV
I watch a lot of TV shows late at night to try to forget about you.
Looking for a girl to distract me from what you are
I try to find someone to take my mind off of you.
Try to lose my concentration
I attempt to focus on something other than you.
Acting out of sheer frustration
I act out of desperation and hopelessness.
I go out at night, but after you it doesn't feel right
I try to go out and have fun, but nothing compares to your performance.
Proving you're a hard act to follow
Your talent and charisma continue to make it difficult for others to measure up.
You make it difficult to even think of taking in another play
You make it hard to appreciate other performances.
Lie like Ophelia
You are a skilled actress who can play multiple roles.
Proving you're a mean scene stealer
You have the ability to capture the audience's attention and hold it.
Encore, encore, encore, encore
I want to see more of your performance.
Hard act to follow (repeat and vary til fade)
You continue to be a hard act to follow.
Lyrics © MUSHROOM MUSIC PTY LTD
Written by: BRIAN TIMOTHY FINN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mavericksloan5387
A lush, unrelenting and highly melodic piece of music, this was one of Split Enz's most played songs on our rock station where I grew up in Canada. It's a mystery why it was not was not a bigger hit, or even released as a single outside of Canada and the Netherlands as it had high potential to be a new wave favourite. Still love it!
@mavericksloan5387
A beautiful, passionate and fast-moving musical gem! One of the very top songs of Split Enz's illustrous career, which includes many other unique and wonderful tunes. A mystery why this was not a hit single, but I'm glad I grew up in Montreal where it received regular radio air play on our main rock station in early 80s. Has even improved with age. Believe this was the only Split Enz song that may have been better appreciated in Canada than in their home turf of Australia/New Zealand?
@RyanJohnsonD
I still have my original vinyl True Colors at home. My first new wave band. I loved the layers of their music: Very artistic. These songs still hold up.
@lalba07
Ryan Johnson My older brother brought True Colors album home. My sisters and I would play it over and over. Great album! Awesome songs. Very unique sound. They have a 60's psychedelic sound which is pretty cool.
@sidrocker
One of the greatest songs of the 80's!!!! Love the whole album! Happy to have the vinyl and play it now and then....
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Om Shanti!
@markleeds8684
Love this album. Has three of their best songs. "History Never Repeats, " Hard act to Follow" and "One step ahead" , the lead single here in the US. Why this was not received better is a total mystery to me especially after the success of " I Got You". Should have done better and put them on the map here in the states. No accounting for taste. An album ahead of it time.
@mavericksloan5387
Beautiful, powerful, catchy, unrelenting, heartfelt, inspired and sadly under-rated piece of music! One of the best in Split Enz's illustrous career, which includes many other wonderful tunes. It's a mystery why it was not a hit single, but at least, I'm glad I grew up in Montreal where this song got regular airplay on our main rock station in the early 80s. Perhpas the only Split Enz song to receive more recognition in Canada than in their hometurf?
@idenhlm
Favorite Split enz tune , the enz did have the habit of pricking the national conscience, maybe why it didn't do so good. A fantastic song .
@tammysack4097
can't ever get enough of this song.
@irvmeese.1686
What a great song . Brings me back to the summer of 1981 !