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.
Missing Person
Split Enz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It just occurred to me
To be on my own,
In search of bitter treats
I get so removed
But you never notice it
Step in my shoes,
You'll see that I don't fit
I walk home,
The wrong way,
Hoping I'll go astray
I'd like to be a missing person
Eyes open wide,
But all I see is black
You thought I was alright
Just wait til you get back
There'll be no-one home
And they'll stay up all night
Everyone I know,
I'm wishing you goodnight
I walk home,
The wrong way,
Hoping I'll go astray
I'd like to be a missing person
I wander the highways,
Asleep in your doorways
I'm wanted but I'm a missing person
(Missing Person)
(Missing Person)
And I fly by night,
Fighting to get away
On the neon lights
I slip down alley ways
Only safe and sound when silence brings a chill
Now my back is turned,
I know I can't stand still
I walk home the wrong way,
This time I'll go astray
I like to be a missing person
I wander the highways,
Asleep in your doorways
I'm wanted but I'm a missing person
Missing person,
missing person,
missing person...
The opening lines of Split Enz's "Missing Person," Home to sweet home, it just occurred to me, to be on my own, in search of bitter treats, sets a dark and melancholic tone for the song. The lyrics depict a person that feels disconnected and remote from his/her surroundings. The person tries to distance themselves from their familiar surroundings to seek something that would numb their pain or help them feel a different kind of emotion. However, in doing so, they feel isolated and ignored, revealing their deep-seated loneliness. In the second verse of the song, the person reflects upon their loneliness and despair, claiming that the people around them couldn't see through their facade and realize their true emotional state. They then, ironically, wish everyone a good night and continue their deep wanderings to outside places while emphasizing their desire to become a missing person, where they can find peace and freedom from their pain.
The chorus is an ode to their venturing nature and a desire to escape from their current circumstances. The bridge depicts the person fighting to get away, slipping down alleys in search of refuge. With repeated pleas of 'Missing Person,' it repeats the song's theme, longings for anonymity to escape from the pain of reality. In the end, the song symbolizes the anxiety of seeking freedom and isolation from the pain and suffering of everyday life, a feeling that a lot of people can relate with.
Line by Line Meaning
Home to sweet home,
Back to where it started
It just occurred to me
I just realized
To be on my own,
To be alone
In search of bitter treats
Looking for things that are not good for me
I get so removed
I become distant
But you never notice it
But you don't see it
Step in my shoes,
Put yourself in my situation
You'll see that I don't fit
You'll see that I don't belong
I walk home,
I go back home
The wrong way,
In the opposite direction
Hoping I'll go astray
Hoping to get lost
I'd like to be a missing person
I wish I could disappear
Eyes open wide,
Wide awake
But all I see is black
But I can't see anything
You thought I was alright
You thought I was doing well
Just wait til you get back
Wait until you return
There'll be no-one home
Nobody will be home
And they'll stay up all night
And they'll worry all night
Everyone I know,
Everybody I know
I'm wishing you goodnight
I'm saying goodbye
I wander the highways,
I wander on the roads
Asleep in your doorways
Sleeping by your front door
I'm wanted but I'm a missing person
I'm wanted, but I want to disappear
And I fly by night,
I travel at night
Fighting to get away
Trying to escape
On the neon lights
Under the bright lights
I slip down alley ways
I sneak into alleys
Only safe and sound when silence brings a chill
Only feeling safe and comfortable when everything is quiet
Now my back is turned,
Now I've turned my back
I know I can't stand still
I know I can't stay in one place
This time I'll go astray
This time I'll get lost
Missing person,
A person who is missing
missing person,
A person who is missing
missing person...
A person who is missing
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: NEIL FINN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@gal00li
Bought this album when it came out in UK...boy they looked surreal ...it takes a lot of courage to look that weird.....saw them on "Sight & Sound in concert" and when they did "Charley" I was mesmerised......listening to this song again tonight, I can hear shades of "Paperback Writer" especially in the fade out period. I am a huge fan of the Finn brothers....
@davebensonmum7412
This band had a kooky image but solid musicianship to say the least. Weird clothes and 80's hair and make-up was just a gimmick to make someone who didn't know have a closer look and then out of nowhere whammo!!! There's a full on assault of fast hard rock music and completely original melodies... I love these guys, they're brilliant!!
@jaggeric11
I actually really loved their look. It's irreverent and colorful. Very underrated band.
@yowodup6094
Actually the band were doing the strange look since about 1975.
@bulman66
I bought this album when it came out in 1980, and still love it as much as I did all those years ago. Classic
@karanaman68
Perfect sunset song......these guys wrote some brilliant pop songs.....great lyrics and arrangements
@NagoyaHouseHead
Split Enz are fucking brilliant. I brought my first record at the age of 12. I had no idea what to buy so I just brought the album with the coolest cover. Got home and it turned out to be Waiata. From the moment the needle hit the vinyl I was lost in the world of Split Enz. Forty years later I still am.
@douglas2902
Love this song. Love the lyrics. don't get much better than this. Never heard this song until about a year ago. Another song that undoubtedly got swept under the rug
@tiefhals
As one of those with the laser-etched LP...this is SUCH a great album. Thanks for posting!
@gdyrblymp
Split enz have always ruled!! Met the Finn brothers a few years back. Nice boys, brillant songs, class acts always.