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.
Small World
Split Enz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's not a very big house, for a large family
People moving out or making home improvements
but the basic problem never seems to go away
It's a small world
It's common knowledge, satellite looks on
It's enough to make a man feel uncomfortable
Someone else's leader needs kill Pacific Atoll
It's a small world
Oh, well there's only just enough to go `round
Wanna shout about it, shout about it
Small world, and it's getting smaller
There's no getting away from it all in a small world
Baby boom-town, and the population swells
There's a broken circuit no one tells the truth
Are we mammals with a future in this nutshell
When you're small it should be easier to pick things up
It's a small world
Oh, wanna hold it in my hand
Gonna roll it like a ball
Oh, we're a drop in the ocean
Gonna shout about it, shout about it
Small world, and it's getting smaller
There's no getting away from it all in a small world
Yes and it's a strange place for bringing up your children
When there's no guarantee that they'll have a future
In a small world.
In "Small World," Split Enz reflects on the idea that the world is getting smaller, physically and metaphorically. The first verse describes a growing family in a small house, symbolizing the population boom in the world. The second verse highlights the concept of surveillance and global politics, exemplified by the mention of a Russian spy sent to observe them. The song suggests that in a world where information travels quickly and borders are more permeable, privacy is harder to come by and people feel unease about who might be watching or controlling them.
The chorus repeats the phrase "small world," emphasizing that this concept is the central idea of the song. It's repeated again and again like a mantra, daring listeners to deny the truth of what the band is saying. The bridge of the song features the lyrics "Wanna shout about it," encouraging the listener to acknowledge this fact and fully accept the consequences of the small world.
The final verse speaks to the difficulties of raising children in a world where there are no guarantees for their future. The enigmatic phrase "There's a broken circuit no one tells the truth" suggests that something is going wrong in society, but no one is talking about it openly.
Overall, Split Enz is using "Small World" to explore the complexity and interconnectedness of a rapidly changing world, and the insecurities that come with that knowledge.
Line by Line Meaning
It's a small world, and you must agree
The world is small, and everyone acknowledges it.
It's not a very big house, for a large family
A house accommodating a big family is relatively small.
People moving out or making home improvements
People are either moving out of their house or improving it.
but the basic problem never seems to go away
Despite the changes, the underlying problem never goes away.
It's a small world
The world is small.
It's common knowledge, satellite looks on
Satellites observe the world, and it's common knowledge.
and a Russian man is sent to spy upon us
A Russian person is spying on us.
It's enough to make a man feel uncomfortable
The thought of being spied on is unsettling for a person.
Someone else's leader needs to kill Pacific Atoll
Another country's leader wants to destroy a Pacific Atoll.
It's a small world
The world is small.
Oh, well there's only just enough to go `round
There is just enough for everyone.
Wanna shout about it, shout about it
The desire to express their feelings about the world.
Small world, and it's getting smaller
The world is getting even smaller.
There's no getting away from it all in a small world
It's hard to escape from the world's problems when it's so small.
Baby boom-town, and the population swells
Population grows quickly in a baby boom-town.
There's a broken circuit no one tells the truth
A circuit is broken, and no one is telling the truth.
Are we mammals with a future in this nutshell
Do we have a future as mammals in this small world?
When you're small it should be easier to pick things up
It should be easier to pick things up in a small place.
It's a small world
The world is small.
Oh, wanna hold it in my hand
The desire is to hold the world in one's hand.
Gonna roll it like a ball
The intention is to roll the world like a ball.
Oh, we're a drop in the ocean
We're a small part of the ocean of humanity.
Gonna shout about it, shout about it
The desire to express their feelings about the world.
Small world, and it's getting smaller
The world is getting even smaller.
There's no getting away from it all in a small world
It's hard to escape from the world's problems when it's so small.
Yes and it's a strange place for bringing up your children
The world is an odd place to raise one's children.
When there's no guarantee that they'll have a future
There's no assurance of a future for children in this small world.
In a small world.
The world is small.
Contributed by Jack L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Chris T
one of the best songs ever written
mike witter
What a band
Susan
<3 <3 <3
Kihm Sanders
Check out the chunky syncopated beat on this song, and try to resist it. Another tasty tune from a great group of musicians!