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.
Voices
Split Enz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Volumes of the deceased
There's no happy endings
History has been cruel
Feel the blood of ages
Flowing through my veins
Still there is no reason
I wonder what's coming
I hear voices
Leading me on
The wise and the strong
Wander through the forest
Losing track of time
Lessons in green and gold
Been growing on for years
I hear voices
Leading me on
Urging me on
I hear voices
Leading me on
Urging me on
The wise and the strong.
The opening lines of the song 'Voices' by the New Zealand band Split Enz draw a picture of a person wandering through a library, surrounded by the volumes of the dead, with no happy endings to be found. The singer is contemplating the cruelness of history while feeling the weight of the past in his veins. The lyrics might hint at the idea that despite the availability of historical records, humanity is doomed to repeat the same mistakes. The sense of foreboding and uncertainty is enhanced by the repeated line, 'I wonder what's coming.' The second verse describes the feelings of being lost in the forest and the lessons that have been growing for years. The presence of 'green and gold' could be interpreted as a reference to nature or perhaps even alludes to the colors of the New Zealand flag.
The chorus, 'I hear voices, leading me on, the wise and the strong,' adds to the mysterious ambiance of the song. The voices that are leading the singer could be interpreted as either internal or external. They could be encouraging him towards his destiny or pushing him towards an unknown fate. The repetition of 'Urging me on' emphasizes the sense that the voices are compelling him forward to face whatever is coming. The sense of urgency is heightened by the repetition of 'the wise and the strong,' lending the voices a sense of authority and power.
Overall, 'Voices' is a mysterious and thought-provoking song that invites interpretation. The lyrics are open to different readings and are likely to have different meanings for different people.
Line by Line Meaning
Wander through the library
Exploring the vast knowledge contained within the library
Volumes of the deceased
Books of the dead people exist within
There's no happy endings
The outcome often doesn't go as planned
History has been cruel
The events of the past can be harsh
Feel the blood of ages
Sensing the significance of the past
Flowing through my veins
An impactful influence on the person
Still there is no reason
Despite all that has happened, it seems pointless
I wonder what's coming
Curious about what the future holds
I hear voices
Receiving guidance beyond the physical realm
Leading me on
Guiding me forward, towards something
The wise and the strong
The guidance comes from those who possess knowledge and power
Wander through the forest
Roaming through the wilderness
Losing track of time
Time doesn't seem to matter
Lessons in green and gold
Nature provides valuable teachings
Been growing on for years
These lessons have accumulated over time
Urging me on
Encouraging me to continue forward
Contributed by Sophia G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
BlueEyes 1970
One of Neil's best ever. Gorgeous melody.
Vpmatt
I'm not a Kiwi but stadiums in New Zealand really should make use of this song to gee up national teams as they come out onto the field. Great song.
Fred Asteroid
These harmonies are inspired. Organ, piano, sax and vocals are pure happiness. Thank you for this hidden gem
Nick BLAKENEY
Just found out it's Wilbur Wilde on saxophone.
Anthony Perl
Love Split Enz. Their music has never really dated and this song was a classic. I lived the album - going to dig it out and listen to it again now.
Pullisto
Ahh, great sound, takes me back to happy teenage times, late '84 when the album See Ya Round with this song was released, this one should have been released as a single. Some interesting tracks on that album, including quirky Ninnie knees up and catchy Kia Kaha.
Ross Hall
My favourite track of theirs. Would be pretty cool if someone would sort out the DRM and get this on iTunes or Play
Anthony Of the O’Neills
Searching for ENSZO on iTunes. No luck so far
anythingfinn
beautiful song...check out the live version with ENZSO
Anthony Of the O’Neills
The ENZSO version is beautiful