Tim Finn, OBE (born Brian Timothy Finn on 25 June 1952 in Te Awamutu, New Z… Read Full Bio ↴Tim Finn, OBE (born Brian Timothy Finn on 25 June 1952 in Te Awamutu, New Zealand) is a New Zealand singer and musician. His musical career began as a member of New Zealand's art-rock pioneers, Split Enz, and he eventually emerged as one of the band's chief songwriters and most recognizable voices. Since that time Finn has released a number of solo albums, and was for a time a member of brother Neil Finn's band Crowded House. He and Neil Finn have also released albums as the Finn Brothers.

Finn started a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Auckland in 1971. There he jammed in music practice room 129 (later the name of a Split Enz song) with friends and future Split Enz bandmembers Mike Chunn, Robert Gillies, Philip Judd and Noel Crombie. Music soon became more important to him than his studies; in mid-1972 he quit university. A few months later, Judd and Finn (the band's members used their middle names as stage names) formed group Split Ends (renamed Split Enz, shortly before their first move to Melbourne in 1975). The bands' music style is best described as eclectic, incorporating influences from art rock, vaudeville, swing, punk, glam rock, rock and pop. Between 1972 and 1977, Finn and Judd alternated as frontman for the band. Once Judd permanently left the band, Tim Finn's younger brother Neil Finn took his place.

In 1983 Finn recorded his debut solo album, Escapade, while still a member of Split Enz. This met with major commercial success both in Australia and New Zealand, and yielded hit song Fraction Too Much Friction. After contributing four songs to the Split Enz album Conflicting Emotions, Finn left the band permanently in June 1984, to focus on a solo career. The following year he moved to London. 1986 saw the release of his second solo album Big Canoe.

In late 1989, Finn was back living in Melbourne, recording his eponymous third album, Tim Finn, for Capitol Records. In early 1990, he began playing music with younger brother Neil, for an intended Finn brothers record. After working together on some songs, Neil Finn proposed incorporating the tracks onto the latest album of Crowded House, the group he had formed after Split Enz dissolved. Tim Finn performed with the band to promote the band's album Woodface, and co-wrote eight songs, including the hit Weather with You. Yet some time during the tour which followed the album's American release, all concerned realised that the combination was not a good fit. Tim Finn returned to pursue his solo career.

In 2004, the Finn brothers released their second album together, Everyone Is Here. Since then Finn has continued to release solo albums.

Not Even Close
Tim Finn Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I've been walking the straight line
Living in my best friend's pocket
Been looking at my life
All the time, all the time
How can I do my work?
Always looking over my shoulder

When everything falls apart

When you make a false start
Then you can't turn the pages
And you can't find the door
When you're nobody's baby
Not even close to pulling through

We fill up stolen hours,
Hunger for the touch of money
Building crooked towers
on the faultline, faultline
When I came running to you
I was following the light from a dead star

When everything falls apart
When you meet a false heart
Then you can't turn the pages
And you can't find the door

When you're nobody's baby
Not even close to pulling through

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Tim Finn's song "Not Even Close" are a reflection on personal struggles with identity and purpose. The first verse describes feeling like the singer is caught in someone else's shadow, unable to fully focus on their own life without distraction. This leads to a sense of paranoia and the constant feeling of being under scrutiny. The second verse speaks to society's obsession with success and the pressure to constantly build and accumulate, even if it means risking everything on unstable foundations. The chorus reflects the feeling of being lost and disconnected, with no clear path forward or support system to fall back on.

Through its introspective lyrics, "Not Even Close" offers a candid look at the difficulties of trying to find one's way in life. The song speaks to anyone who has felt overwhelmed by the expectations of others or weighed down by self-doubt. However, despite the somber subject matter, the track also offers a glimmer of hope, as the singer continues to seek out the light in the darkness.

Line by Line Meaning

I've been walking the straight line
I have been living my life honestly and without deviation

Living in my best friend's pocket
I have been trying to please my friend and be close to them

Been looking at my life
I have been thinking deeply about my life

All the time, all the time
I have been thinking about it constantly

How can I do my work?
I am having trouble focusing on my work

Always looking over my shoulder
I am constantly worrying about what others will think or do

When everything falls apart
When my life goes wrong

When you make a false start
When I begin something but it doesn't go as planned

Then you can't turn the pages
I can't move on and progress

And you can't find the door
I can't find a way out of my troubles

When you're nobody's baby
When I have no one to rely on or turn to