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.

Shiver
Tim Finn Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Well she flipped out
From the ocean
And she landed on my path
I didn't know her kind
But she's exactly where it's at

A dark creature
With a fire

She's burning down my past
And I've been hopeless
But she's not into hearing that

Ah, she was a shiver looking for a spine
For a spine to run up
She was a shiver looking for a spine
I came along and she blew my mind
A shiver looking for a spine

When the silence comes around
And I'm looking in her eyes
I've never been this way
But right now I'm hanging for her time

Ah, she was a shiver looking for a spine
For a spine to run up
She was a shiver looking for a spine
I came along and she blew my mind
A shiver looking for a spine
Shiver looking for a
Shiver looking for a spine

Nobody knows me better
Nobody knows me better than you
Nobody knows me better
Better than you

Now she's on heavy rotation
She's always on my mind
I marvel at her works
When you rise and when you shine

She was a shiver looking for a spine
For a spine to run up
She was a shiver looking for a spine
I came along and she blew my mind
The shiver looking for a
The shiver looking for a spine

The spine was mine
I wanna swing like my father swung
When he won my mother's heart

Out on the swing like my father's one
When he won my mother's heart

Overall Meaning

In Tim Finn's song Shiver, the singer of the song begins by describing a woman who has flipped out of the ocean and landed on his path. He admits that he didn't know her kind, but she's exactly where it's at. She's a dark creature with a kind of fire that has the power to burn down his past. He admits he's been hopeless, but she's not into hearing that. The woman is, as the title suggests, a shiver looking for a spine. She's looking for someone to make her whole, to fill the void within her, and give her stability. The singer confesses that when he's looking into her eyes in complete silence, he's never been that way before but he's hanging for her time. He believes that nobody knows him better than her.

As the song progresses, the singer reveals that the woman is on heavy rotation, always on his mind. He marvels at her works and her rise and shine. Finally, in the end, he reveals that she has found her spine, and it was his. He wants to swing like his father did when he won his mother's heart on a swing.

Line by Line Meaning

Well she flipped out
A woman appeared suddenly

From the ocean
She appeared as if from nowhere

And she landed on my path
She entered my life

I didn't know her kind
I didn't know anything about her

But she's exactly where it's at
But she's everything I need

A dark creature
Mysterious and intriguing

With a fire
Passionate and intense

She's burning down my past
She's helping me move on from my past

And I've been hopeless
I've been feeling down

But she's not into hearing that
But she doesn't want to hear about it

Ah, she was a shiver looking for a spine
She was searching for someone strong to support her