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.
So Precious
Tim Finn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Some things are best left undone
Please don't ask me to explain
Where I'm coming from
So precious (you know what I'm talking about)
So precious (all the things you can't live without)
So precious (you'll just have to let them go)
It's raining snakes from the sky
It's blowing ghosts through the trees
Two different worlds you and I
With our own memories
So precious (you know what I'm talking about)
So precious (all the things you can't live without)
So precious (you'll just have to let them go)
So precious
Let's not forget what we all are
We're not lovers and we're not superstars
We're human beings after all
At nature's beck and call
At nature's beck and call
So precious so precious
So precious (you know what I'm talking about)
So precious (tick tick time running out)
So precious (you just have to let them go)
So precious
Don't be so precious
Ah precious
Don't be precious
Just let it go
Don't be precious
Just let it go now
You just let it go
The song "So Precious" by Tim Finn is a reflective piece about the importance of letting go of things that we have held dear in our lives. The opening lines of the song establish the idea that there are some things that are better left unsaid and undone. The next line, "please don't ask me to explain where I'm coming from," sets the tone for the song: the singer is struggling to articulate his feelings about something that is of great importance to him.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "so precious" three times, each time with a slightly different meaning. The first iteration suggests that the objects or ideas that we hold dear are so important that they are beyond explanation. The following line, "all the things you can't live without," implies that these "precious" things have become essential to our wellbeing. The third line, "you'll just have to let them go," is an acknowledgement that while these things are important, they can't be held onto forever.
The second verse of the song reinforces this theme with images of snakes raining from the sky and ghosts blowing through the trees. The singer suggests that each person has their own memories and experiences that shape their perspective on the world. The line "two different worlds you and I" underscores that idea by suggesting that while we might share similar experiences, we each process and interpret them in our own unique way.
The bridge of the song introduces a new idea, which is that we are all just human beings at the mercy of nature. The line "we're not lovers and we're not superstars" is an acknowledgement that we are all equal when it comes to the power of the natural world. The final repetition of the chorus underscores the importance of letting go of the things that we hold precious in order to live fully in the present.
Line by Line Meaning
Some things are best left unsaid
There are things that are better off not being expressed in words.
Some things are best left undone
There are things that should not be acted upon.
Please don't ask me to explain
I prefer not to delve into the details of what I meant.
Where I'm coming from
The origin of my thought process.
So precious (you know what I'm talking about)
These things that I am referring to have significant value.
So precious (all the things you can't live without)
There are certain things that you just cannot lose or live without.
So precious (you'll just have to let them go)
Despite their value, it is important to relinquish their hold.
It's raining snakes from the sky
Something illogical and unanticipated is happening.
It's blowing ghosts through the trees
There is a mysterious and haunting vibe to the environment.
Two different worlds you and I
We have different perspectives and experiences.
With our own memories
We carry our own history and background.
Let's not forget what we all are
It is important to remember our true nature.
We're not lovers and we're not superstars
We are just ordinary people without any grandiose identity.
We're human beings after all
Our core identity is that of being human.
At nature's beck and call
We are subject to the whims of nature.
Don't be so precious
Do not be too obsessive or clingy about something.
Ah precious
Expressing a sense of irony or sarcasm towards the subject.
Just let it go
One should learn to detach and move on from things.
You just let it go
It is imperative to learn to relinquish control.
Contributed by Olivia O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.