Song of the Week – I Got You, Split Enz

IGNORED OBSCURED RESTORED

One of my favorite bands of the 80s and 90s was Australia’s Crowded House, the band founded in 1984 by Neil Finn. If you’ve never heard Woodface (1991) in its entirety, check it out. It is a flawless record.

So naturally, I’ve also been interested in the earlier music Finn made with his brother Tim in New Zealand’s Split Enz. That band started in the late 70s and managed to release about nine albums before calling it quits. The most successful was True Colors (1980) that contained their biggest hit – today’s SotW – “I Got You.”

Initially the band thought “Shark Attack” was the album’s most likely hit, so they made it the lead track, followed by “I Got You.” But when “I Got You” took off, they repressed the record with the order of the two songs reversed.

The production of the song is very much of its time (early 80s) but it has a memorable, singable chorus that is timeless.

I don’t know why sometimes I get frightened
You can see my eyes, you can tell that I’m not lyin’
I don’t know why sometimes I get frightened
You can see my eyes, you can tell me you’re not cryin’

They album made other breakthroughs as well. It may have been the first vinyl pressing to be laser etched. Very cool and collectible.

split-enz-etched

The cover was also released with a single graphic design but in nine different color combinations — yellow and blue, red and green, purple and yellow, blue and orange, yellow and red, lime green and pink, hot purple and burnt orange, and gold and platinum.

split-enz-covers

Enjoy… until next week.