Mean to Me (Crowded House song)

"Mean to Me" is the debut single of rock band Crowded House, released in 1986.[1] The single was only released as a 7" vinyl, and was released two months prior to the group's self-titled debut album, Crowded House, on which the song appears. It peaked at No. 26 in Australia.[2]

"Mean to Me"
Single by Crowded House
from the album Crowded House
B-side"Hole in the River"
ReleasedJune 1986
GenrePop rock
Length3:17
LabelCapitol
Songwriter(s)Neil Finn
Producer(s)Mitchell Froom
Crowded House singles chronology
"Mean to Me"
(1986)		 "World Where You Live"
(1986)

At the 1986 Countdown Australian Music Awards the song was nominated for Best Debut Single.[3][4]

The song was often performed as the opening song for concerts, and it was most notably the first song performed at the group's final performance in 1996's Farewell to the World concert. It mentions in passing the town of Te Awamutu.[5] The music video presents a longer intro showing the band enjoying themselves, and then playing the song in a warehouse. Repeatedly throughout the video, the band members continuously mouth "I love you" shown by the words in the video saying, "I LOVE YOU."

The song later appeared on Crowded House's greatest hits compilation Recurring Dream.

Composition

The lyrics largely concern an American Split Enz fan who had written to Neil Finn's parents, hoping to meet him. Finn said, "The verse was written on a tour of New Zealand I did with Dave Dobbyn under the absolutely shocking moniker of the Party Boys. I met her and had 10 minutes with her. Then I came back later and she was dancing with Gary McCormick, so I wrote those lines in which I did intimate they'd got it on. She bailed me up in LA about three years later and was most upset. She swears she didn't. I felt chastened by that."[6]

Reception

Junkee said, "The hangover of Split Enz is still present, most notably in the song’s wigged-out keyboard detour. What "Mean to Me" accomplishes outside of that, is establishing key touchstones of what will go on to be inextricable parts of the Crowded House sound. Both Finn’s strident pop sensibilities and his unique lyrical sense of place."[7]

Track listing

Track 1 by Neil Finn. Track 2 by Finn and Eddie Rayner. Both tracks from the Crowded House album.

  1. "Mean to Me" - 3:17
  2. "Hole in the River" - 4:02

Charts
Chart (1986) Peak
position
Australian (Kent Music Report)[8] 26

Notes
  1. Bailey, Marck; Comprehensive discography Archived 2006-04-09 at the Wayback Machine of Crowded House including track listings for all albums and singles. Released 28 March 1995. Retrieved 5 July 2007.
  2. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. p. 78. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. N.B. The Kent Report chart was licensed by Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) between mid 1983 and 19 June 1988.
  3. "Australian Music Awards". Ron Jeff. Retrieved 16 December 2010.
  4. "Final episode of Countdown". 1970scountdown. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  5. Croot, James (25 November 2016). "Crowded House: Five of their best songs". Stuff.co.nz. Fairfax New Zealand. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
  6. "History ever repeats with Neil Finn". New Zealand Herald.
  7. David James Young. "The Evolution Of Crowded House In 15 Essential Tracks". Junkee.
  8. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 78. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
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