Split Enz - Charlie Lyrics

Why does this song/LYRICS!!! make me tear up? (Darling Charlie-you are a girl....right??) Sigh.

OMG Tim’s vocals... the emotion he manages to convey.... sublime

i named myself after this song

What an awesome song,,,,and what a privilege it was to meet Tim

I always wish I knew ...is "Charlie" dead? WTF? A great tune..sad tho.

j w osborne yes apparently

Split Enz a great band. They really were ahead of their time too. They pushed and redefined the popular music envelope. Some really great lyrics too like in this song.

F*cking love this song. Tim’s vocals are...

When I first heard this song I didn't like it very much (maybe because it was 2am and the vocals are a bit flat) but subsequently every time I've heard it, it becomes more enchanting. A real testament to the song writing behind this group.

Very good dark atmosphere......

Sublime never gets old

These guys are the real deal..the classiest most original.the enz were the best and will always be the best untouchable. .

Love Split Enz

Thanks for sharing Benjamin Jack Kata Finau, greetings from the NL

pure magic

I didn't even know they did a studio recording of this track

this sounds better live on c.d which I have got in n.z in 1984 the living enz. even though the original always the best.

Such dark lyrics set to light, whimsical music, a brilliant paradox.

perfect for my dog named Charlie. love this song

This goes out to my cat Charlie who passed away :( Sung by my hero Tim Finn <3

Was Charlie a coke addict too? Charlie=coke in slang

I love this so much

Apparently this is one of Paul McCartney's favorite songs.

I don't know if it's an all-time fave, but after an Enz concert in England, Tim ended up in an elevator with Sir Paul, and Paul complimented him on this song. Needless to say, Tim was walking on clouds for a week!!!!

At least that's how I understand it went, if I'm remembering it correctly.

I'd piss myself if Paul McCartney even heard my song.

I remember loving this rs.. fuck it, ill be back...too muh right now...

Schizoaffective little classic by those Kiwi's, beautiful yet eery.

for bigggphil1974 Mr Phudd & His Novelty Act - genius. I don't see how Judd can top that one.

What made the Enz so great, and in my opinion they were the BEST of the "New Wave" bands of the era was the collision of Judd and Finn, epic collision. As they say in Hollywood, "God made it click." It didn't hurt that they were surrounded by some very creative open people, and it seems all with a fantastic sense of humor... those two or three early albums are still among my all time favorites out of maybe 40K records I've listened to.

I so wished I could have seen them then. Brilliant performers!

I fully agree - without a doubt. Still have solid memories of Christchurch Royal Theatre 1980. Tim sang this song sitting spot-lit with his legs dangling over the front of the stage - while the crowd went motionless and melted. You could have heard a pin drop. They could do that.

doren garcia it was initially Noel Crombie who draw me to the Enz. Once True Colours came out, that sort of shifted thing ( a bit 🌝). There is nothing else in the world like Tim’s voice.

doren garcia definitely agree, best new wave band and greatest band period!

Harvey3rdman yep, we got the Phil Manzanera. version, in the UK, too. It was similar to the Second Thoughts version sold in NZ ams Australia. It was so much more polished and better for it, but a fair few folk would disagree with me on that.

genius !!

Actually, a sizable portion of Noel's costumes were stored at the Museum of Performing Arts in Melbourne years ago. They might be still there today.

I'm doing this song acoustic tonight at an open mic... Gonna be fun!

This is just an excellent f- song!! Dark and brilliant. These guys had so many great songs. Too many to count.

This version is heaps better than the one on Enz of an Era

Yes there is a small museum in Te Awamutu which has a large portion dedicated to them.

I tell you,i would give my left leg to see these guys reunite and play songs from this era including mental notes,second thoughts etc.Any chance boys?

Te Awamutu has an exhibition dedicated to the Finn Brothers. Its been there ever since I can remember.

@waffuru
good to read your view - from the musician's standpoint.

As a listener I was simply gobsmacked by the lyrics and the accompanying music.

Way back then ....

in some country in Europe

That would have been a good one!

Laughing Clowns and James Chance & The Contortions are two other groups who made really good use of the saxophone I think.

I totally agree - and glad they were able to patch things up.

Thinking back on this, my understanding was always that the departure of Rob Gillies [horns] in 1977 was also not entirely voluntary - that he was basically pushed out to try to make way for a returning Phil Judd (on one of his many go-rounds with the band).

Robert is an excellent musician so that certainly sucks if it was indeed the case. I wonder how some of their later songs would have sounded with sax/trumpet?

Phil's departure was mutual I believe - the atmosphere in the band by that point was such that neither Phil or Mike Chunn felt it was in their best interests to stay on.

But no, I don't think Tim was exactly begging them to stay either.

And actually, even that's debatable - I've also heard that Mal hightailed it out once the fists started flying. =)

Damn shame though either way.

@fishboy1111111 , sorry you are right. There was a display at the National Museum Te Papap in Wellington. However, there is no especially dedicated museum (like Graceland) to them.

@benkata there are costumes from the band that noel crombie made on display in some NZ museum

i wonder what would have become of hte band had tim not everreacted and kicked out phil judd, i recnetly heard phil judd's latest work and was pleasently surprised how great he still writes.

@kderdas1 don't listen to this guy, art is subjective and relative, attend whatever types of things you enjoy, doesnt have to be a play or opera, variety and our different tastes is what makes us unique,just like art, go see evil dead the musical if thats your thing, just as valid a piece of art.

WOW!!! I thought I knew all of the Split Enz catalog. I guess I am a little more familiar with their 1980 & newer stuff. This song is really F***** UP!! F***** UP in a cool way mind you. Not sure if it is about a guy who accidently kills a woman named Charlie though. It is definitely about somebody who did something awful. Probably something that is both awful and irreversable and he is feeling deep remorse for whatever he did!!!! Love the FINN brothers!!!! They are NZ's Lennon & McCartney!!!!

@PhilipaCarr, unfortunately, no.

even if its to a woman, I like to think of my dad when I hear this classic s'enz.... 18th anniversary today...miss you so much :( :(

one of my favourite songs. i was 14 when i first bought the Album in 1977.

Still sounds just as awesome now as it did back then...always will.

the enz...very kool....new song to me!!!!

Thanks ever so much for posting!!!
*****
Lovely vid & sound quality, too.

Such a dark song.