Crowded House - To The Island (2021 single)
To The Island
Neil Finn
You pick me up with a smile for my weakness
I’m bittersweet but you care about me
You found me lost in the chaos and confusion
You said it’s possible that we can be free
You take my hand and then you sweep me off my feet
Oh let me move you
Come to the island
Where we can save our souls
It’s just the right size (for me)
The world is beyond us
It’s too enormous
But oh the island is just right
It’s the perfect size
You pick me up, with the promise of love
Our names on the door at the island of real
You have a way of being gentle and tough
In every sense I think you know how I feel
Cos I’m afraid of things I don’t understand
And now I need a little hope
Oh Let me move you
(the cities covered in smoke)
Come to the island
(the whole systems broke)
Where we can save our souls
It’s just the right size (for me)
The world is beyond us
(let’s not get into a fight)
It’s too enormous
(Irene Goodnight)
But oh the island is just right
It’s the perfect size
Just right
It’s the perfect size (for me)
The world is beyond us
(Shit just got real)
It’s too enormous
(Fell under the wheel)
But oh the island is just right
It’s the perfect size for me
Song Also appears on:
Crowded House - Dreamers Are Waiting (2021 album)
Live and demo versions: Fangradio “To The Island” single release special, 18 February 2021
Single released 8 April 2021
“With all the world upended and nothing in its right place, we became curious to hear how our favourite contemporary musicians and record makers might reimagine a Crowded House song. I emailed our version of To The Island to Kevin Parker (Tame Impala) with an invitation to take it apart and reassemble in his own unique way. Happily, he really liked the song and it was an absolute delight to hear what he made from it, an exotic fantasy I would call it.”
Single released 23 April 2021
“Another artist we in Crowded House greatly admire is fellow New Zealander Ruban Neilson (Unknown Mortal Orchestra). Ruban was willing and able when asked to dismantle our single ‘To The Island.’ His remix has reimagined our song with swagger and grit and some glam overtones… we think it’s transformed in a beautiful way.”
“It’s a really lovely song and there is this cool slightly menacing glam stomp to it, so I ended up drawing more and more of that out until I was playing it really loud and distorting everything and it was really fun to do a variant like that. I think it goes without saying that it’s an honour but I’d feel like I missed the opportunity if I didn’t add that too.”