American Top 40 PastBlast Redux, 4/4/87: Crowded House, “Don’t Dream It’s Over”

Before I started this blog, I posted about songs from old AT40s on Facebook, January-July 2017. I’ll be moving them here over time. This entry has been edited somewhat from the original.

Toward the end of my first semester at the University of Illinois, I saw a video from a new band out of Australia/New Zealand.  “Now We’re Getting Somewhere” didn’t really damage the charts, but in January I began hearing a second track from them.  It really caught my ear; I remember writing to my friend Suzanne back in Lexington, telling her about this fantastic song.  Ultimately it went to #2 (it’s #7 here) and as I’ve mentioned before, it’s one of my very favorite 80s songs.

It took me a long time to notice, but one of the remarkable things about the song (and really, about much of the album it’s on) is how little Neil Finn seems to care about rhyme.  Yes, there’s roof/proof in one verse and in/win in the chorus, but take a look–he’s not even trying to match sounds overall, yet it stands up well not only as poetry but as lyrics.