Anyone Can Tell
Neil Finn
I dream of a place that’s hedged with roses
Where the man in the middle don’t talk in riddles
You get hung on every single word
Some call it high, some call it low
When they hear about things they don’t want to know
But the truth is still a valuable thing
Don’t get caught with your pants down baby
In this world the criminals sing
There is another world waiting
Anyone can tell
Anyone can tell
Anyone can tell that I’m not lying
You can hide your face, pull it into shapes
But you can’t escape the lie forever
I dream of a place that’s overrun by children
And the lord is in the kitchen
Do your work and you’ll get your rewards
‘Cause what you are is all that really matters
What is left you can easily scatter
On the ground ahead covered in mud
Don’t step on my principles baby
In spite of what you have done
One day you will have the wisdom
I will tell you
Everything’s great
Anyone can tell that I’m not lying
You can hide your face
You can change your shape
But you can’t escape the lie forever
Anyone can tell
Anyone can tell
Song appears on:
Crowded House - Afterglow (compilation, 1999)
Live: Various Fangradio broadcasts in 2020
“This was one of the first songs we recorded for the Woodface record in Los Angeles. I’m not sure why this one didn’t get to the record except for the amount of competition it had. It was another example of Mitchell Froom suggesting two songs being stuck together. I probably never quite came to terms with the lyrical match-up but I can listen to it now quite happily in all its ambiguity.”
