As per his song “Haul Away,” Tim was born in Te Awamutu and has gone on to international fame. Maybe not as much renown as his younger brother Neil but Tim does have a larger body of work; Chip scored me his latest The View is Worth the Climb (his ninth solo) which probably won’t have an American printing for a while. Let’s not forget the his song that was featured in the first Narnia film, “Winter Light.”
I have had the opportunity to see Tim perform live twice and I was up close both times.
The first was in 2004 with Neil during the Finn Brothers’ tour, Everyone is Here remains at the top of my Best Five in the Aughts list. Had I known Tim was around for autographs, I would’ve hung out because the second opportunity was a bust. However, number two was an even better performance, just Tim and a guitarist at the Cactus Cafe (a booking the current KUT regime will never do again). My friend Mark M and I were in the front row. It was awesome to just see the older Finn have the spotlight to himself, do his take on songs he co-wrote with Neil and demonstrate upcoming material for what would be The Conversation. I was disappointed over Tim leaving immediately, Eileen Rose (his opener) explained how he tended to turn in early and/or spend time with his young son. I’ve never been angry about it. Tim has provided me hundreds of hours of entertainment, joy and reflection through his lyrics. My only wish was the thank him in person, get my picture with a person whose music became a part of my DNA.
Personal five faves by Tim (singing lead or written):
“Hyacinth”
“Good Together”
“Homesick”
“Weather With You”
“Birds Swim, Fish Fly”