Private Universe by Crowded House

Album: Together Alone (1993)

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The "private universe" is your own little world where you're in a state of equanimity - your happy place. When Crowded House frontman Neil Finn was a kid, this was an apple tree that he would climb and spy on the neighbors. Thus the lines:

The highest branch on the apple tree
It was my favorite place to be
I could hear them breaking free
But they could not see me
Speaking with the New Zealand Herald, Neil Finn explained: "It's also about your whole life and how you create your private domain. I don't know that it has a clear narrative but it has a deep sense of atmosphere. Songs are an alternative reality, or they should be."
The song is part of the 1993 Crowded House album Together Alone, their last before the band split up in 1996. They regrouped 10 years later and put out their next album, Time On Earth, in 2007.
The spacious effect heard on the guitar backing to the chorus used real space to create the airy sound. Mark Hart sat in the back yard of the beach house they used as a studio playing his guitar with the amp cranked right up. Mics were placed at either end of the surrounding bay (Kare Kare Beach) to record the resulting tones. >>
Suggestion credit:
Bren - Havelock North, New Zealand

Comments: 5

Jasper from Sydney, AustraliaThe line "The highest branch on the apple tree, it was my favourite place to be, i could hear them breaking free but they could not see me" Is also a childhood refrence of Neil's. He used to sit in a tree in his backyard and spy on the neighbours. I read a Crowded House book and it said it was a plum tree that he sat in and spied on the neighbours not an apple tree. Whatever the tree is, that's a refrence to a bit of his childhood too.
Paul from Glasgow, United KingdomI heard Neil Finn used to sit in a tree as a child and that's why "the birds come back to the palm to talk".

The Kare Kare production was very influencial on the released single for this song which originally appeared on the album "Together Alone". On the album "Afterglow" by Crowded House you will find a much simpler version. Both are good though!
Stu from Bala, WalesThe lyrics are actually "...the birds come back to the PALM to talk...". Muwahahaha indeed!
Joe from Dublini don't mean to be picky or anything, but, i think it's "...the birds come back to the POND to talk..."

i could be wrong tho.

altho that's doubtful

muwahaha
Scott from Los Angeles, CaThe lyric, "Every night 'bout 6 o'clock. Birds come down to the parking lot. They talk to me...birds talk to me. If I get down on my knees." I heard is from a book. The name of it escapes me, but I got it from someone I consider a reliable source.

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