"Not the Girl You Think You Are" is a 1996 song by rock group Crowded House. It was the third and final single released from the group's greatest hits compilation ''

Recurring Dream A recurring dream is a dream which is experienced repeatedly over a long period. They can be pleasant or nightmarish and unique to the person and their experiences. Common themes in recurring dreams Through psychological analyses and studies, s ...

'' (1996). According to the songwriter

Neil Finn Neil Mullane Finn (born 27 May 1958) is a New Zealand singer-songwriter and musician who is known for being a member of Crowded House, Split Enz (which he co-fronted with brother Tim), and Fleetwood Mac. Finn rose to prominence in the late ...

, the song was written as both his homage to

The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...

and his attempt at writing a song like them. It reached No. 37 on the ARIA Singles Chart, No. 41 in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

, and No. 20 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

. Finn mentioned on Twitter in 2016 that the song was recorded using an

Optigan The Optigan (a portmanteau of Optical Organ) is an electronic keyboard instrument designed for the consumer market. The name stems from the instrument's reliance on pre-recorded optical soundtracks to reproduce sound. Later versions (built under ...

Music video

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...

was provided for "Not the Girl You Think You Are", filmed within a

hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...

featuring the band amongst many mysterious persons. It was directed by Jeff Darling, with production design by Ross Wallace. At the

ARIA Music Awards of 1997 The 11th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as the ARIA Music Awards) were held on 22 September 1997 at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney. The event was hosted by Australian actor–comedian Paul McDer ...

it was nominated for "Best Video".ARIA Music Awards for Crowded House: * Search Results 'Crowded House': * 1997 winners and nominees:

Reception

Junkee Junkee is an Australian popular culture and news website run by new media company Junkee Media. It covers various topics including film, university, food, TV, politics, travel, career, health and Internet culture. Its target demographic is 18- to ...

said, "Here, Finn pens his own Beatles homage. It’s another low-key, humble and wholly charming Crowdies moment. There’s also sentimental value attached: These sessions marked Hester’s final time recording with the band."

Track listing

Live tracks recorded on the Phill Jupitus show,

BBC GLR BBC Radio London is the BBC's local radio station serving Greater London and its surrounding areas. The station broadcasts across the area and beyond, on the 94.9 FM frequency, DAB, Virgin Media channel 937, Sky channel 0152 (in the London ...

, 21 June 1996, the last live performance of the 1990s by Crowded House in the UK before disbanding.Not the Girl You Think You Are / Better Be Home Soon by Crowded House
Retrieved 19 July 2007.

Disc one

#"Not the Girl You Think You Are" - 4:11 #" Instinct" (live) #" Distant Sun" (live) #"

Fall at Your Feet "Fall at Your Feet" is a 1991 song by Crowded House, from their 1991 album, '' Woodface''. It is the only single from ''Woodface'' to be written solely by the group's leader Neil Finn, who co-wrote all other singles from the album with his broth ...

" (live)

Disc two

#"Not the Girl You Think You Are" - 4:11 #" Private Universe" (live) - 5:34 #" Fingers of Love" (live) - 5:19 #" Better Be Home Soon" (live) - 3:27

Charts

References

{{authority control Crowded House songs 1996 singles Songs written by Neil Finn Song recordings produced by Mitchell Froom Song recordings produced by Tchad Blake 1996 songs