
Italian Plastic is a song by the Australian-New Zealand rock band Crowded House, from their third studio album Woodface, released in July 1991. The song was written by band members Neil Finn and Tim Finn, who are brothers. Neil Finn is the band's primary songwriter and vocalist, while Tim Finn joined the band in 1990 on vocals, guitars, and keyboards for the album Woodface. Italian Plastic is described as a Baroque love song by Neil Finn and was inspired by an incident where Tim Finn bought tacky Italian souvenirs for his girlfriend.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Band | Crowded House |
| Song | Italian Plastic |
| Album | Woodface |
| Year | 1991 |
| Genre | Pop rock |
| Writers | Neil Finn, Tim Finn |
| Producers | Mitchell Froom, Neil Finn |
| Label | Capitol Records |
| Lyrics | Baroque love song inspired by tacky Italian souvenirs |
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What You'll Learn

'Italian Plastic' was written by Neil Finn and Tim Finn
"Italian Plastic" is a song by the Australian-New Zealand rock band Crowded House, which was released in 1991 as part of their album "Woodface". The song was written by Neil Finn and Tim Finn, who were also the founding members of the band. Neil Finn was the vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter, while Tim Finn joined Crowded House in 1990 on vocals, guitars, and keyboards for the album "Woodface".
The song "Italian Plastic" is described as a "Baroque love song" by Paul, who first played the song to Neil Finn. The inspiration behind the song is said to be Paul's purchase of tacky Italian souvenirs for his girlfriend, which she found quite pathetic. The song has a memorable melody and a strong chorus, which made it a crowd favourite at concerts.
"Italian Plastic" is one of eight tracks on the "Woodface" album that were co-written by Neil and Tim Finn, featuring the brothers harmonising on lead vocals. The album also includes five of Neil Finn's solo compositions and two songs by Hester, the other member of Crowded House. "Woodface" was a major hit in Australia and New Zealand and gave the band their first top-ten album in the UK.
In addition to writing and performing the song, Neil Finn also co-produced the "Woodface" album with Mitchell Froom. The album employs more acoustic guitar and less organ than previous releases by Crowded House and makes heavy use of vocal harmonies. It is characterised as pop rock and has received praise for its outstanding melodies and harmonies.
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It featured on the album 'Woodface'
"Italian Plastic" is a song by the Australian-New Zealand rock band Crowded House. It featured on the album Woodface, which was released in July 1991. The song was written by Tim Finn, who joined Crowded House in 1990 on vocals, guitars, and keyboards for the album. Woodface was the band's third studio album and was produced by Mitchell Froom and Neil Finn, the band's primary songwriter and vocalist.
The song was inspired by an incident where Tim Finn bought some tacky Italian souvenirs for his girlfriend, and she found them quite pathetic. The lyrics of the song reflect this, with lines such as "I bring you plates from Rome/You say they look fantastic/I say we're having fun/Nothing like that Italian plastic". The song has been described as a "Baroque love song" and features a memorable melody and a strong chorus.
Woodface featured a mix of songs written solely by Neil Finn, songs co-written by Neil and Tim Finn, and songs written by other band members. The album employs more acoustic guitar and less organ than previous releases by Crowded House, and it makes heavy use of vocal harmonies. The album's style has been characterised as pop rock, drawing comparisons to the works of John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
In addition to "Italian Plastic", Woodface included popular singles such as "Chocolate Cake", "Fall at Your Feet", "Weather with You", and "Four Seasons in One Day". The album was a major hit in Australia, New Zealand, and the UK and it is considered one of the band's finest works.
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The song was inspired by a story about tacky souvenirs
The song "Italian Plastic" by Crowded House was inspired by a story about tacky souvenirs. Neil Finn, the song's writer, shared in 1991 that the song was inspired by a friend, Paul, who bought tacky Italian souvenirs for his girlfriend. The girlfriend found these souvenirs quite pathetic.
The song's lyrics allude to this story with lines like "I bring you plates from Rome/You say they look fantastic/I say we're having fun/Nothing like that Italian plastic." The mention of "Italian plastic" here could refer to mass-produced, inexpensive, and tacky souvenirs that are often bought by tourists. These souvenirs are usually forgotten or thrown away soon after the trip.
The song's chorus continues with the theme of commitment and enduring love: "When you wake up with me/I'll be your glass of water/When you stick up for me/Then you're my Bella Bambina." Despite the initial mention of Italian plastic, the song evolves into a love song, with the singer promising to be by their partner's side through thick and thin.
The song "Italian Plastic" is a beautiful blend of humour and sentiment, with a memorable melody and a strong chorus. It is a testament to the power of music to find inspiration in everyday experiences, such as buying souvenirs, and turning them into something special.
"Italian Plastic" serves as a reminder that even in the midst of tourist traps and tacky souvenirs, there is room for genuine connection and enduring love. The song invites listeners to reflect on the true meaning of souvenirs and how they can represent something more profound and long-lasting than just a fleeting memory of a trip.
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The song is characterised as a pop-rock Baroque love song
"Italian Plastic" is a song by the band Crowded House. It was released in 1991 as part of their album Woodface. The song is characterised as a pop-rock Baroque love song.
The lyrics of "Italian Plastic" are inspired by an anecdote from songwriter Paul Hester's life. As bandmate Neil Finn recounts:
> " [Paul] once bought some really tacky Italian souvenirs for his girlfriend and brought them home and she found them quite pathetic, I think, so that inspired the song."
The song's lyrics reflect this, with lines such as "I bring you plates from Rome / You say they look fantastic / I say we're having fun / Nothing like that Italian plastic".
The song has a strong chorus and a memorable melody, with bandmate Neil Finn describing it as one of Hester's best songs. The song has a playful tone, with references to "having fun" and being on "vacation". It also includes romantic sentiments, with the narrator promising to be their love interest's "glass of water" and "soul survivor".
Overall, "Italian Plastic" is a catchy and appealing pop-rock love song with a unique and lighthearted narrative inspired by a real-life anecdote.
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The band are from Australia and New Zealand
"Italian Plastic" is a song by the Australian-New Zealand rock band Crowded House. The band was formed in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, in 1985. The founding members were New Zealander Neil Finn (vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter) and Australians Paul Hester (drummer) and Nick Seymour (bassist). Neil Finn and Seymour are the only constant members of the band.
Neil Finn and Paul Hester were both former members of the New Zealand band Split Enz, which spent part of 1975-76 in Australia and several years in England. Finn is the younger brother of Split Enz founding member Tim Finn, who joined Crowded House in 1990 on vocals, guitars, and keyboards for the album Woodface. Nick Seymour is the younger brother of singer-songwriter and guitarist Mark Seymour of the Australian rock group Hunters & Collectors.
Finn and Hester decided to form a new band during the first Split Enz farewell tour, "Enz with a Bang", in late 1984. Seymour approached Finn during the after-party for the Melbourne show and asked if he could audition for the band. The newly formed Crowded House already had an established Australasian fanbase thanks to their Split Enz connection. They began by playing at festivals in Australia and New Zealand and released their debut album, Crowded House, in August 1986.
"Italian Plastic" was written by Paul Hester and appears on the album Woodface, which was released in 1991. According to Neil Finn, the song was inspired by Hester's purchase of some tacky Italian souvenirs for his girlfriend, which she found quite pathetic. Finn describes the song as a "Baroque love song."
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Frequently asked questions
"Italian Plastic" was written by Neil Finn and Tim Finn.
Neil Finn was a founding member of Crowded House and served as the band's vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter.
Tim Finn is the older brother of Neil Finn and a former member of Split Enz. He joined Crowded House in 1990 on vocals, guitars, and keyboards for the album "Woodface".
"Italian Plastic" was released in July 1991 as part of the album \"Woodface".
The song was inspired by Paul's purchase of tacky Italian souvenirs for his girlfriend.









































