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Yothu Yindi — Dots On The Shells (w/ Neil Finn)
Album: Freedom
Avg rating:
5.9

Your rating:
Total ratings: 947









Released: 1993
Length: 3:11
Plays (last 30 days): 1
Yarryurra gunbilk marrawulwul
Djambi dhoru warrpididi
Dhawalnydja dhuwala marrawurrtjara
Dhawalnydja dhuwala dhuruthuruya

Like the lines on your face
The answer is here
And the light in your eyes
Don't hide it away
Like th dots on the shells
They shine

Dhawalnydja dhuwala dirrmalaya
Dhawalnydja dhuwala lunggurmaya
Yawuyawu ganyawuya
Yawuyawu yangayana

Like the lines on your face...

And waters edge goes on
Always rolling into the horizon
We'll go down where the octopus plays
Changing colour with the incoming day

Like the lines on your face...

Like the last star in the sky tonight
Like the lights
In the city tonight
Comments (77)add comment
What a totally seamless transition from Al Di Meola and "Mediterranean Sun" to this.  I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't had the volume cranked and heard it for myself.  Pure genius, Bill and Rebecca.  Many thanks.
RIP Dr G.
Had to look as I thought that sounded like Neil Finn but certainly wasn't Crowded House. Great song.
 westslope wrote:
Nice.  

More 'abo' music please.  

 
 
I think you should recognize (or should have, since this comment is 5 years old) that the term you used is considered offensive in Australia. 
 rsfc_carp wrote:
Amazing.  A Finn can take even Australian aboriginal music and make it sound exactly like everything else he's ever done.  What a gift.

 

{#High-five}


Amazing.  A Finn can take even Australian aboriginal music and make it sound exactly like everything else he's ever done.  What a gift.
I've always thought this was Midnight Oil. At least I had the right hemisphere.
More great indigenous music please - love it (Neil Finn is pretty good too!) 
 melzabutch wrote:


 
Thanks for the pic! :D

Very nice!
 
 Cruithne3753 wrote:
I you're one of those people who's thinking "what the hell does this remind me of?" then it's probably "Neighbourhood" by Space. At least that's what I think.

catsoup wrote:

That's where my head went. Glad I'm not the only one.

 
and just in case it helps "Neighbourhood" by Space is the song that some people think is called "who lives in a house like this" (but isn't)
cheers
TBH, this at first sounded like some Adam Sandler joke song to me. Then Neill Finn came in and I was all {#Dance}
Nice.  

More 'abo' music please.  

 
Great song, great album!
  gentle Antipodean sounds....
This is what I sound like when I come back from the dentist...
 awwww.. loved that seggie into World Party
 BMTR wrote:
{#No}...so primitive...

 
Possibly, but it has a good tune, so 7...
WTF?
{#No}...so primitive...
 TreeFiddy wrote:
The other guy shouldn't be singing with Neil, it just sounds horrible.

 
Isn't that for Mr. Finn to decide? 
The dots on the shells are those on Cowry Shells found all around the world and also in Australia (the home of Yothu).
Fair journey Mr. Yunupingu!  
 gypsyman wrote:
Um, the people singing that aren't Neil Finn - I can't understand a word of it.....
 
Sorry gypsyman, can't understand what you mean. Perhaps if you wrote with a more familiar accent...
The other guy shouldn't be singing with Neil, it just sounds horrible.
That's not his fault though, I could listen to Neil sing the phone book. 
Um, the people singing that aren't Neil Finn - I can't understand a word of it.....
 Frater_Kork wrote:
Reminds me of the Strawbs, not in a good way.
 
I'm not sure how the Strawbs can remind anyone in a good way.
Reminds me of the Strawbs, not in a good way.
Man, I thought this was new Crowded House at first!  {#Good-vibes}  I'd recognize Neil's voice anywhere.

an amazing song.  One of the members of this band, Geoffrey Gurumul Yunupingu, came out with an amazing album a couple of years ago.  would love to see him and more Yothu Yindi on RP.

my first guess was Guster.  I like it.
 pherthyl wrote:
Reminds me of Kashtin in parts.
I was thinking a poppy Tinariwen...

Amazing, love it! 8
 RobMartin wrote:
Definitely! Neil makes ANYTHING sound better. {#Yes}
 
Bumpity bump.
Nice cover art!
 Sloggydog wrote:
Never liked Yothu Yindi but somehow you throw in a healthy measure of Neil Finn and i'm all over it.
  Definitely! Neil makes ANYTHING sound better. {#Yes}


 Art_Carnage wrote:
Kirsty MacColl's version is much better.

 
Opinions are like....well, whatever  {#Roflol}
Kirsty MacColl's version is much better.

Never liked Yothu Yindi but somehow you throw in a healthy measure of Neil Finn and i'm all over it.
How cool to hear sth from/with Neil Finn on RP that I've not heard anywhere else before.

Great song. 8.

The vocals are killing me...{#Yell}


Wow, this was great! Never heard of them before - too bad it looks like it's hard to buy the track.

This is why I listen to RP, for the stuff I've never heard before. Thanks
Thanks for playing Yothu Yindi!  Loved one of their other CDs and played it all the time. 
I really enjoy this song. Probably because I hear it so rarely. The groove and harmonics just get me.
i still remember when i had this CD on super-repeat. one of my favorite australian CDs even today.
dahal buyah yawna buh yah - like the lines on your face? - A bit gruff in the AM
 catsoup wrote:

That's where my head went. Glad I'm not the only one.
 
Evidently, Bill agrees...

Now Playing:
Yothu Yindi - Dots On The Shells (w/ Neil Finn)
Space - Neighbourhood
Norah Jones - Sinkin' Soon


 Cruithne3753 wrote:
I you're one of those people who's thinking "what the hell does this remind me of?" then it's probably "Neighbourhood" by Space. At least that's what I think.
 
That's where my head went. Glad I'm not the only one.


Always brings to my mind Galarrwuy Yunupingu, one of Australias' Living National Treasures.
As such, a great song for all Australians.
{#Stop}
Neil's and Yothu's voices seem to compete in this track rather than compliment each other. Kind of ruins it for me.
RP - All Finns, all the time! :)
What the? Hey, this is cool.
Yothu Yindi = Indigenous for child and mother. Radio Paradise goes Aboriginal!
Cruithne3753 wrote:
I you're one of those people who's thinking "what the hell does this remind me of?" then it's probably "Neighbourhood" by Space. At least that's what I think.
Sweet, oh so sweet seque. That is one of Bill's greatest talents (other than getting us all here for this musical party)! And on we go . . .
Does anyone hear a young John Lennon on vocals? (not literally, of course!)
Squirrel wrote:
Wow - Yothu Yindi on RP! This song is actually better without Neil Finn, hard as that is to believe . . .
Actually the song popped out for me when I heard his voice. otherwise the song was nice... as a background.
Very nice song.
I'm so surprised to hear such an obscure song--by both artists.
pherthyl wrote:
Reminds me of Kashtin in parts.
9.
I you're one of those people who's thinking "what the hell does this remind me of?" then it's probably "Neighbourhood" by Space. At least that's what I think.
Reminds me of Kashtin in parts.
Squirrel wrote:
Wow - Yothu Yindi on RP! This song is actually better without Neil Finn, hard as that is to believe . . .
I agree....awesome.
Squirrel wrote:
Wow - Yothu Yindi on RP!

This song is actually better without Neil Finn, hard as that is to believe . . .


I think I agree. He has too much presence/legacy.. kind of disturbs the song.
edit, I'll take this back. After repeated listening, it has really grown on me.
I like ethnic music, but not ethnic pop
zipper wrote:
Will dots on the shells echo?
Fantastic to hear Yothu Yindi on RP ! They toured Europe 1993-99 and put on some great shows ! Unfortunately haven't seen much of them since their performance at the Olympic closing ceremony in Sydney.
Wow - Yothu Yindi on RP! This song is actually better without Neil Finn, hard as that is to believe . . .
Will dots on the shells echo?
Very bad singing. Neil Finn is good of course and I understand the intention, but the song is bad...
But it's Neil Finn... That's what made me stop and listen.
All for giving something new a chance, but I'm on the singing-being-flat side of the fence.
What a non-event. It was over before I knew it. And yes, the singing is flat.
Yay! I've actually seen Yotho Yindi in person. They're amazing live!
Holy cow! I never expected to hear YY here... Wow. Are they still around? For those who are not familiar with Yothu Yindi, they are an aboriginal group out of Australia...
Funky! Singing kind of flat though.