This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Can you take me back where I came from?
Can you take me back?
Can you take me back where I came from?
Brother, can you take me back?
Can you take me back?
Mm, can you take me where I came from?
Can you take me back?
Can you take me back?
Can you take me back where I came from?
Brother, can you take me back?
Can you take me back?
Mm, can you take me where I came from?
Can you take me back?
Lyrics submitted by ruben
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I thought it was another "Paul is dead" Beatles joke.....Don't know for sure, but think about it.
could be a tie-in to the mentioning of the twelve o' clock seance in Cry Baby Cry, and Paul is the voice.......think about it......
I thought this was a "Paul is dead" reference. I really don't like or believe in the Paul is dead thing, but that's what I always thought. And now, to face my fear of the gross creepy theory, I turn up "Can You Take Me Back" really loudly every time I hear it on my iPod.
Since it's at the end of cry baby cry, I'd assume it was something to do with that song. In the song, they're having a seance, and I know that the children were putting on the voices, but doesn't it make sense, too, to have this as a ghost singing. Can you take me back? He wants to live again. For a while I believed in the paul is dead thingy, and all other interpretations do kinda make sense. But I think it's something to do with the seance.
This isn't it's own song. It's at the end of Cry Baby Cry.
yes, not its own
but: i heard some people think its robert can you take me back.... what's that all about?
This was obviously Paul recording a song that just got stuck on the end of "Cry Baby Cry." Whether they did it on purpose or not, I'm not too sure.
I'm pretty sure this was a song in the works, but they just decided to put it on thew end of cry baby cry. Maybe because cry baby cry was very short.
Dr. Robert = John Lennon. The song Dr. Robert off Revelver is about how Lennon used to distribute the drugs to the rest of the band. Hence call on Dr. Robert. So with that statement this song explains itself. Listen for the part after this where if you turn the volume up you can hear george martin complaining about someone not bringing him wine.
"Robert can you take me back?" might, I repeat "might" be a reference to the "Doctor Robert" who famously introduced the Beatles to LSD in 1965. Paul might be lamenting the additional knowledge that often comes with the use of LSD and the accompanying additional sense of responsibility experienced by conscientious users. The Lennon/McCartney song "Doctor Robert" penned a few years earlier was certainly more celebratory.
Dr. Robert was a real doctor, and definitely not a pseudonym for John Lennon.