This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Written by Pat Book
Performed by Heroes Wear Helmets
The last time I saw Yolanda her face was in her hands
but I didn’t say “I love you” I just said “I understand"
the last time I saw Yolanda mascara ran right down her cheeks
a vision I saw in my head for weeks and weeks and weeks
the last time I saw Yolanda tears were streaming down her face
I guess the time had come for her to leave this awful place
it was the last time that I saw her but it worked in the long run
too lovely for this ugly place, too loved to be my only one
Every time I saw Yolanda the breath flew from my lungs
her beauty and personality matched the intensity of the sun
every time I saw Yolanda I couldn’t help but smile
keeping my hands off her always proved to be a trial
every time I saw Yolanda my heart would quickly soar
then plummet back to earth and get smashed onto the floor
every time I saw Yolanda it only made me much more bitter
because I knew she was going places and she’d never take me with her
Every time Yolanda saw me she would roll her eyes a bit
like she didn’t want to see me and she didn’t give a shit
every time Yolanda saw me I was dazzled by her smile
she gave it away like free samples in the cookie aisle
every time Yolanda saw me she made sure I knew she cared
a quality in people that’s entirely too rare
every time I saw Yolanda it was always bittersweet
because even though I loved her she only thought that I was neat
Performed by Heroes Wear Helmets
The last time I saw Yolanda her face was in her hands
but I didn’t say “I love you” I just said “I understand"
the last time I saw Yolanda mascara ran right down her cheeks
a vision I saw in my head for weeks and weeks and weeks
the last time I saw Yolanda tears were streaming down her face
I guess the time had come for her to leave this awful place
it was the last time that I saw her but it worked in the long run
too lovely for this ugly place, too loved to be my only one
Every time I saw Yolanda the breath flew from my lungs
her beauty and personality matched the intensity of the sun
every time I saw Yolanda I couldn’t help but smile
keeping my hands off her always proved to be a trial
every time I saw Yolanda my heart would quickly soar
then plummet back to earth and get smashed onto the floor
every time I saw Yolanda it only made me much more bitter
because I knew she was going places and she’d never take me with her
Every time Yolanda saw me she would roll her eyes a bit
like she didn’t want to see me and she didn’t give a shit
every time Yolanda saw me I was dazzled by her smile
she gave it away like free samples in the cookie aisle
every time Yolanda saw me she made sure I knew she cared
a quality in people that’s entirely too rare
every time I saw Yolanda it was always bittersweet
because even though I loved her she only thought that I was neat
Lyrics submitted by heroeswearhelmets
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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,
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