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,
Aha-hah-hah
Aha-hah-ah (yeahh)
Aha-hah, hah-ah
Aha-hah-hah
Aha-hah-ah (yeahh)
Aha-hah, hah-ah
Hey-hey
Advice is cheap you can take it from me
It's your's to keep 'cause opinions are free
Nobody knows about the trouble I've seen
Nobody's perfect, mister, nobody's clean
It coasts too much and takes too long to find out too late
Some words aren't heard 'til after they're spoken
Your role was protective, your soul was too defective
Some people just don't have a heart to be broken
We could've gone all the way to the Great Wall of China
If you only had a little more faith in me
In lieu of diamonds, gold, and platinum reminders
Will still shine bright
All the king's men and all the king's horses
Can't put you together the way you used to be
We could have been standing on the Great Wall Of China
Hey-hey
You take a piece of whatever you touch
Too many pieces means you're touching too much
You never win if you can't play it straight
You only beat me if you get me to hate
It must be so lonely to think that you have only
Somebody else's life to live if they let you
I ain't too selective, but it don't take no detective
To find out how fast your friends will forget you
We could have gone all the way to the Great Wall of China
Now all you're going to be is history
Help yourself, it's all you can eat at the Empire Diner tonight
You coulda had class, you coulda been a contender
Charlie, you shoulda looked out for me
You could have been standing, standing on the Great Wall of China
Aha-hah-hah
Aha-hah-ah
Aha-hah, hah-ah
Aha-hah-hah (hey-ey, hey)
Aha-hah-ah
Aha-hah, hah-ahh
This was not your calling, just look how far you've fallen
I heard your story, man, you've got to be joking
Keep things in perspective, this is my true objective
Why tear this heart out if it's only been broken?
We could've gone all the way to the Great Wall of China
If you only had a little more faith in me
In lieu of diamonds, gold, and platinum reminders
Will still shine bright
All the king's men and all the king's horse
Can't put you together the way you used to be
We could have been standing on the Great Wall Of China
Aha-hah-hah
Aha-hah-ah
Ahh, ahh, ahh, ahh
Aha-hah-hah
Aha-hah-ah
Ahh, ahh, ahh, ahh
Aha-hah-hah
Aha-hah-ah
Ahh, ahh, ahh, ahh
Aha-hah-hah
Aha-hah-ah
Ahh, ahh, ahh, ahh
Aha-hah-hah
Aha-hah-ah
Ahh, ahh, ahh, ahh
Aha-hah-hah
Aha-hah-ah
Ahh, ahh, ahh, ahh
Aha-hah-hah
Aha-hah-ah
Ahh, ahh, ahh, ahh
Aha-hah-hah
Aha-hah-ah
Ahh, ahh, ahh
Aha-hah-ah (yeahh)
Aha-hah, hah-ah
Aha-hah-hah
Aha-hah-ah (yeahh)
Aha-hah, hah-ah
Hey-hey
Advice is cheap you can take it from me
It's your's to keep 'cause opinions are free
Nobody knows about the trouble I've seen
Nobody's perfect, mister, nobody's clean
It coasts too much and takes too long to find out too late
Some words aren't heard 'til after they're spoken
Your role was protective, your soul was too defective
Some people just don't have a heart to be broken
We could've gone all the way to the Great Wall of China
If you only had a little more faith in me
In lieu of diamonds, gold, and platinum reminders
Will still shine bright
All the king's men and all the king's horses
Can't put you together the way you used to be
We could have been standing on the Great Wall Of China
Hey-hey
You take a piece of whatever you touch
Too many pieces means you're touching too much
You never win if you can't play it straight
You only beat me if you get me to hate
It must be so lonely to think that you have only
Somebody else's life to live if they let you
I ain't too selective, but it don't take no detective
To find out how fast your friends will forget you
We could have gone all the way to the Great Wall of China
Now all you're going to be is history
Help yourself, it's all you can eat at the Empire Diner tonight
You coulda had class, you coulda been a contender
Charlie, you shoulda looked out for me
You could have been standing, standing on the Great Wall of China
Aha-hah-hah
Aha-hah-ah
Aha-hah, hah-ah
Aha-hah-hah (hey-ey, hey)
Aha-hah-ah
Aha-hah, hah-ahh
This was not your calling, just look how far you've fallen
I heard your story, man, you've got to be joking
Keep things in perspective, this is my true objective
Why tear this heart out if it's only been broken?
We could've gone all the way to the Great Wall of China
If you only had a little more faith in me
In lieu of diamonds, gold, and platinum reminders
Will still shine bright
All the king's men and all the king's horse
Can't put you together the way you used to be
We could have been standing on the Great Wall Of China
Aha-hah-hah
Aha-hah-ah
Ahh, ahh, ahh, ahh
Aha-hah-hah
Aha-hah-ah
Ahh, ahh, ahh, ahh
Aha-hah-hah
Aha-hah-ah
Ahh, ahh, ahh, ahh
Aha-hah-hah
Aha-hah-ah
Ahh, ahh, ahh, ahh
Aha-hah-hah
Aha-hah-ah
Ahh, ahh, ahh, ahh
Aha-hah-hah
Aha-hah-ah
Ahh, ahh, ahh, ahh
Aha-hah-hah
Aha-hah-ah
Ahh, ahh, ahh, ahh
Aha-hah-hah
Aha-hah-ah
Ahh, ahh, ahh
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You coulda had class, you coulda have been a contender Charlie, you shoulda looked out for me
that's a reference to the 1954 film On ther Waterfront. Marlon Brando says "I coulda had class. I coulda have been a contender." and his brothers name in the film is Charlie.