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,
Tonight I'm coming home in a coma if it fucking kills me.
Listless but relieved,
Beaming like a newborn hostage.
Orphaned by an ambulance.
I got this new black eye just for you.
Your hopeless romantic now hopelessly rheumatic.
Poets grinding teeth to powder.
All my vowels are getting lost in the gauze.
Misinterpret courting for the cursing of a drooling fool.
Here's to cheap sex and codeine in a hospital bed.
And maybe I'd object,
If I felt at all alive.
Everybody is dying to lay down with you.
I got the order all wrong.
I must have bumped my head.
Maybe I should quiet down.
Don't bet on another black out,
I'll be all right.
There's an army at my window waiting to lose this fight.
I'm the king of this all night clinic.
The fucking champion.
Tonight we'll feast like royalty in traction,
Happy and meticulous.
There's a delicate love song in this,
Kicked out and dripping in verse.
Go get your gun because God won't show.
He sent a poet instead.
The Don Quixote of the ICU.
Quite impressive for a cripple.
Munchausen by proxy of a muse.
Tempt not a desperate man.
This split lip is for you.
I traded it for an outdated tooth.
Listless but relieved,
Beaming like a newborn hostage.
Orphaned by an ambulance.
I got this new black eye just for you.
Your hopeless romantic now hopelessly rheumatic.
Poets grinding teeth to powder.
All my vowels are getting lost in the gauze.
Misinterpret courting for the cursing of a drooling fool.
Here's to cheap sex and codeine in a hospital bed.
And maybe I'd object,
If I felt at all alive.
Everybody is dying to lay down with you.
I got the order all wrong.
I must have bumped my head.
Maybe I should quiet down.
Don't bet on another black out,
I'll be all right.
There's an army at my window waiting to lose this fight.
I'm the king of this all night clinic.
The fucking champion.
Tonight we'll feast like royalty in traction,
Happy and meticulous.
There's a delicate love song in this,
Kicked out and dripping in verse.
Go get your gun because God won't show.
He sent a poet instead.
The Don Quixote of the ICU.
Quite impressive for a cripple.
Munchausen by proxy of a muse.
Tempt not a desperate man.
This split lip is for you.
I traded it for an outdated tooth.
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this song is better than cheap sex and codeine!