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,
Doo doo doo
The tale I'm gonna tell
Is about the group who couldn't say
Together they discovered with each other the perfections of an
outdoor day
They had won some kinda prize
For selling way more stuff than the other guys
They were the shrewdest unit-movers
So their bosses got 'em tours of the countryside
Doo doo doo
Holly saw a certain bird
But she couldn't work up any words
She kinda lost her shoes and lost her mind
And smashed her phone upon a fallen pine
Darryl couldn't talk at all
He wondered how the trees had grown to be so tall
He calculated all the height and width and density
For insurance purposes
And at the desktop there's crying sounds
For all the projects due
And no one else is around
And the sprinklers that come on at 3am
Sound like crowds of people asking
"Are you happy what you're doing?"
Ah ah ah
And at the desktop there's crying sounds
For all the projects due
And no one else is around
And the sprinklers that come on at 3am
Sound like crowds of people asking
"Are you happy what you're doing?"
Becky wondered why
She'd never noticed dragonflies
Her drag and click had never yielded
Anything as perfect as a dragonfly
And then the supervisor stood
Right in the creek and it felt really good
And that's about the time he finally realised the importance of this day
And that's about the time he realised
That he was with the group who couldn't say
Hey hey
And they felt so good it hurt forget the words
They were the group who couldn't say
The tale I'm gonna tell
Is about the group who couldn't say
Together they discovered with each other the perfections of an
outdoor day
They had won some kinda prize
For selling way more stuff than the other guys
They were the shrewdest unit-movers
So their bosses got 'em tours of the countryside
Doo doo doo
Holly saw a certain bird
But she couldn't work up any words
She kinda lost her shoes and lost her mind
And smashed her phone upon a fallen pine
Darryl couldn't talk at all
He wondered how the trees had grown to be so tall
He calculated all the height and width and density
For insurance purposes
And at the desktop there's crying sounds
For all the projects due
And no one else is around
And the sprinklers that come on at 3am
Sound like crowds of people asking
"Are you happy what you're doing?"
Ah ah ah
And at the desktop there's crying sounds
For all the projects due
And no one else is around
And the sprinklers that come on at 3am
Sound like crowds of people asking
"Are you happy what you're doing?"
Becky wondered why
She'd never noticed dragonflies
Her drag and click had never yielded
Anything as perfect as a dragonfly
And then the supervisor stood
Right in the creek and it felt really good
And that's about the time he finally realised the importance of this day
And that's about the time he realised
That he was with the group who couldn't say
Hey hey
And they felt so good it hurt forget the words
They were the group who couldn't say
Lyrics submitted by Joekubrick
The Group Who Couldn't Say Lyrics as written by Jason Lytle
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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One of my favorites of theirs. And I agree with leonperkin. I love the part about the dragonfly and how she found so much beauty in it, beauty she could never create with a computer. Does anyone else notice how Grandaddy focuses so much of their lyrics on the evils of technology and modernism, yet their music uses synthesizers and most songs have a futuristic feel to them? I'm sure they did that one purpose, but it's pretty cool, eh?
As I've said in another comment here, one of the things I like about Grandaddy is the way that often, not just the lyrics but the instrumentation (the instrument 'voices') suggest this world of grungy, "broken" or "failed" technology (most obviously in "Broken Household Appliance National Forest")
Another song contrasting the simple freedom and joy of connecting with nature rather than connecting with pixels and microwaves. Truly lovely. The image of the guy standing in the stream is a beautiful one especially when contrasted with the deserted office and the 'crying sounds' from the desktops 'for all the projects due' We so seldom take the time to wonder if the hours we waste chasing a paycheck might be better spent living.
Group of Entrepreneurs winning a trip out to the country side and are amazed at the likes of what they've missed over the years. This song sends a great message to anyone too busy working in offices to stop, look round and think about what else is out there once in a while.
And the sprinklers that come on at 3 am Sound like crowds of people asking "Are you happy what you're doing?"
Such powerful lyrics, dont they make you question yourself.
I totally agree! Many Grandaddy songs (but particularly on "The Sophtware Slump") have this theme of questioning whether our modern, technology-driven lifestyle is really the best way forward... And I say that as a 100% Technophile myself! :-D
Perhaps they arent just talking about entrepeneurs.
Maybe it really is a "group" or band. They won a prize for selling lots of records and so their bosses sent them out to tour..... basically the same gist of the song though. Musicians touring and making records so much, they dont really stop and enjoy life all the time.
Leonperkin - I agree 100% - Incredible song. I have heard this song many times but only first listened to it today driving home from work. It made me want to quit my job and go camping - lol!!!!
pretty straightforward meaning, leon has it down pat, but still quite moving.
a friend played this song for me while we were sitting at a campfire while on our backpacking class trip...it was amazing. we were the group who couldn't say....a bunch of college kids dumped in the wilderness, amazed by it's beauty, and left speechless.
it makes me sad that there are people like 'the group who couldn't say' and the other night, i looked up at the stars and realized that i had almost forgtten what they looked like, it was kind of a reality check for me. remember nature...
i agree with sonickteam
also agree with leonperkin