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,
I've got a little secret for you
Even now there's something to be proud about
You'll come up the hard way
And they'll remind you every day, "you're nothing"
My words in your mouth are mumbled all about
You're like a journalist
No you can't cut and paste and twist
You're awful
And tell it to your king
Go on and tell him everything you know
Tell him you know how I feel
Tell him you know how I feel at the palace gates
I'm all levered off my face
And just to work out what it's on about
I can see snakes in eyes
And danger signs
If you were late
You mustn't dare complain
Oh, you won't like this at all
There's nothing to break your fall
Tell it to your king
Tell him everything you know
And you know how I feel out of place
Until I'm levered off my face
And I can work out what she's on about
Didn't they explain?
You have to play the game
Jack drinks and smokes his cares away
His heart is in a lonely way
Living in the ruins of a castle built on sand
Even now there's something to be proud about
You'll come up the hard way
And they'll remind you every day, "you're nothing"
My words in your mouth are mumbled all about
You're like a journalist
No you can't cut and paste and twist
You're awful
And tell it to your king
Go on and tell him everything you know
Tell him you know how I feel
Tell him you know how I feel at the palace gates
I'm all levered off my face
And just to work out what it's on about
I can see snakes in eyes
And danger signs
If you were late
You mustn't dare complain
Oh, you won't like this at all
There's nothing to break your fall
Tell it to your king
Tell him everything you know
And you know how I feel out of place
Until I'm levered off my face
And I can work out what she's on about
Didn't they explain?
You have to play the game
Jack drinks and smokes his cares away
His heart is in a lonely way
Living in the ruins of a castle built on sand
Lyrics submitted by minkydave, edited by wisidjejdjdb
Tell The King Lyrics as written by Peter Doherty Carl Barat
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Seems to me that it's about someone who came up from nothing to have "something to be proud about", but people will still put them down. The first verse suggests that, plus later in the song it's talking about being "out of place"