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,
She got a tattoo of a bracelet on her wrist
The love of strangers on her Christmas list
She ain't sentimental, she don't like to reminisce
She's a champion of action
You ain't never heard her voice, but that's all right
'Cause you ain't never seen her face before tonight
But now you see her swaying to the left and to the right
And it rocks your whole foundation
See her spinning 'round
Blond hair falling down
You can hear the sound
Of your heart breaking
From the love she's taking from you
The song it's making
Is like a rhapsody in blue
Well you ain't never seen no aura in your life
But you know her's is the color of the sky
When she looks at you it kills you,
When she turns away you die
It's a tragic situation
So you drink one down for courage, two for soul
You drink a third for good luck, then you stroll
Out onto the dance floor,
But your feet are too damn cold
And you need more insulation
See her spinning round
Oh, she don't love you
Oh, she don't see you in the crowd
Oh, if she did she would not want you anyhow
Expectation lingers in the air
The problem is that no one else is there
Just the memory of your angel,
All these ghosts in empty chairs
Making comments 'bout the weather
The taxi cab is waiting at the door
You can hear the driver blowing on his horn
So you close your eyes one last time,
And you conjure up her form
And you shake it down together
See her spinning round
The love of strangers on her Christmas list
She ain't sentimental, she don't like to reminisce
She's a champion of action
You ain't never heard her voice, but that's all right
'Cause you ain't never seen her face before tonight
But now you see her swaying to the left and to the right
And it rocks your whole foundation
See her spinning 'round
Blond hair falling down
You can hear the sound
Of your heart breaking
From the love she's taking from you
The song it's making
Is like a rhapsody in blue
Well you ain't never seen no aura in your life
But you know her's is the color of the sky
When she looks at you it kills you,
When she turns away you die
It's a tragic situation
So you drink one down for courage, two for soul
You drink a third for good luck, then you stroll
Out onto the dance floor,
But your feet are too damn cold
And you need more insulation
See her spinning round
Oh, she don't love you
Oh, she don't see you in the crowd
Oh, if she did she would not want you anyhow
Expectation lingers in the air
The problem is that no one else is there
Just the memory of your angel,
All these ghosts in empty chairs
Making comments 'bout the weather
The taxi cab is waiting at the door
You can hear the driver blowing on his horn
So you close your eyes one last time,
And you conjure up her form
And you shake it down together
See her spinning round
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