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,
It's what you want
It's your amphetamine
Another night you're settling
For comfort in your bed
The more you fill
The more you're empty
You're never what you should be
Here is why you're sad
You're miserable
When he is close
So take another drink
Another drink will numb those senses
And make the most
Of flesh and bones
If it helps you
To fall asleep
I'm watching you change
It doesn't have to be this way
It gets harder everyday
So you keep numb to feel safe
Fuck what you know
Can't you see its shallow?
Every time you swallow,
Do you get a taste of what you've become?
Regrets, they wake you in the morning
You shower but you're not clean
Please just listen
I still remember the days
When you didn't feel the need to escape
And every demon you never face
Is the reason you're not safe
Please understand that you've had every chance
You've had all the time
All the time in the world
You don't listen
It's your amphetamine
Another night you're settling
For comfort in your bed
The more you fill
The more you're empty
You're never what you should be
Here is why you're sad
You're miserable
When he is close
So take another drink
Another drink will numb those senses
And make the most
Of flesh and bones
If it helps you
To fall asleep
I'm watching you change
It doesn't have to be this way
It gets harder everyday
So you keep numb to feel safe
Fuck what you know
Can't you see its shallow?
Every time you swallow,
Do you get a taste of what you've become?
Regrets, they wake you in the morning
You shower but you're not clean
Please just listen
I still remember the days
When you didn't feel the need to escape
And every demon you never face
Is the reason you're not safe
Please understand that you've had every chance
You've had all the time
All the time in the world
You don't listen
Lyrics submitted by sacky
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i really like this song. i think it's one of their better tracks on "forget what you know."
i love this song, but the entire cd is awesome!
Yeah this is one of, if not my favorite songs on this cd. I love the ending too
If you're depressed or mad or anything, this is the PERFECT song
the ending of this song reminds me of jimmy eat world's "goodbye sky harbor" with the layering of vocals and stuff.
awesomeness. I like when he says "flesh". he says it......different. kinda lik "and make the most of FLESH and bones"
BEST LINE "Please understand that you've had every chance, You've had all the time, all the time in the world" really think about it!! its so true
No ones really talked about what this song means...ok ill get the ball rolling. I love this song, and i can relate to it soooo much. I think its about a friend they have who uses sex and being with a guy to keep them happy or is with someone who they dont want to be with but stays with them anyway. eg. "your miserable when he is close". I think its saying their trying to fill a gap with sex or a guy and its just making it worse. "So take another drink, another drink will numb those senses, make the most of flesh and bones" it's like saying they drink so they dont have to think about whats going on and they can use the sex to feel better temporarily eg flesh and bones. Obviously he's known the person a long time "i'm watching you change". "Can't you see its shallow, every time you swallow, do you get a taste of what you've become". I think you can take it a few ways. I think its like their just going to parties having sex and he thinks its only superficial, and i think that the swallow thing has more then just thinking about what their doing but also a physical element.....but thats just me. I love this song. Its just so damn good. One of the best on the album, and the whole album is fukn awesome.
personally this reminds me of my mom. alcoholic who is stubberon and doesnt realize that this effects both her the rest of the family. she drinks more when my dad gets closer.
i disagree with the sex view on this song. it's so much deeper than that. there are several references to drugs and alcohol in this song. i think that he's singing about losing somebody to another person but that person isn't happy and fakes it. in order to convince themselves of their own happiness they drink. 'the more you fill the more your empty' another drug reference is the shower but your not clean and losing sight of who that person once was. my personal fav lines are "I still remember the days When you didn't feel the need to escape And every demon you never face Is the reason you're not safe" he's saying he remembers back when you didn't need drugs to block out life. this person won't face their problems. incredible song in my opinion about abuse