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,
Today was a pretty day
No disappointments
No expectations on your whereabouts
And oh, did I let you go?
Did it finally show
That strange things will happen if you let them?
Today I didn't even try to hide
I'll stay here and never push things to the side
You can't reach me 'cause I'm way beyond you today
Today was a pretty day
Autumn comes with
These slight surprises where your life might twist and turn
Hope to unlearn
Strange things will happen
If you let them come around and stick around
Today I didn't even try to hide
I'll stay here and never push things to the side
You can't reach me 'cause I'm way beyond you today
Today I didn't even try to hide
I'll stay here and never push things to the side
Today I didn't even look to find
Something to put me in that peace of mind
You can't touch me 'cause I'm way beyond you today
No disappointments
No expectations on your whereabouts
And oh, did I let you go?
Did it finally show
That strange things will happen if you let them?
Today I didn't even try to hide
I'll stay here and never push things to the side
You can't reach me 'cause I'm way beyond you today
Today was a pretty day
Autumn comes with
These slight surprises where your life might twist and turn
Hope to unlearn
Strange things will happen
If you let them come around and stick around
Today I didn't even try to hide
I'll stay here and never push things to the side
You can't reach me 'cause I'm way beyond you today
Today I didn't even try to hide
I'll stay here and never push things to the side
Today I didn't even look to find
Something to put me in that peace of mind
You can't touch me 'cause I'm way beyond you today
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Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
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When We Were Young
Blink-182
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This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
"Today was a pretty day No disappointments No expectations on your whereabouts And oh, did I let you go? Did it finally show that strange things will happen if you let them?" This song is great. To me it's about the first day when the singer truly begins to move on after failed relationship. She had been trapped by the post-break up obsession, where she "accidentally" bumping into him (hence the expectations about his whereabouts), and then is always disappointed when he doesn't respond the way she wants him too. She hadn't truly allowed herself to let the relationship go, but now she has, and it's liberating. Break-ups often feel devastating and it's hard to have perspective on them, and so she is surprised when she finds that she actually can allow herself to move on with her life. "Strange things will happen if you let them"
So good!
this song is like finally deciding to put down your weapons and stop fighting. and the strange calm that comes with discovering you can't be touched, and maybe you didn't really want what you thought you wanted all this time.
oopsie, double posted aha. but honestly, this song deserves all the attention it generates, even accidental double posts.
my best friend made me know this song almost one year ago... a comforting song that talks about some little steps you try to make to stop hiding. I like how the soft music matches with the lyrics.
Today I didn't even try to hide I'll stay here and never push things to the side
Its about a failed relationship, where she has moved on and is happy, but he still is miserable, but .. Not any more. Not today.
This song, to me, is saying how we should break this regular cycle of life. Great and strange things will happen if you let them There's always some people from the other side that persuade us, but we are too scared to act.
I know that the common interpretation is that this song is about the dynamic between two ex-lovers, and while I understand that this was probably the writer's intention, the song has always been a very different story to me. To me, the artist is singing about life and death. Let me explain:
In the song, the term "day" is used as a metaphor for a lifetime, particularly, that of the singer (or lyricist.) The entire song is a beautiful story of a life filled with strange occurrences and no regrets, and it playfully encourages the listener (the living) to live their lives to the fullest. 'Strange things will happen' throughout your life, and you choose how they affect you (these slight surprises when your life might twist and turn.)
The ending of the song almost made me cry the first few times I heard it, because the metaphor and message were so clear and so beautiful to me:
"Today I didn't even try to hide I'll stay here and never push things to the side Today I didn't even look to find Something to put me in that peace of mind You can't touch me cause I'm way beyond you today"
Amazing song, no matter how you interpret it.
I love this song.
I love this band.
i love this band*.