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,
The days have turned away from me
The lights no longer shine on my head
And people turn away from me
No more do they look to me with respect
Well, I know now
It was the first time
That was fun
Now the life I've resigned
When I feel I've got problems
How wrong I am
I'm awaiting life as another man
Don't crowd me
There's riddles in the shadows
They're thrown the way that I'd expect
And people never seem to know
What they least suspect is coming next
Well it seems like times elapsed
And I've stabbed life in the back
I'm searching for what it means
To never be anything
And I know now
It's the first time that was fun
Now from life I've resigned
When I feel I've got problems
How wrong I am
I'm awaiting life as another man
The lights no longer shine on my head
And people turn away from me
No more do they look to me with respect
Well, I know now
It was the first time
That was fun
Now the life I've resigned
When I feel I've got problems
How wrong I am
I'm awaiting life as another man
Don't crowd me
There's riddles in the shadows
They're thrown the way that I'd expect
And people never seem to know
What they least suspect is coming next
Well it seems like times elapsed
And I've stabbed life in the back
I'm searching for what it means
To never be anything
And I know now
It's the first time that was fun
Now from life I've resigned
When I feel I've got problems
How wrong I am
I'm awaiting life as another man
Lyrics submitted by owenparry26
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Wow those interpretations are really incoherent to me. To me this is a song about what it feels like in life to be down and out. Everything seems to be going against him, nothing is going the way it should. In a way, denali is right, it is broken away from the rest of the world, because when things are going that poorly for you that is how it seems. This song isnt by "his spirits", it is definitly by JF. In many ways his music is broken from the world, but thats because he has been through more experiences than almost any other human being has in their lifetime. The one thing i love more than anything about JF is how he says he does not regret the time he spent addicted to drugs and living in a state of dispair. To him it was a learning experience and now he is enlightened because of everything he has been through. John Frusicante's lyrics have more meaning than any I've ever heard.
i think its to do with someone who he thinks is bullying him but in spirt form and wants to tell people about it. its knid of hard to see this as a song i see it more of a story never to be finished. he puts himself down allot in it. i think that may be to do with it. its one of those songs to pick up and say thats such a lovely wee song but it aint really is it now. its to do with him not wanting people to think of killing themselves and hes putting it in spirtual form for that reason.
its not red and hot, im tagging on as denali again,
i feel its disconnected, broken away from the rest of the world, and its scourning. reincarnated
well all of his songs are broken from this world as its not really him writting its his spirits