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,
Tiny hands, recycled cans, the metal bands, I could not stand
The time you cried and threw your crayons across the floor
These are the things, I think about, when I'm alone without you
I wonder of your whereabouts and hope like hell
You're happy where you are
You used to say that, "You're just fine"
But I still wonder all the time
Hockey games, medical claims, police reports, terrible grade J
I'm so proud of all the things that you've done
These are the things, I think about, when I'm alone without you
I wonder of your whereabouts and hope like hell
You're happy where you are
"I'm alright, I'm alright"
I can see through everything you say, and all the lessons I never learned
You used to say that, "You're just fine"
But I still wonder all the time
Do you still believe in the stories told
To you by my friends and I when you were four years old?
How it got so cold that words just froze
We had to wait 'til summer to find out what was said
One of the best times that we had
I know I say that, I'm just fine
But I hope you wonder from time to time
I was nervous from the start that our muscles might tear us apart
(Are muscles tearing us apart?)
From the words that carve our lives, to the words that take us by surprise
(I was never taken by surprise)
From the sounds that disappear to the changes we begin to fear
(I can hear you clearly)
One day, I'll fail to breathe and all you'll have are memories
(All we are are memories)
The time you cried and threw your crayons across the floor
These are the things, I think about, when I'm alone without you
I wonder of your whereabouts and hope like hell
You're happy where you are
You used to say that, "You're just fine"
But I still wonder all the time
Hockey games, medical claims, police reports, terrible grade J
I'm so proud of all the things that you've done
These are the things, I think about, when I'm alone without you
I wonder of your whereabouts and hope like hell
You're happy where you are
"I'm alright, I'm alright"
I can see through everything you say, and all the lessons I never learned
You used to say that, "You're just fine"
But I still wonder all the time
Do you still believe in the stories told
To you by my friends and I when you were four years old?
How it got so cold that words just froze
We had to wait 'til summer to find out what was said
One of the best times that we had
I know I say that, I'm just fine
But I hope you wonder from time to time
I was nervous from the start that our muscles might tear us apart
(Are muscles tearing us apart?)
From the words that carve our lives, to the words that take us by surprise
(I was never taken by surprise)
From the sounds that disappear to the changes we begin to fear
(I can hear you clearly)
One day, I'll fail to breathe and all you'll have are memories
(All we are are memories)
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yeah. sangre de is right. they played an instore and he explained it was about his father.
even without him saying that, it makes sense that it's about his dad.