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,
A frozen tear melted here
To flood the man made lake,
I didn’t mean to make
A drowning note fury wrote
That caused the earth to quake
Confidence to shake
Sorry, my mistake
The sun rose high
And went screaming by
And the moon surveyed the scene
Silent and serene
While cops set cones
Around broken bones
Saying, "For heaven's sake
What an obvious mistake"
Up came back down
While I was sewing up my stitch
And dreaming in the ditch
So sick of my sweet self
And everything I made
A friendly flare
Flashed mid-air
There was a twinkle in your eye
A smoke signing in the sky
And I feel deep in love
Asleep, looking wide awake
Like a wave that wouldn't break
Sorry, my mistake
To flood the man made lake,
I didn’t mean to make
A drowning note fury wrote
That caused the earth to quake
Confidence to shake
Sorry, my mistake
The sun rose high
And went screaming by
And the moon surveyed the scene
Silent and serene
While cops set cones
Around broken bones
Saying, "For heaven's sake
What an obvious mistake"
Up came back down
While I was sewing up my stitch
And dreaming in the ditch
So sick of my sweet self
And everything I made
A friendly flare
Flashed mid-air
There was a twinkle in your eye
A smoke signing in the sky
And I feel deep in love
Asleep, looking wide awake
Like a wave that wouldn't break
Sorry, my mistake
Lyrics submitted by lost_in_twlight, edited by keelycancrimp
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in the version i got on elliottsmithbsides.com it sounds like it says "a frozen tear melted here between the man made lake and the ice that wouldn't break"
it's an awesome song.