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,
Inside my own inner space
There's not a soul in the whole place to see or ask me why
And with my senses in shreds
There I go to pick up the loose threads
Away from your hungry eyes
And in that infinite place
You'll see a smile on my blank face
Becuase you can't get there
It's not just being alone
It's more like a view that I've half known
From hills but I don't know where
Imagination
Living mental isolation
Imagination
Imagination
Far from your contamination
Drifting in my inner space
Imagination
And when I look outside
There's a world with nowhere to hide from the cold reality
I've chased innumerable friends
Filled my life with innumerable trends
But it didn't make me see
Imagination
Living mental isolation
Imagination
Imagination
Far from your contamination
Drifting in my inner space
Imagination
But in the depth of a dream
Where the grass is always so green
And the sky is always blue
I'm escaping silently
I'm rejecting violently
This world for something new
Imagination
Living mental isolation
Imagination
Imagination
Far from your contamination
Drifting in my inner space
Imagination
There's not a soul in the whole place to see or ask me why
And with my senses in shreds
There I go to pick up the loose threads
Away from your hungry eyes
And in that infinite place
You'll see a smile on my blank face
Becuase you can't get there
It's not just being alone
It's more like a view that I've half known
From hills but I don't know where
Imagination
Living mental isolation
Imagination
Imagination
Far from your contamination
Drifting in my inner space
Imagination
And when I look outside
There's a world with nowhere to hide from the cold reality
I've chased innumerable friends
Filled my life with innumerable trends
But it didn't make me see
Imagination
Living mental isolation
Imagination
Imagination
Far from your contamination
Drifting in my inner space
Imagination
But in the depth of a dream
Where the grass is always so green
And the sky is always blue
I'm escaping silently
I'm rejecting violently
This world for something new
Imagination
Living mental isolation
Imagination
Imagination
Far from your contamination
Drifting in my inner space
Imagination
Lyrics submitted by WildSwan
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No song has ever spoken to me the way this song has. I never really had a favorite song until I heard Imagination. Absolutely beautiful!