This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
(Oh no)
(Ah yeah)
Your kiss,
Your smile,
Your mind, your sunlight in my eyes.
I miss,
Your breath,
On my neck, when we whisper in the night.
Didn't wanna want you,
Didn't wanna need you so bad,
Didn't wanna wake up
And find I was falling so fast.
Didn't wanna need you,
Didn't wanna need anyone,
Now look what you've done,
[Chorus]
Now I can't go on without you,
I'm naked,
I can't fake it,
I'm not that strong without you
Never thought I could love you,
The way I do
The way I do
Your touch,
Your skin,
Can't believe the way you let me in.
Don't rush,
Tonight,
I need you, like the ocean needs the tide.
Didn't wanna want you
Didn't wanna need you so bad
Didn't wanna wake up
And find I was falling so fast.
Didn't wanna need you
Didn't wanna need anyone
Now look what you've done
[Chorus]
I always thought I would stand on my own
Climb a mountain top all alone
Relying,
Depending,
On no one
Now look what you've done
[Chorus]
Never thought I could love you
(Never thought I could love you)
Never thought I could need you
(Need you)
Never thought I could want you
(Baby)
The way I do
Never thought I could love you
Never thought I could need you
Never thought I could want you
The way I do
I love you
I need you
I want you
The way I do
I love you
I need you
I want you
The way I do
(Ah yeah)
Your kiss,
Your smile,
Your mind, your sunlight in my eyes.
I miss,
Your breath,
On my neck, when we whisper in the night.
Didn't wanna want you,
Didn't wanna need you so bad,
Didn't wanna wake up
And find I was falling so fast.
Didn't wanna need you,
Didn't wanna need anyone,
Now look what you've done,
[Chorus]
Now I can't go on without you,
I'm naked,
I can't fake it,
I'm not that strong without you
Never thought I could love you,
The way I do
The way I do
Your touch,
Your skin,
Can't believe the way you let me in.
Don't rush,
Tonight,
I need you, like the ocean needs the tide.
Didn't wanna want you
Didn't wanna need you so bad
Didn't wanna wake up
And find I was falling so fast.
Didn't wanna need you
Didn't wanna need anyone
Now look what you've done
[Chorus]
I always thought I would stand on my own
Climb a mountain top all alone
Relying,
Depending,
On no one
Now look what you've done
[Chorus]
Never thought I could love you
(Never thought I could love you)
Never thought I could need you
(Need you)
Never thought I could want you
(Baby)
The way I do
Never thought I could love you
Never thought I could need you
Never thought I could want you
The way I do
I love you
I need you
I want you
The way I do
I love you
I need you
I want you
The way I do
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The Night We Met
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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,
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wow, i agree. this song is easily relatable. which brings me back to like.. ~two years ago when this exact situation happened.