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,
When I left you alone to fight your battles
Of long winters in motels, what went through your mind?
How is it that you made it? How is it that you noticed?
It wasn't me who was looking at you
Through foggy glass or windows... it was them
I was out in Coolidge with my head on a counter
Drinking down my chances to ever return to anyone
No I wasn't faking it the hurt I felt was real
And all that was holy just slowly disappeared
Or just appeared in parking lots of truck stops
The lights all blinking and now all I'm thinking is
"How the hell did I get here?"
Does your husband know I call you sweetheart?
Does he know that I call you at all?
It's not like you're cheating we're only meeting
In hotels and not your home
It's not like we're cheating
(We're only meeting in hotels and not your home)
Would you change your last name to mine?
(Would you change your last name to mine?)
I think your kids will mind
I was in the desert waving planes and burning phone books
To a tune that was famous the year I was born
Do not leave me dancing alone
(Do not leave me dancing alone, pick up the phone and call me lover)
Pick up the phone
And call me lover
Say, "Come and get me, I am home"
Please pick up the phone
Please pick up the phone
Of long winters in motels, what went through your mind?
How is it that you made it? How is it that you noticed?
It wasn't me who was looking at you
Through foggy glass or windows... it was them
I was out in Coolidge with my head on a counter
Drinking down my chances to ever return to anyone
No I wasn't faking it the hurt I felt was real
And all that was holy just slowly disappeared
Or just appeared in parking lots of truck stops
The lights all blinking and now all I'm thinking is
"How the hell did I get here?"
Does your husband know I call you sweetheart?
Does he know that I call you at all?
It's not like you're cheating we're only meeting
In hotels and not your home
It's not like we're cheating
(We're only meeting in hotels and not your home)
Would you change your last name to mine?
(Would you change your last name to mine?)
I think your kids will mind
I was in the desert waving planes and burning phone books
To a tune that was famous the year I was born
Do not leave me dancing alone
(Do not leave me dancing alone, pick up the phone and call me lover)
Pick up the phone
And call me lover
Say, "Come and get me, I am home"
Please pick up the phone
Please pick up the phone
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More Featured Meanings
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
This is mostly wrong, and since we can't send in corrections anymore, I'll just hope one of the admins see this:
When I left you alone To fight your battles of long winters In hotels, what went through your mind? How is it that you made it? How is it that you noticed?
It wasn't me who was Looking at you through Foggy glass Or windows, it was them
I was out in Coolidge with my head on a counter Drinking down my chances to ever return (To anyone) To anyone
No I wasn't faking it The hurt I felt was real and all that was holy Just slowly disappeared but just appeared In parking lots And truck stops
The blinking lights (The blinking lights) Now I'm sinking you How the hell did I get here?
Does your husband know I call you sweetheart? Does he know that I call you ...? It's not like you're cheating We're only meeting in motels and not your home (It's not like we're cheating We're only meeting in hotels and not your home)
Would you change your last name to mine? (Would you change your last name to mine?)
I think my kids would mind I think my kids would mind
I was in the desert waving planes and burning phonebooks to a tune That was famous the year I was born Do not leave me dancing alone (Do not leave me dancing alone, pick up the phone and call me lover) Pick up the phone Call me lover (Say, "Come and get me, I am home") I am home
Please pick up the phone Please pick up the phone
The meaning is pretty clear, except for the first two parts. Everything after is a man metaphorically stuck in a desert and him asking this woman that he's had an affair with not to abandon him, but to join him in his solitude and dance with him (or, make the best of it).