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,
Tongues are clacking words of one vision
One tiny incision and teeth are cracking
On thin air, on thin air
And teeth are cracking on thin air
Pulled to bits in silence
Left rotting on the ground
Slowly pulled to bits in silence
Without a sound, without a sound
Buildings bleached with shatter, shatter, clatter
Fill their senses with cement
Watch the people scatter
One by one, one by one
Pulled to bits in silence
Left rotting on the ground
Slowly pulled to bits in silence
Without a sound, without a sound
Young lungs snapping coming up for air
The mindless ones yapping, slashing through the thoroughfare
One by one, one by one
Oh one by one without a fucking care
Pulled to bits in silence
Left rotting on the ground
Slowly pull to bits in silence
Without a sound, without a fucking sound
Pulled to bits, yackety, yackety, yack, yack, yack
Pulled to bits, shatter, shatter, shatter, clatter
Pulled to bits, yap, yap, yap, yapping
Pulled to bits without a sound
One tiny incision and teeth are cracking
On thin air, on thin air
And teeth are cracking on thin air
Pulled to bits in silence
Left rotting on the ground
Slowly pulled to bits in silence
Without a sound, without a sound
Buildings bleached with shatter, shatter, clatter
Fill their senses with cement
Watch the people scatter
One by one, one by one
Pulled to bits in silence
Left rotting on the ground
Slowly pulled to bits in silence
Without a sound, without a sound
Young lungs snapping coming up for air
The mindless ones yapping, slashing through the thoroughfare
One by one, one by one
Oh one by one without a fucking care
Pulled to bits in silence
Left rotting on the ground
Slowly pull to bits in silence
Without a sound, without a fucking sound
Pulled to bits, yackety, yackety, yack, yack, yack
Pulled to bits, shatter, shatter, shatter, clatter
Pulled to bits, yap, yap, yap, yapping
Pulled to bits without a sound
Lyrics submitted by post-punker
Pulled to Bits Lyrics as written by Morris Mkcay
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I always believed it was the struggle of parenthood like when the start singing "pulled to bits, in silence" the screams seem to get horrifically louder as if to represent the silent scream of a parent who doesn't want the responsibility of parenthood and wasn't ready as if being torn apart on the inside
@john_blood There is no indication in the lyrics that it has anything to do with parenthood. In that case, I take it the feelings you describe are your own. I hope it got better for you.