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,
Oh, your golden hair
I remember how you looked right there
The sunlight falling into the window in the classroom
And oh, your hazel eyes
They always took me by surprise
And stopped me in my tracks when they met mine
And oh, my stupid mouth
It never works how I want it to
You always had shaking in my shoes
And I know how this sounds
But I don't care about that now 'cause
You didn't want me then
So why would you want me now?
It feels like everything I've done was just to reach you
To reach you
Now that I've grown up
The lines around my eyes are deep
From places that I've been and what I've done
But if I saw you on
The streets tomorrow I would be
16 again and shaking in my shoes
I only built this song
To be a suit of armor
But you took everything worth defending long ago
Yeah I know how this sounds
But I don't care about it now 'cause
You didn't want me then
So why would you want me now?
If seem like everything I've done was just to reach you
To reach you
I remember how you looked right there
The sunlight falling into the window in the classroom
And oh, your hazel eyes
They always took me by surprise
And stopped me in my tracks when they met mine
And oh, my stupid mouth
It never works how I want it to
You always had shaking in my shoes
And I know how this sounds
But I don't care about that now 'cause
You didn't want me then
So why would you want me now?
It feels like everything I've done was just to reach you
To reach you
Now that I've grown up
The lines around my eyes are deep
From places that I've been and what I've done
But if I saw you on
The streets tomorrow I would be
16 again and shaking in my shoes
I only built this song
To be a suit of armor
But you took everything worth defending long ago
Yeah I know how this sounds
But I don't care about it now 'cause
You didn't want me then
So why would you want me now?
If seem like everything I've done was just to reach you
To reach you
Lyrics submitted by skyfire84
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how is it no one put these lyrics up? so simple, but they say so much.
these lyrics are so great and powerful because everyone can relate. everyone at some point in time has felt like him. it was a longing/desire for someone who just didn't want you back and the infatuation for that person is still there in the bottom of your heart. no matter how much you convince yourself you're over it, once you see them again, you melt and get all giddy again.
thats what this song is saying.