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,
You drag your tiger's paw across
Your chapped and cracking lips
And open up a crimson slur
You spread each time you kiss
The broken boy you bargain with
To turn back to the man
That you fell in love with once
But never saw again
Is he in there? Do you think he drowned to death?
Well it's his decision to show his face again
You grind your tired teeth
And curse the day that you were born
To a sunken line of Irish wives a million miles long
Devoted to the suffering they're certain they deserve
A husband's a cross to bear
Worry lines and a silver string of hair
Come too early, come to steal your sainted youth
Well it's your decision to stay or else to move
And I'm not a man of faith, no gospel oak for me
But you wear a crucifix to broadcast your beliefs
And the god I've read about can't go where he's not asked to go
So you've got a choice to make
Shut him out, save yourself, or sit and wait
But you're waiting on a man who will not move
So you must move for him and do what he can't do
'Cause it's worth it, that's the one life you can change
And I'm sorry sister, but it has to end this way
Yeah, it's scary sister, but tomorrow's just too late
So stand up sister
There's an albatross to shake
Your chapped and cracking lips
And open up a crimson slur
You spread each time you kiss
The broken boy you bargain with
To turn back to the man
That you fell in love with once
But never saw again
Is he in there? Do you think he drowned to death?
Well it's his decision to show his face again
You grind your tired teeth
And curse the day that you were born
To a sunken line of Irish wives a million miles long
Devoted to the suffering they're certain they deserve
A husband's a cross to bear
Worry lines and a silver string of hair
Come too early, come to steal your sainted youth
Well it's your decision to stay or else to move
And I'm not a man of faith, no gospel oak for me
But you wear a crucifix to broadcast your beliefs
And the god I've read about can't go where he's not asked to go
So you've got a choice to make
Shut him out, save yourself, or sit and wait
But you're waiting on a man who will not move
So you must move for him and do what he can't do
'Cause it's worth it, that's the one life you can change
And I'm sorry sister, but it has to end this way
Yeah, it's scary sister, but tomorrow's just too late
So stand up sister
There's an albatross to shake
Lyrics submitted by techniicolor_girl
Tomorrow's Just Too Late Lyrics as written by Kevin Patrick Devine
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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oh my god the new album is so amazing. and this song is so incredible. the imagery is absolutely amazing: you drag your tiger's paw across your chapped & cracking lips, and open up a crimson slur you spread each time you kiss.
it's the kind of pain/pleasure of staying with her man and being able to kiss him. ugh fantastic.
however, what does the last line about the albatross mean? i don't get it.