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,
I left my heart in a plastic box
on the bedside table.
It will be locked 'til I get home.
I've grown feeble and tired of the world,
and tired of constantly missing my girl.
And I long to smell the sea
I miss the Pacific Ocean
and the northwest air,
and to run each of my fingers
through the strands of her hair.
I've been all over this country lately,
but I've been nowhere it seems, nowhere.
Well, I've found the cure
for my landlocked blues.
It's coming home to you.
If a simple seed gets just what it needs,
then a redwood tree can grow
up to a hundred feet for the world to see,
and endure the sleet and snow.
But if my whole life was wrapped and priced,
I wonder what the tag would show.
'Cause every time I'm close to the holy ghost,
I always seem to let her go.
I let her go.
on the bedside table.
It will be locked 'til I get home.
I've grown feeble and tired of the world,
and tired of constantly missing my girl.
And I long to smell the sea
I miss the Pacific Ocean
and the northwest air,
and to run each of my fingers
through the strands of her hair.
I've been all over this country lately,
but I've been nowhere it seems, nowhere.
Well, I've found the cure
for my landlocked blues.
It's coming home to you.
If a simple seed gets just what it needs,
then a redwood tree can grow
up to a hundred feet for the world to see,
and endure the sleet and snow.
But if my whole life was wrapped and priced,
I wonder what the tag would show.
'Cause every time I'm close to the holy ghost,
I always seem to let her go.
I let her go.
Lyrics submitted by topherc3103
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I agree with you, phy54. At first I thought the "I always seem to let her go" was referring to the Holy Ghost, but then I realized that he's actually talking about the girl he's in a relationship with.
"But if my whole life was wrapped and priced, I wonder what the tag would show. 'Cause every time I'm close to the holy ghost, I always seem to let her go." I think that he is evaluating his life, and as part of it, his relationship with the girl, and realizing he's not in the right in place. When he does get close to the holy spirit, he lets the girl go. So, in getting closer to God, he must have found that she was not right for him. Of course, all of that is based on two lines lol... so I'm not really sure how the rest of the song fits in :)