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,
Slow down, we've got time left to be lazy
All the kids have bloomed from babies into flowers in our eyes
We've got fifty good years left to spend out in the garden
I don't care to beg your pardon
We should live until we die
We were barely 18 when we crossed collective hearts
It was cold, but it got warm when you barely crossed my eye
And then you turned, put out your hand
And you asked me to dance
I knew nothing of romance, but it was love at second sight
I swear when I grow up, I won't just buy you a rose
I will buy the flower shop, and you will never be lonely
Even if the sun stopped waking up over the fields
I will not leave, I will not leave 'till it's our time
So just take my hand, you know that I will never leave your side
It was the winter of '86, all the fields had frozen over
So we moved to Arizona to save our only son
And now he's turning to a man, though he thinks just like his mother
He believes we're all just lovers he sees hope in everyone
And even though she moved away
We always get calls from our daughter
She has eyes just like her father's
They are blue when skies are grey
And just like him, she never stops
Never takes the day for granted
Works for everything that's handed to her
Never once complains
You think that I nearly lost you
When the doctors tried to take you away
But like the night you took my hand beside the fire
Thirty years ago to this day
You swore you'd be here 'til we decide that it's our time
Well it's not time, you've never quit in all your life
So just take my hand, you know that I will never leave your side
You're the love of my life, you know that I will never leave your side
You come home from work and you kiss me on the eye
You curse the dogs, you say that I should never feed them what is ours
And so we move out to the garden and look at everything we've grown
And now the kids are coming home
So I'll set the table
You can make the fire
All the kids have bloomed from babies into flowers in our eyes
We've got fifty good years left to spend out in the garden
I don't care to beg your pardon
We should live until we die
We were barely 18 when we crossed collective hearts
It was cold, but it got warm when you barely crossed my eye
And then you turned, put out your hand
And you asked me to dance
I knew nothing of romance, but it was love at second sight
I swear when I grow up, I won't just buy you a rose
I will buy the flower shop, and you will never be lonely
Even if the sun stopped waking up over the fields
I will not leave, I will not leave 'till it's our time
So just take my hand, you know that I will never leave your side
It was the winter of '86, all the fields had frozen over
So we moved to Arizona to save our only son
And now he's turning to a man, though he thinks just like his mother
He believes we're all just lovers he sees hope in everyone
And even though she moved away
We always get calls from our daughter
She has eyes just like her father's
They are blue when skies are grey
And just like him, she never stops
Never takes the day for granted
Works for everything that's handed to her
Never once complains
You think that I nearly lost you
When the doctors tried to take you away
But like the night you took my hand beside the fire
Thirty years ago to this day
You swore you'd be here 'til we decide that it's our time
Well it's not time, you've never quit in all your life
So just take my hand, you know that I will never leave your side
You're the love of my life, you know that I will never leave your side
You come home from work and you kiss me on the eye
You curse the dogs, you say that I should never feed them what is ours
And so we move out to the garden and look at everything we've grown
And now the kids are coming home
So I'll set the table
You can make the fire
Lyrics submitted by SomthinCorporat, edited by amyevans, Iwillbyyou, NovmberBlu, gunflair, beaversk, AlexzaE, [delete me], whereisthelove, Quangshine
The Gambler Lyrics as written by Jack Michael Antonoff Samuel Thomas Means
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Hipgnosis Songs Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
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When Nate was in The Format he did a cover of The Lottery Song and there's a line that says "if life is but a gamble, gamble if you want to win." and i think that's why it's called The Gambler. Because Nate's parents "gambled" so to speak, and they ended up winning (and maybe go as far to say they won because of how beautiful their children are, as the song does begin with the kids, have a middle section about the kids, and then end with the kids.) beautiful, beautiful song