The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
you know I love you baby from A to Z
Something about you keep on worried me
sometimes you love me and sometimes you don't
Sometime you will and sometime you wont
Because you're so swell baby when you're well
So swell baby when you're well
So swell when you're well
But you just stay at sick so long
Keep on connivin' and jivin' too
True love will never smile on you
You walked the floor just sit and cry
Pull out your hair and wonder why
Because you're so swell baby when you're well
So swell mama when you're well
So swell baby when you're well
But you just stay at sick so long
So swell baby when you're well
You so swell mama when you're well
So swell baby when you're well
But you just stay at sick so long
Yeah you're so swell baby when you're well
You build me up then you let me down
The way you treat me is the talk of the town
If you love me like you said you do
How come you treat me like you do do do
Because you're so swell baby when you're well
So swell mama when you're well
So swell baby when you're well
But you just stay at sick so long
Something about you keep on worried me
sometimes you love me and sometimes you don't
Sometime you will and sometime you wont
Because you're so swell baby when you're well
So swell baby when you're well
So swell when you're well
But you just stay at sick so long
Keep on connivin' and jivin' too
True love will never smile on you
You walked the floor just sit and cry
Pull out your hair and wonder why
Because you're so swell baby when you're well
So swell mama when you're well
So swell baby when you're well
But you just stay at sick so long
So swell baby when you're well
You so swell mama when you're well
So swell baby when you're well
But you just stay at sick so long
Yeah you're so swell baby when you're well
You build me up then you let me down
The way you treat me is the talk of the town
If you love me like you said you do
How come you treat me like you do do do
Because you're so swell baby when you're well
So swell mama when you're well
So swell baby when you're well
But you just stay at sick so long
Lyrics submitted by TheDirge
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"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
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This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
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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,
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You know I love you, baby, from A to Z, But something about you keep a-worryin' me... Sometimes you love me, and sometimes you don't; Sometimes you will, and then, sometimes you won't...
Oh, you're so swell, baby, when you're well; So swell, baby, when you're well... So swell, baby, when you're well, But you just stay sick so long...
Keep on connivin' and your jivin' too; True love ain't never gonna smile on you... You pace the floor, honey, you sit and cry; Pull out your hair, and then you wonder why...
It's 'cause you're so swell, baby, when you're well; You're so swell, baby, when you're well... Yeah, so swell, baby, when you're well, Oh, but you just stay sick so long...
You build me up, and then you let me down; Gimme little smile, but then you change it to frown... Yeah, if you love me like you say you do, How could you love me after you've been too?
You're so swell when you're well; You're so swell, baby, when you're well... Do you know that you're so swell when you're well? Oh, but you just stay sick so long... Yeah, yeah...
Fool that I am not to put you down; Gimme little smile, and then you change it to a frown... Yeah, if you love me like you say you do, Tell me, how could you love me after you've been too?
Oh, ho, ho! When you're well... You're so swell, baby, when you're well... Can I hear? So swell, baby, when you're well... Oh, but you just stay sick so long...
Do you know that you're ha, yeah... so swell, when you're well? You're so swell! So swell, baby, when you're well, Let me hear you now! Oh, but you just stay sick so long...
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah! Uh-huh... you're so swell, baby, when you're well, Uh-huh, yeah, yeah! Oh, but you just stay sick so...
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah! So swell, when you're well... You're so swell, baby, when you're well... So swell, baby.. when you're well, Oh, but you just... So sick, so sick, uh-huh, yeah!
Do you know, ah, hah? But you just stay sick so... So sick, so sick! Yeah-heah, yeah-heah!