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,
Tell me a line
Make it easy for me
Open your arms
Dance with me until I feel all right
It's good in the dark
Good in the dark
But into the lover's light
Here comes another fight
So ring the alarm
Ring the alarm
Bar me and hold me and cling to my arm
Here it comes
Here it comes
And what you're asking me now
Disastrous now
Hoping and hoping and hoping the feeling goes away (away)
Never change, never change, never change, never change
Never change, never change, never change
This is why I fell in love
Never change, never change, never change, never change
Never change, never change, never change
That's just who I fell in love with (in love)
Oh this is the time
The very best time
So give me a line
And take me home
Take me over
But dashing the hopes
Dashing the hopes
And smashing the pride
The morning's got you on the ropes, oh
And love is a murderer
Love is a murderer
But if she calls you tonight
Everything is all right
Yeah, we know
And love is a curse
Shoved in a hearse
Love is an open book to a verse
Of your bad poetry
And this is coming from me
But I can change, I can change, I can change, I can change
I can change, I can change, I can change
If it helps you fall in love (in love)
I can change, I can change, I can change, I can change
I can change, I can change, I can change
If it helps you fall in love (in love)
Turn on the light
Make it easy for me
Fill the divide
Fumble in the kitchen 'til it's right
What an awful sight
But there's love in your eyes
Love in your eyes
Love in your eyes
But maybe that's just what your lover finds all night
And I can change, I can change, I can change, I can change
I can change, I can change, I can change
If it helps you fall in love (in love)
And I can change, I can change, I can change, I can change
I can change, I can change, I can change
If it helps you fall in love (in love)
And I can change, I can change, I can change, I can change
I can change, I can change, I can change
If it helps you feel real love (real love)
And I can change, I can change, I can change, I can change
I can change, I can change, I can change
If it helps you fall in love (in love)
Make it easy for me
Open your arms
Dance with me until I feel all right
It's good in the dark
Good in the dark
But into the lover's light
Here comes another fight
So ring the alarm
Ring the alarm
Bar me and hold me and cling to my arm
Here it comes
Here it comes
And what you're asking me now
Disastrous now
Hoping and hoping and hoping the feeling goes away (away)
Never change, never change, never change, never change
Never change, never change, never change
This is why I fell in love
Never change, never change, never change, never change
Never change, never change, never change
That's just who I fell in love with (in love)
Oh this is the time
The very best time
So give me a line
And take me home
Take me over
But dashing the hopes
Dashing the hopes
And smashing the pride
The morning's got you on the ropes, oh
And love is a murderer
Love is a murderer
But if she calls you tonight
Everything is all right
Yeah, we know
And love is a curse
Shoved in a hearse
Love is an open book to a verse
Of your bad poetry
And this is coming from me
But I can change, I can change, I can change, I can change
I can change, I can change, I can change
If it helps you fall in love (in love)
I can change, I can change, I can change, I can change
I can change, I can change, I can change
If it helps you fall in love (in love)
Turn on the light
Make it easy for me
Fill the divide
Fumble in the kitchen 'til it's right
What an awful sight
But there's love in your eyes
Love in your eyes
Love in your eyes
But maybe that's just what your lover finds all night
And I can change, I can change, I can change, I can change
I can change, I can change, I can change
If it helps you fall in love (in love)
And I can change, I can change, I can change, I can change
I can change, I can change, I can change
If it helps you fall in love (in love)
And I can change, I can change, I can change, I can change
I can change, I can change, I can change
If it helps you feel real love (real love)
And I can change, I can change, I can change, I can change
I can change, I can change, I can change
If it helps you fall in love (in love)
Lyrics submitted by _hideandseek, edited by Phaxn
I Can Change Lyrics as written by James Jeremiah Murphy Patrick Mahoney
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Love is an open book To a verse of your bad poetry And this is coming from me
I'm just now realizing the humor in the last part of the line. At first blush, it seems to fit into the song as part of the back and forth between the 2 parties (never change/I can change. But, taking into account James Murphy's unfortunate reputation as a terrible lyricist, the line becomes both a poke at (or nod to) critics, and extra "punctuation" for the idea that love is sh*t, which it is.
A bad lyricist doesn't write little lines that change people's lives. I think James Murphy is an amazing lyricist haha