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,
It's time to sleep, it's time to leave
To loose the binds, to lose a mind
Time to exhale, to drink the green sea
To drift upon the scarlet breeze
It's time, it's time, it's time to begin
It's time, it's time
It's time to just leave
Let's raise up our hands in prayer
Walk barefoot upon this carpet of air
Na na, na na, na na na na na na
Na na, na na, na na na na na na
Let's string up the man
At the top of the stairs
Let's piss on the city
That's burning down there
Jim, Jim, Jim, oh Jim
Jim, Jim, it's time to begin
Ride your mechanical beast to heaven
Ride your beautiful bitch to the ultimate sin
Na na, na na, na na na na na na
Na na, na na, na na na na na na
Don't cry, sweet plum, no regrets
We will strangle you up in the loft
These methedrine teeth are piled
Up in the sink and your mother is screaming
To finish him off
Now heaven will come, we will rise again
Yeah heaven will come, we will win
It's 200 miles to the place where we begin
Yeah heaven will come, we will win
To loose the binds, to lose a mind
Time to exhale, to drink the green sea
To drift upon the scarlet breeze
It's time, it's time, it's time to begin
It's time, it's time
It's time to just leave
Let's raise up our hands in prayer
Walk barefoot upon this carpet of air
Na na, na na, na na na na na na
Na na, na na, na na na na na na
Let's string up the man
At the top of the stairs
Let's piss on the city
That's burning down there
Jim, Jim, Jim, oh Jim
Jim, Jim, it's time to begin
Ride your mechanical beast to heaven
Ride your beautiful bitch to the ultimate sin
Na na, na na, na na na na na na
Na na, na na, na na na na na na
Don't cry, sweet plum, no regrets
We will strangle you up in the loft
These methedrine teeth are piled
Up in the sink and your mother is screaming
To finish him off
Now heaven will come, we will rise again
Yeah heaven will come, we will win
It's 200 miles to the place where we begin
Yeah heaven will come, we will win
Lyrics submitted by EminFSusmin
Jim Lyrics as written by
Lyrics © YOUNG GOD PUBLISHING
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This song utterly fascinates me.
I think this section is a drug fuelled fantasy. The different juxtapositions in each lyric are great:
"it's time to sleep it's time to leave to loóse the binds to loose a mind"
first thing here, is it loose or lose? They have different meanings in English, although they are becoming interchangeable on the web.
lose |lu?z| verb ( past and past participle lost |l?st| ) [ with obj. ] be deprived of or cease to have or retain (something): I've lost my appetite | Linda was very upset about losing her job | the company may find itself losing customers to cheaper rivals.
loose |lu?s| verb [ with obj. ] 1 set free; release: the hounds have been loosed. • make (something) loose; untie or undo: the ropes were loosed. • relax (one's grip): he loosed his grip suddenly. 2 (usu. loose off) fire (a bullet, arrow, etc.): he loosed off a shot at the vehicle.
"time to exhale to drink the green sea to drift upon the scarlet breeze"
suicide? a recurring theme in their songs
"it's time it's time it's time to begin it's time it's time it's time to just leave"
begin life anew / end the past life
"let's raise up our hands in prayer walk barefoot upon this carpet of air"
ascending to heaven or the afterlife / a funeral?
"let's string up the man at the top of the stairs let's piss on the city thats burning down there"
God is the man at the top of the stairs or was it the Saint who guards the gates? My Bible knowledge is pretty poor but I guess either works?
The burning city down there sounds like Hell so another reflection.
"jim jim jim oh jim jim jim it's time to begin ride your mechanical beast to heaven ride your beautiful bitch to the ultimate sin"
So Jim is going to Heaven and Hell I guess, kinda reflects the past verse.
This next bit I think continues the drift from drug vision back to reality now we've heard one of the character's names.
"don't cry sweet plum, no regrets we will strangle you up in the loft"
Doesn't sound good for Jim :)
"these methadrine teeth are piled up in the sink and your mother is screaming to finish him off"
I guess we know the drug the protagonist and Jim are on. Pretty grim sounding life they lead. Why is Jim's mother screaming to finish someone off?
"now heaven will come we will rise again heaven will come we will win"
Next hit?
"it is 200 miles to the place where we begin yes heaven will come, we will win..."
Er....