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 will clean you with a little fire
Don't you know that's how you stay alive
In this night brings memories
That you still can't fight, still can't fight
And while you kill what's left, you free your soul
And I will ravage it when it lets go
And then you realize your on your own
Could you still survive, still survive
What changes us
We let our love get by
We never tried to stop
And what changes us
If you never stood for much
You're gonna fall in love in time
I will keep you for a little while
We'll take the past out of our minds
And if you never find a newer light
Will you still come home, still come home
What word makes you still stand out
It makes it trickle down out of your mouth
And I'm in love with a faulty touch
And I don't know how, I'm gonna run away
What changes us
We let our love get by
We never tried to stop
And what changes us
If you never stood for much
You're gonna fall in love in time
And why don't you wait for something more
Cause I don't know how, you still survive
And what changes us
We let our love get by
We never tried to stop
And what changes us
If you never stood for much
You're gonna fall in love
If you never stood for much
You're gonna fall in love in time, in time
And why don't you wait for something more
Don't you know that's how you stay alive
In this night brings memories
That you still can't fight, still can't fight
And while you kill what's left, you free your soul
And I will ravage it when it lets go
And then you realize your on your own
Could you still survive, still survive
What changes us
We let our love get by
We never tried to stop
And what changes us
If you never stood for much
You're gonna fall in love in time
I will keep you for a little while
We'll take the past out of our minds
And if you never find a newer light
Will you still come home, still come home
What word makes you still stand out
It makes it trickle down out of your mouth
And I'm in love with a faulty touch
And I don't know how, I'm gonna run away
What changes us
We let our love get by
We never tried to stop
And what changes us
If you never stood for much
You're gonna fall in love in time
And why don't you wait for something more
Cause I don't know how, you still survive
And what changes us
We let our love get by
We never tried to stop
And what changes us
If you never stood for much
You're gonna fall in love
If you never stood for much
You're gonna fall in love in time, in time
And why don't you wait for something more
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I think this song is talking about one of those 90/10 relationships. When he is talking about being in the water and her just skipping stones. She wasn't serious about the relationship, he was all in. As Kevin might say her moto was "the right ones on the way." "You never fought for me" She was just wasting time and playing with this guys emotions until she found what she thought was better. Now the guy has to watch from the outside as she lives her life with someone new. He is now trying to forget her..."Paint myself out of your scenery." I am not sure, but that is what it reminds me of.
And I think he says "There's a pond that we wade across and you're still skipping stones" not wait.