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 wake up fine and dandy but then by the time I find it handy,
To rip my heart apart and start planning my crash landing,
I go up, up, up, up, up to the ceiling,
Then I feel my soul start leaving, like an old man's hair receding,
I'm pleading please, oh please on my knees repeatedly asking,
Why it's got to be like this. Is this living free?
I don't want to be the one, be the one who has the sun's blood on my hands,
I'll tell the moon, take this weapon forged in darkness,
Some see a pen, I see a harpoon.
I'll stay awake,
Cause the dark's not taking prisoners tonight.
Why am I not scared in the morning?
I don't hear those voices calling,
I must have kicked them out
I must have kicked them out
I swear I heard demons yelling,
Those crazy words they were spelling,
They told me I was gone, they told me I was gone.
But I'll tell them
Why won't you let me go?
Do I threaten all your plans?
I'm insignificant
Please tell them you have no plans for me
I will set my soul on fire
What have I become?
I'll tell them
On the eve of a day that's forgotten and fake,
And the trees they await and clouds anticipate,
The start of a day when we put on our face,
A mask that portrays that we don't need grace,
On the eve of a day that is bigger than us,
But we open our eyes 'cause we're told that we must,
And the trees wave their arms and the clouds try to plead,
Desperately yelling there's something we need,
I'm not free, I asked forgiveness three times,
Same amount that I denied, I three-time mvp'ed this crime,
I'm afraid to tell you who I adore, won't tell you who I'm singing towards,
Metaphorically I'm a whore, and that's denial number four.
I'll stay awake,
Cause the dark's not taking prisoners tonight
Why am I not scared in the morning?
I don't hear those voices calling,
I must have kicked them out
I must have kicked them out
I swear I heard demons yelling
Those crazy words they were spelling
They told me I was gone,
they told me I was gone.
But I'll tell them,
Why won't you let me go?
Do I threaten all your plans?
I'm insignificant
Please tell them you have no plans for me
I will set my soul on fire
What have I become?
I'll tell them you have no plans for me
I will set my soul on fire
What have I become?
I'll tell them,
I'll tell them,
I'll tell them,
I'll tell them,
Please tell them you have no plans for me
I will set my soul on fire
What have I become?
I'm sorry
To rip my heart apart and start planning my crash landing,
I go up, up, up, up, up to the ceiling,
Then I feel my soul start leaving, like an old man's hair receding,
I'm pleading please, oh please on my knees repeatedly asking,
Why it's got to be like this. Is this living free?
I don't want to be the one, be the one who has the sun's blood on my hands,
I'll tell the moon, take this weapon forged in darkness,
Some see a pen, I see a harpoon.
I'll stay awake,
Cause the dark's not taking prisoners tonight.
Why am I not scared in the morning?
I don't hear those voices calling,
I must have kicked them out
I must have kicked them out
I swear I heard demons yelling,
Those crazy words they were spelling,
They told me I was gone, they told me I was gone.
But I'll tell them
Why won't you let me go?
Do I threaten all your plans?
I'm insignificant
Please tell them you have no plans for me
I will set my soul on fire
What have I become?
I'll tell them
On the eve of a day that's forgotten and fake,
And the trees they await and clouds anticipate,
The start of a day when we put on our face,
A mask that portrays that we don't need grace,
On the eve of a day that is bigger than us,
But we open our eyes 'cause we're told that we must,
And the trees wave their arms and the clouds try to plead,
Desperately yelling there's something we need,
I'm not free, I asked forgiveness three times,
Same amount that I denied, I three-time mvp'ed this crime,
I'm afraid to tell you who I adore, won't tell you who I'm singing towards,
Metaphorically I'm a whore, and that's denial number four.
I'll stay awake,
Cause the dark's not taking prisoners tonight
Why am I not scared in the morning?
I don't hear those voices calling,
I must have kicked them out
I must have kicked them out
I swear I heard demons yelling
Those crazy words they were spelling
They told me I was gone,
they told me I was gone.
But I'll tell them,
Why won't you let me go?
Do I threaten all your plans?
I'm insignificant
Please tell them you have no plans for me
I will set my soul on fire
What have I become?
I'll tell them you have no plans for me
I will set my soul on fire
What have I become?
I'll tell them,
I'll tell them,
I'll tell them,
I'll tell them,
Please tell them you have no plans for me
I will set my soul on fire
What have I become?
I'm sorry
Lyrics submitted by bookhouseboy23, edited by Skoobasteve24, djmojo21, ShaneDabruce, Jeisenne
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@pacman212 I think your interpretation is great. I can feel it, it's kinda like in my case (can't fall asleep -> writing and that's the weapon against those 'dark' thoughts). Though my favourite interpretation is about Tyler talking to God, I think both - this one and yours - might be connected.