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,
So soon we're too old to carry
We knew we only had a little while
In the middle keep ticking over
Before you know it, parent a parent
To have it all and still want more
One things for sure we're all getting older
So we take a lover waiting in the corner
Before you know it, pushing up the daisies
And we go back to where we came from
Like those before and those to come
And know its the ever and the more
And again and again and again
In the end nothing comes easy
So you find a way to take a little with you
For the ones you love, there if they need to
Pharaoh, they're not coming with you
And we go back to where we came from
Like those before and those to come
And know its the ever and the more
And again and again and again
So soon we're too old to carry
We knew we only had a little while
In the middle keep ticking over
Before you know it, parent a parent
And we go back to where we came from
Like those before and those to come
And know its the ever and the more
And again and again and again
We knew we only had a little while
In the middle keep ticking over
Before you know it, parent a parent
To have it all and still want more
One things for sure we're all getting older
So we take a lover waiting in the corner
Before you know it, pushing up the daisies
And we go back to where we came from
Like those before and those to come
And know its the ever and the more
And again and again and again
In the end nothing comes easy
So you find a way to take a little with you
For the ones you love, there if they need to
Pharaoh, they're not coming with you
And we go back to where we came from
Like those before and those to come
And know its the ever and the more
And again and again and again
So soon we're too old to carry
We knew we only had a little while
In the middle keep ticking over
Before you know it, parent a parent
And we go back to where we came from
Like those before and those to come
And know its the ever and the more
And again and again and again
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Beautiful song. Especially the acoustic version. I think its about life and our progression from child to parent to lover. About that existential cycle and how we all follow the same path.