This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Who can it be knocking at my door?
Go 'way, don't come 'round here no more
Can't you see that it's late at night?
I'm very tired, and I'm not feeling right
All I wish is to be alone
Stay away, don't you invade my home
Best off if you hang outside
Don't come in, I'll only run and hide
Who can it be now?
Who can it be now?
Who can it be now?
Who can it be now?
Who can it be knocking at my door?
Make no sound, tip-toe across the floor
If he hears, he'll knock all day
I'll be trapped, and here I'll have to stay
I've done no harm, I keep to myself
There's nothing wrong with my state of mental health
I like it here with my childhood friend
Here they come, those feelings again
Who can it be now?
Who can it be now?
Who can it be now?
Who can it be now?
Is it the man come to take me away?
Why do they follow me?
It's not the future that I can see
It's just my fantasy
Yeah
Who? Who? Who?
Who can it be now?
Who can it be now?
Who can it be now?
Who can it be now?
Oh, oh, oh
Who can it be now?
Oh we oh
Who can it, who can it
Oh, who can it be now?
Oh, we, oh
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Go 'way, don't come 'round here no more
Can't you see that it's late at night?
I'm very tired, and I'm not feeling right
All I wish is to be alone
Stay away, don't you invade my home
Best off if you hang outside
Don't come in, I'll only run and hide
Who can it be now?
Who can it be now?
Who can it be now?
Who can it be now?
Who can it be knocking at my door?
Make no sound, tip-toe across the floor
If he hears, he'll knock all day
I'll be trapped, and here I'll have to stay
I've done no harm, I keep to myself
There's nothing wrong with my state of mental health
I like it here with my childhood friend
Here they come, those feelings again
Who can it be now?
Who can it be now?
Who can it be now?
Who can it be now?
Is it the man come to take me away?
Why do they follow me?
It's not the future that I can see
It's just my fantasy
Yeah
Who? Who? Who?
Who can it be now?
Who can it be now?
Who can it be now?
Who can it be now?
Oh, oh, oh
Who can it be now?
Oh we oh
Who can it, who can it
Oh, who can it be now?
Oh, we, oh
Yeah, yeah, yeah
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This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
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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,
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I don't think it's about masturbation, like whymighti proposes, but paranoid schizophrenia sounds about right; perhaps the "It's not the future that I can see,/It's just my fantasy" is not self-directed, instead being another person speaking of the narrator's delusional behavior. It could also be self-reassurance or denial, which would go well with "There's nothing wrong with my state of mental health." Bouts of par. schiz. would fit, as would manic-depressive attacks. Then again, it could be about just a very shy man with reclusive tendencies or a bad past relationship.
i was thinking what you said but with anthropohobia fear of people thrown in.
I always thought this was about mental illness. I'm surprised more other people have not thought so. The narrator sounds paranoid (is it the man come to take me away, why do they follow me, I'll be trapped) and anxious. He's aware that something is wrong with him (I'm not feeling right; here they come, those feelings again) but is trying to deny it (there's nothing wrong with my state of mental health.) He is having delusions but again, is denying it -- as apparent by one of the strangest lines, "it's not the future that I can see, it's just my fantasy." Obviously he has been feeling like he can see the future, but now he's trying to convince himself or others that he's normal. Then there's that weird line about being "here with my childhood friend" when he's actually alone.
PS - Colin Hay's solo acoustic version is great; much better than the original.
It's when those adult trick or treaters come by my house and it's well into the bar hours. They don't want the Milky Ways, they want chicken wings. Unbelievable!!
sounds like a mix of anthropohobia -the fear of people-, constant paranoia, and schizophrenia and possibly full blown insanity. i say anthropophobia because it says "don't come in i'll only run and hide" meaning he is so scared of people his resort is to hide. i say paranoia because when it says "don't you invade my home," it is displaying he is paranoid of people breaking in. schizophrenia because he is hallucinating a "childhood friend" but he is all alone. finally "Is it the man come to take me away? Why do they follow me?" gives the impression (to me at least) that someone from a mental ward has came to take him in.
so basically a mad man trying to avoid being taken into a mental ward.
This song is about a guy wishing to not be bugged by people for a little while so he can relax. I really think it's no deeper than that.
I think that this song is about someone who knows he is a little strange, but wants to live his life on his terms and wants everyone else to stop trying to change him and leave him alone. Live and let live.
This would appear to be a normal, "I want to be left alone" kind of song, but its much deeper.
The following make it an 'abnormal' situation:
1) Nothing wrong with my state of mental health. 2) I like it here with my childhood friend (he is alone)
Children have 'imaginary friends', can this be his insanity?
No it cannot be, because whatever he is doing is illegal: Is it "the man" come to take me away".
1) Its not my furture that I can see (the consequenses) 2) Its just my fantasy (the consuming fire of the now)
Drugs? Porn? The list goes on... Something he 'felt' as a child...
I like this analogy. I think this song in part has to do with something I mentioned in another song about him. He's paranoid. He's afraid that someone's out to get him and he doesn't want to answer the door for fear he'll be taken away for something he did or because they are going to lock him away. "nothing wrong with my state of mental health...Is it the man come to take me away" the man in this case could be workers from a psychiatric clinic coming to take him away because they may believe him to be unstable.
About a person struggling with paranoid schizophrenia: he know's he's not right in the head, but he moves in an out of sanity and can't help it.
The tension between sanity and insanity is what makes this song.
When the song came out, Colin Hay said it was about the bill collectors that used to come to his (and his buddy's) apartment to collect. They would hide and pretend that they weren't home to buy themselves some time.
Masturbation... <scoff>
This song is a result of clear dementia which was due inproper misuse of drogs and alcohol.
Colin Hay is still one smashing bloke though and he has been clean for a long time now (just listen to the song "I wish I was still drinking).
Still... this song is still jolly damn good.