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,
He may take you to shows every night,
Fill your head with promise and music delight,
And shower you with kisses of sweet ecstasy,
But he'll never need you.
He may fly you for weekends away,
Get your kicks in Paris and drive to Calais.
Life is so romantic, you're feeling alive.
He'll only leave you.
Living so exciting with your love affair.
Your heart has made you blind to me.
I'm sorry but I'm wondering.
Please answer me:
Can he love you like I love you?
Can he take you through the night?
Will he get you through the heartaches
And tomorrow hold you tight?
You may still survive the storm but
He can't love you, baby,
He don't love you, baby,
Like I do.
Down the Champs-Elysees for some French cuisine.
You're looking like a model from some magazine.
And down to Monte Carlo for champagne on ice.
Yes, it's so inviting.
Your head is spinning, you're floating on air.
Your heart is beating but you're not aware.
The things that he told you were only a lie.
And he'll only hurt you.
Living so exciting with your love affair.
Your heart has made you blind to me.
I'm sorry but I'm wondering.
Please answer me:
Can he love you like I love you?
Can he take you through the night?
Will he get you through the heartaches
And tomorrow hold you tight?
You may still survive the storm but
He can't love you, baby,
He don't love you, baby,
Like I do.
Can he know just what you're thinking
When you don't have words to say?
You may never understand that
He can't love you baby.
Can he love you like I love you?
Can he take your heart away?
Will he get you through the heartaches
And tomorrow hold you tight?
Fill your head with promise and music delight,
And shower you with kisses of sweet ecstasy,
But he'll never need you.
He may fly you for weekends away,
Get your kicks in Paris and drive to Calais.
Life is so romantic, you're feeling alive.
He'll only leave you.
Living so exciting with your love affair.
Your heart has made you blind to me.
I'm sorry but I'm wondering.
Please answer me:
Can he love you like I love you?
Can he take you through the night?
Will he get you through the heartaches
And tomorrow hold you tight?
You may still survive the storm but
He can't love you, baby,
He don't love you, baby,
Like I do.
Down the Champs-Elysees for some French cuisine.
You're looking like a model from some magazine.
And down to Monte Carlo for champagne on ice.
Yes, it's so inviting.
Your head is spinning, you're floating on air.
Your heart is beating but you're not aware.
The things that he told you were only a lie.
And he'll only hurt you.
Living so exciting with your love affair.
Your heart has made you blind to me.
I'm sorry but I'm wondering.
Please answer me:
Can he love you like I love you?
Can he take you through the night?
Will he get you through the heartaches
And tomorrow hold you tight?
You may still survive the storm but
He can't love you, baby,
He don't love you, baby,
Like I do.
Can he know just what you're thinking
When you don't have words to say?
You may never understand that
He can't love you baby.
Can he love you like I love you?
Can he take your heart away?
Will he get you through the heartaches
And tomorrow hold you tight?
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
He Can't Love You Lyrics as written by Robin Hugh Gibb Maurice Ernest Gibb
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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No Surprises
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Blue
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“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
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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.
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“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.