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,
Get on your knees in the fire
You can leave it
All in your mind
It is all in your mind
It is
Call in the backseat a friend
It is really all in your mind
It is all in your mind
You look so tired of living like a kite
kite, kite, kite
Look at all the trees in your mind
That are growing all in your mind
It is all in your mind
It is
Look at all the leaves in the fire
That you're burning all in your mind
It is all in your mind
It is
You look so tired of living like a kite
kite, kite, kite
Get on your knees in the fire
You can leave it all in your mind
It is all in your mind
It is
You can leave it
All in your mind
It is all in your mind
It is
Call in the backseat a friend
It is really all in your mind
It is all in your mind
You look so tired of living like a kite
kite, kite, kite
Look at all the trees in your mind
That are growing all in your mind
It is all in your mind
It is
Look at all the leaves in the fire
That you're burning all in your mind
It is all in your mind
It is
You look so tired of living like a kite
kite, kite, kite
Get on your knees in the fire
You can leave it all in your mind
It is all in your mind
It is
Lyrics submitted by passionatesleepyhead
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It is really interesting how there are so many different interpretations, this is what makes music great. Welp, here goes mine I guess: At the start of the song I think he is indicating about surrendering to everyday life and just letting go, by letting go I mean going through the rest of your life with this numbness (knees in the fire - letting go, leaving it - accepting that life is that way). Then he goes on talking about how it is all in his mind (it is consuming him, occupying his mind). He says he/we are tired of living this way (this way - thinking about life, about the number of difficulties, decisions etc, so you are basically questioning the meaning of life THAT way, which of course makes you exhausted). Then he talks about trees which (imo) represent all the good things which start to grow, they do exist, they are present, but when you start questioning them (living like a kite) you burn them and just go back to being tired. I imagine a kite being led by someone, it can't go on his own (connected with a piece of thread or smtn), we are also led by these thoughts which consume our mind and burn our "trees". Of course at the end of the song he, again, reminds us that we should let go and simply let our whole body go into flames (surrender to numbness). The message seems kind of depressive, but it's not, in my opinion he is trying to help us.