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,
Every cell is transforming
And returning to original concepts to construct
And then I started to shapeshift
And the animals within me grew tails and the talons
I hitched a ride on the back of a whale
To the darkest of the ocean and ate off the bottom
And then I traveled dimensions
In the places I rode upon elephants and zebras
Elephants and zebras
Well I dreamed of my future big time, yeah
What it would be like to always have clean water
And if you left the trees standing
And they filtered the air and we breathed it in deeply
Well I traveled across Native America
I saw the sickness taking form in all the small children
Well if I could give you my people, yeah
Well a piece of my peace will be with you always
If I could give you my people, yeah
Well a piece of my peace will be with you always
Be with you always
Be with you always
I never thought I needed medicine but I was spiritually dying
I needed some healing
So I opened my mouth and took a dose of the music
Then I stopped and prayed for guidance now teach me to use it
I prayed for guidance yeah teach me to use it
I prayed for guidance now give me the music
And it definitely matters how you look at it
And it definitely matters how you look at it
So if you think you can risk it, well
What an opportunity to be free of it
Well if you think you can risk it, well
What an opportunity to be free of it
I heard, I heard yeah the wild horses
I were blazing trails through uncertain territory
I take a toke and reflect with coyote
I were dreaming up new ways to bring the outcasts home
I take my place in the choir
I was singing the songs of freedom and progress
And we’re delivering the babies yeah
And we’re building up the next seven generations
Said we’re delivering the babies yeah
And we’re building up the next seven generations
Seven generations
Seven generations
I never thought I needed medicine but I was spiritually dying
I needed some healing
So I opened my mouth and took a dose of the music
Then I stopped and prayed for guidance now teach me to use it
I prayed for guidance now teach me to use it
I prayed for guidance now give me the music
And it definitely matters how you look at it
And it definitely matters how you look at it
So if you think you can risk it, well
What an opportunity to be free of it
Said if you think you can risk it, well
What an opportunity to be free of it
Mouthing off
Such aggressive behavior
I'm sounding off
Holding my temper
It comes in waves
My enemies swim close to me
My heart's displaced
Connected to such bravery
My hunger waits
I cannot swallow, I cannot swallow
I am all over the place
My spirit bellows, my spirit bellows
I am on my way
My body follows, my body follows
Written on my face
Well do not follow, do not follow...me
And returning to original concepts to construct
And then I started to shapeshift
And the animals within me grew tails and the talons
I hitched a ride on the back of a whale
To the darkest of the ocean and ate off the bottom
And then I traveled dimensions
In the places I rode upon elephants and zebras
Elephants and zebras
Well I dreamed of my future big time, yeah
What it would be like to always have clean water
And if you left the trees standing
And they filtered the air and we breathed it in deeply
Well I traveled across Native America
I saw the sickness taking form in all the small children
Well if I could give you my people, yeah
Well a piece of my peace will be with you always
If I could give you my people, yeah
Well a piece of my peace will be with you always
Be with you always
Be with you always
I never thought I needed medicine but I was spiritually dying
I needed some healing
So I opened my mouth and took a dose of the music
Then I stopped and prayed for guidance now teach me to use it
I prayed for guidance yeah teach me to use it
I prayed for guidance now give me the music
And it definitely matters how you look at it
And it definitely matters how you look at it
So if you think you can risk it, well
What an opportunity to be free of it
Well if you think you can risk it, well
What an opportunity to be free of it
I heard, I heard yeah the wild horses
I were blazing trails through uncertain territory
I take a toke and reflect with coyote
I were dreaming up new ways to bring the outcasts home
I take my place in the choir
I was singing the songs of freedom and progress
And we’re delivering the babies yeah
And we’re building up the next seven generations
Said we’re delivering the babies yeah
And we’re building up the next seven generations
Seven generations
Seven generations
I never thought I needed medicine but I was spiritually dying
I needed some healing
So I opened my mouth and took a dose of the music
Then I stopped and prayed for guidance now teach me to use it
I prayed for guidance now teach me to use it
I prayed for guidance now give me the music
And it definitely matters how you look at it
And it definitely matters how you look at it
So if you think you can risk it, well
What an opportunity to be free of it
Said if you think you can risk it, well
What an opportunity to be free of it
Mouthing off
Such aggressive behavior
I'm sounding off
Holding my temper
It comes in waves
My enemies swim close to me
My heart's displaced
Connected to such bravery
My hunger waits
I cannot swallow, I cannot swallow
I am all over the place
My spirit bellows, my spirit bellows
I am on my way
My body follows, my body follows
Written on my face
Well do not follow, do not follow...me
Lyrics submitted by Lookwithin, edited by westdrop
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