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,
Waiting for the night to start
Waiting for the night to change your ways
There are days missing in my week again
And there's not a cloud in the sky
But my view from the Hollywood Roosevelt
Makes me feel like I can fly
I should maybe make some apologies
And I probably should fix my hair
But I might just stay another night
If my credit card's still down there
Oh yeah, all right
I feel like a 100 million dollars tonight
I knew you were the one
But I kept you waiting
Kept you waiting
Anticipating now I'm waiting for you
I think I'll go see my friends tonight
Who live just a little bit up Crescent Heights
And sometimes we stay out all night
Feels like there's nothing that we can't do
I'm never really sure that I'll ever change
But if it makes you happy then I will lie
She looked at me and softly said
I'm going to love you till the day I die
Oh yeah, all right
I feel like a 100 million dollars tonight
I knew you were the one
But I kept you waiting
Kept you waiting
Anticipating now I'm waiting for you
I miss the things you told me
I'll be waiting for you
I just wish you would hold me
I'll be waiting for you
If you decide to change your mind
I'll be waiting for you
I miss the things you told me
I'll be waiting for you
I'll be waiting there for you
Waiting there for you
Waiting there for you
I keep waiting anticipating you.
Waiting for the night to change your ways
There are days missing in my week again
And there's not a cloud in the sky
But my view from the Hollywood Roosevelt
Makes me feel like I can fly
I should maybe make some apologies
And I probably should fix my hair
But I might just stay another night
If my credit card's still down there
Oh yeah, all right
I feel like a 100 million dollars tonight
I knew you were the one
But I kept you waiting
Kept you waiting
Anticipating now I'm waiting for you
I think I'll go see my friends tonight
Who live just a little bit up Crescent Heights
And sometimes we stay out all night
Feels like there's nothing that we can't do
I'm never really sure that I'll ever change
But if it makes you happy then I will lie
She looked at me and softly said
I'm going to love you till the day I die
Oh yeah, all right
I feel like a 100 million dollars tonight
I knew you were the one
But I kept you waiting
Kept you waiting
Anticipating now I'm waiting for you
I miss the things you told me
I'll be waiting for you
I just wish you would hold me
I'll be waiting for you
If you decide to change your mind
I'll be waiting for you
I miss the things you told me
I'll be waiting for you
I'll be waiting there for you
Waiting there for you
Waiting there for you
I keep waiting anticipating you.
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What does this song mean to me? Well, for one, the loneliness and urge to be with the one you miss. The feeling that I get when I go out on the road (no so much now days) to follow a band (Usually SR!) , And three guys sitting at a cabana wearing cop uniforms while singing this acoustic. And I almost hate to say that I like the acoustic version with Stan and Rodney singing it better than Mark.