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,
Tears of the feeble
Hands of the slaves
Skin of the mothers
Mouths of the babes
Building the towers
Belongs to the sky
When the whole thing comes crashing down
Don't ask me why
Don't ask me why
Under the shelf
The shelf of the sky
Two eyes, two suns
Too heavenly blinds
Swallowing rivers
Belongs to the sea
When the whole thing washes away
Don't run to me
I'll be going down
For the rest of the slide
While the rest of you harvest the gold
And the wreck of you
Is the death of you all
And the wreck of you is the break and the fall
I'm the wreck of you
I'm the death of you all
I'm the wreck of you
I'm the break and the fall
Under the red break of the lights
Heroes in the stretches
Inch to the site
Blowing the pieces
Belong to the wind
When the whole thing blows away
I won't pretend, no
I'll be going down
For the rest of the ride
While the rest of you harvest the souls
And the wreck of you
Is the death of you all
And the wreck of you
Is the break and the fall
I'm the wreck of you
I'm the death of you all
I'm the wreck of you
I'm the break and the fall
Under the red under the lights
Lies the wreck of you for the rest of your life
And the wreck of you
Is the death of you all
And the wreck of you
Is the break and the fall
I'm the wreck of you
I'm the death of you all
I'm the wreck of you
I'm the break and the fall
While the rest of you harvest the gold
While the rest of you harvest the souls
Hands of the slaves
Skin of the mothers
Mouths of the babes
Building the towers
Belongs to the sky
When the whole thing comes crashing down
Don't ask me why
Don't ask me why
Under the shelf
The shelf of the sky
Two eyes, two suns
Too heavenly blinds
Swallowing rivers
Belongs to the sea
When the whole thing washes away
Don't run to me
I'll be going down
For the rest of the slide
While the rest of you harvest the gold
And the wreck of you
Is the death of you all
And the wreck of you is the break and the fall
I'm the wreck of you
I'm the death of you all
I'm the wreck of you
I'm the break and the fall
Under the red break of the lights
Heroes in the stretches
Inch to the site
Blowing the pieces
Belong to the wind
When the whole thing blows away
I won't pretend, no
I'll be going down
For the rest of the ride
While the rest of you harvest the souls
And the wreck of you
Is the death of you all
And the wreck of you
Is the break and the fall
I'm the wreck of you
I'm the death of you all
I'm the wreck of you
I'm the break and the fall
Under the red under the lights
Lies the wreck of you for the rest of your life
And the wreck of you
Is the death of you all
And the wreck of you
Is the break and the fall
I'm the wreck of you
I'm the death of you all
I'm the wreck of you
I'm the break and the fall
While the rest of you harvest the gold
While the rest of you harvest the souls
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"Harvest the fold" "For the rest of the slide"-first hook "For the rest of the ride"= 2nd hook "Heroes and Stretchers" not "stretches" [misinterpretation is due to his accent] "Blowing to pieces" [to comes out "ta" [common american slang]