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,
I'll do my time and I won't argue
A broken glass a portrait of you
I play on keys of barely in tune
Forget the reasons I won't resume
It's not me who wanted fame
I just needed to
I cash my life and lost my ID
Apathy is all I see
Leave the numbers all behind me
You are all I've got inside me
I don't need to be en caged
I just need to rearrange
I can't see you anymore
I can't leave right out the door
After all that we've been through
I can't be with or without you
You finally made it on TV
It's not the way you hoped it'd be
And all the pain of the insanity
Was this ever meant to be
And I don't think that I am thee
One that you keep telling me
It's tearing us up
And it's breaking me down
ALL I'll be, I'll be
Without or without you
A broken glass a portrait of you
I play on keys of barely in tune
Forget the reasons I won't resume
It's not me who wanted fame
I just needed to
I cash my life and lost my ID
Apathy is all I see
Leave the numbers all behind me
You are all I've got inside me
I don't need to be en caged
I just need to rearrange
I can't see you anymore
I can't leave right out the door
After all that we've been through
I can't be with or without you
You finally made it on TV
It's not the way you hoped it'd be
And all the pain of the insanity
Was this ever meant to be
And I don't think that I am thee
One that you keep telling me
It's tearing us up
And it's breaking me down
ALL I'll be, I'll be
Without or without you
Lyrics submitted by thekronic420
With or Without You Lyrics as written by Brian Ebejer
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This is one of my fav songs by Dope...Life is one of the best albums..if you haven't bought it...BUY IT! :-)
this is one of my fav songs too. dont just buy Life... if you can find it and good luck there get Felons and Revolutionairies and then dopes latest one Group Therapy.... btw you can exspect a new dope album by the end of the year.
the song might be of someone going into prison or mental hospital, and he/she has someone that constantly goes through the bad times with them... until they die or something and thats when he/she's gone completely insane.
the bass in this is awesome too.
well to me, this song seems to be form of two ways:
It's about a relationship where one person cannot live with or without his partner. He/she hates them but also loves them so much. He has a hard time deciding what he/she wants.
Or it could mean of one person leaving another (whether they had a romance, strong friendship,bro-bro) and making far but in the end its as if its not what they really wnated
it sounds like a woman who was really desprate to become famous and all she could make it as was a porn star like the "play of keys barely in tune also about the not the way you wanted it to be.. yea ...
I don't know what Dope song is more depressing, this one, or Easier. But this song, man, I have a lot of feelings about this song, its a very saddning song. Cause it reminds me of this girlfriend I had that I felt like was the one, and now we cant be with or without each other it sucks living without her.
i like this song. i think it's my favorite dope song. i take the meaning at face value here. it's someone being the life and death of you. i can relate.