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,
If you want to open the hole
Just put your head down and go
Step beside the piece of the circumstance
Got to wash away the taste of evidence
Wash it away
(Evidence, evidence, evidence)
(Got to test the evidence)
I didn't feel a thing
It didn't mean a thing
Look in the eye and testify
I didn't feel a thing
Anything you say, we know you're guilty
Hands above your head, and you won't even feel me
You won't feel me
(Didn't feel a thing)
I didn't feel a thing
It didn't mean a thing
Look in the eye and testify
Didn't feel a thing
(Evidence, evidence, evidence)
(Got to test the evidence)
I didn't feel a thing
It didn't mean a thing
Look in the eye and testify
I didn't feel a thing
I didn't feel a thing
It didn't mean a thing
Look in the eye and testify
I didn't feel a thing
Just put your head down and go
Step beside the piece of the circumstance
Got to wash away the taste of evidence
Wash it away
(Evidence, evidence, evidence)
(Got to test the evidence)
I didn't feel a thing
It didn't mean a thing
Look in the eye and testify
I didn't feel a thing
Anything you say, we know you're guilty
Hands above your head, and you won't even feel me
You won't feel me
(Didn't feel a thing)
I didn't feel a thing
It didn't mean a thing
Look in the eye and testify
Didn't feel a thing
(Evidence, evidence, evidence)
(Got to test the evidence)
I didn't feel a thing
It didn't mean a thing
Look in the eye and testify
I didn't feel a thing
I didn't feel a thing
It didn't mean a thing
Look in the eye and testify
I didn't feel a thing
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She obviously cheated on him and he feels like she betrayed him. But she says that "It didn't mean a thing, and she didn't feel a thing."
But he can't shake the feeling that she's guilty and she's lying. And obviously she did feel something for the other guy since she let him inside her, both mentally and physically.
Also, I believe he's thinking all of this while she's performing oral on him, and even though he should be enjoying it, he's not. He's feeling distressed and betrayed by her. He knows it's over between her and him.
And at the when he says, "hands above your head, you won't even feel me." I think this is an eloquent way of saying that he thinks she's obviously full of shit and he's mocking her in a way. Like, here, blow me...I won't feel a thing. Right? It doesn't matter, right? No big deal right?
In other words. Sex is a very intimate thing to him and she didn't reciprocate that. So he's disappointed about that and in her in general. And then when he says "you won't feel me" that's a double edged sword where he finalizes his resolve about her cheating (AKA he won't change his mind) and he tells her goodbye at the same time. Or no final break up sex, she will just blow him and he's gone out of her life forever.
Such a good song, so many ways to interpret this. But this is what makes sense to me. I love how I can listen to this song and always find a new layer. This is true art.