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,
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na
Never been here before
Never opened up this door
But I got a feelin' it's just like the others
Never heard him laugh before
Never felt him feel before
But I got a feelin' it's just like the others
He's got a big boot
And he's got a big hand
And he's got a big fist
To put me down
Here we go again
Never heard him lie before
Never seen him cry before
But I got a feelin' it's like the others
Never heard him dream before
Oh, I never felt it before, oh
But I got a feelin' it's just like the others
He's got a big boot
He's got a big hand
He's got a big fist to put me down
He's got a big mouth
And I know he's got some big words
He's got a big knife to cut me down
Is it all
Is it all because of the fall
But it's not my fault
How long, long
How long
How long do I have to long
Never been here before
Never walked through this door
And I got a feelin' it won't be like the others
Even though he's got a big boot
And he's got a big hand
And he's got a big fist, he won't put me down
He's got a big mouth
Bet he's got a lotta big words
I bet he's got a big knife, but he don't
Cut me, cut me down, oh, ooh, oh
A big fist, tell him, cut me down
Bet he's got a big mouth
Bet he's got some big words
Come on, let's see your big knife
Why don't you try to cut me down
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na
Never been here before
Never opened up this door
But I got a feelin' it's just like the others
Never heard him laugh before
Never felt him feel before
But I got a feelin' it's just like the others
He's got a big boot
And he's got a big hand
And he's got a big fist
To put me down
Here we go again
Never heard him lie before
Never seen him cry before
But I got a feelin' it's like the others
Never heard him dream before
Oh, I never felt it before, oh
But I got a feelin' it's just like the others
He's got a big boot
He's got a big hand
He's got a big fist to put me down
He's got a big mouth
And I know he's got some big words
He's got a big knife to cut me down
Is it all
Is it all because of the fall
But it's not my fault
How long, long
How long
How long do I have to long
Never been here before
Never walked through this door
And I got a feelin' it won't be like the others
Even though he's got a big boot
And he's got a big hand
And he's got a big fist, he won't put me down
He's got a big mouth
Bet he's got a lotta big words
I bet he's got a big knife, but he don't
Cut me, cut me down, oh, ooh, oh
A big fist, tell him, cut me down
Bet he's got a big mouth
Bet he's got some big words
Come on, let's see your big knife
Why don't you try to cut me down
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The choruses are obvious to me about abuse. I think her voice is so sharp in the chorus, you really feel the anguish in her tone. And I also love the piano.
However, the verses...I have no idea what they are alluding to. Any thoughts to what "the fall" is alluding to? Or what's "like the others"? Had she been in an abusive relationship prior to this one?
Usually Chantal's songs are less ambiguous than this. I like that it doesnt straight out tell what she's talking about and leaving things up to interpretation, but I cant seem to even venture an interpretatipn without understanding the verses.